11-04-2015, 08:40 AM
(11-03-2015, 11:02 PM)xxlt Wrote: I literally am just finishing the first one pound bag of coffee I ever bought. I never drank it before. Most of my life people were told pot and other illegal drugs were bad for you, caffeine was bad for you, and cigarettes were either good for you or harmless. Intuitively I always knew the last one was wrong, but tended to believe the other two for some stupid reason. At this point I think everything I was told for most of my life was wrong and or a lie. The food pyramid was b/s, cigarettes are perhaps the most toxic product ever, pot and many other drugs are good for many people and harmless for others, and caffeine is good for many people. But I digress...
Back to coffee. I bought a french press and a one pound bag of house blend at Starbucks. I have found a cup or two in the morning immensely improves my mood and focus through the day. Most of the rest of the world apparently has known this for millenia. So, now I am in on the secret.
I have a question about storing coffee. I have read so much conflicting stuff from "experts." Put it in a freezer, put it in a refrigerator, and never do either is the advice offered on various websites. Most consistent advice seems to be "store in a cool, dry place." That is how my folks always did it and makes the most sense to me. I just left the first pound in the bag I bought it in, and given that I only drink a cup a day and often only use one tablespoon of grounds instead of two it has lasted quite a while. I am wondering if I should buy an airtight canister for the next bag to be transferred into. Many "experts" say this will make it taste better for a longer time by keeping air and moisture out. What do you guys think? Is rolling down the sides of the bag it came in and clamping it adequate for the next purchase or should I transfer it to a special container?
(11-04-2015, 12:29 AM)wildcats forever Wrote: Don't freeze it, as it dries it out. You lose the oils and flavor that way. Buy a glass container with a sealed lid and store it in that. Just keeping it in the bag allows it to dry out, losing flavor and aromatics. Beans and grind as you go>pre-ground. Cool/dry place is where you want to put it.
To expand on that, airtight glass or another airtight canister is best, especially if you are storing ground beans for more than a couple of days. If you go with the glass container, or any material that lets light through, put the canister in a place light doesn't hit it. Never the fridge or freezer. Most coffee snobs will say pre-ground is a no-no, and I can tell you it does make a huge difference, but doing that is just fine. I know people that go so far as to roast their beans each morning and swear by that, so we could just keep going down that rabbit hole. Do what you like and have time/resources for.
I am curious, are you making sure you have the right grind for your press? Most pre-ground is ground for auto-drip and that can cause a bad press experience trying to use that. So I want to make sure you have the coarsest grind going for it so you aren't spitting grinds out after drinking your coffee.
