how long does ground coffee last?

brianthebard

I know the purists here grind (and probably roast) their own, but I don't have the money for that so I buy the regular vaccuum packed pre-ground variety. Once its open how long can it be considered fresh? Does using a clip or something else to close the bag lengthen its shelf life at all? I have noticed a bit of a difference between the first and last cup of the bag, although there's generally about a month or more between them so its hard to compare! Thoughts people?

Khannie

I've seen the lads on here say that ground beans lose their freshness in a matter of minutes! 20 squids for a whirly grinder on ebay.

If you want to compare freshly opened to one month old, buy a new bag just before your old one's finished and compare the two then.

DamoKen

I've wondered the same myself. Do beans not lose their freshness too or do they just keep for a lot longer?

RE*AC*TOR

@brian:
Pre-ground coffee can never really be considered fresh. What you are asking is how long can it be considered moderatley stale? When does it become extremely stale?

@damo: beans also lose freshness. But not at the same rate. Once you grind the coffee you are exponentially increasing the surface area. This surface area comes in contact with air and goes stale.

Khannie

RE*AC*TOR wrote: »

What you are asking is how long can it be considered moderatley stale? When does it become extremely stale?

I lol'd.

brianthebard

Khannie wrote: »

I've seen the lads on here say that ground beans lose their freshness in a matter of minutes! 20 squids for a whirly grinder on ebay. If you want to compare freshly opened to one month old, buy a new bag just before your old one's finished and compare the two then.

will that grinder be any good though?I saw one in a shop for thirty quid but would badly ground stuff not be as bad or worse as the stale stuff?

eclectichoney

How do you make your coffee? If you use a french press you could probably get away with it.

Khannie

No, it'll still be crap, but I found it a huge improvement over pre-ground stuff from the supermarket tbh. Really big step up, especially for the money.

I think a whirly's a whirly, so have a look on ebay and see what you can find. I found a good tip on a starbucks piece of literature that said to shake as you ground with a whirly and this did help. Obviously a proper grinder's the preference, but I can't think of a better way to improve your coffee for 20 or 30 euro.

edit: Oh yeah, I meant to say: I was using a pour over and french press with the whirly. I'm going to continue using the whirly when I use either of them (even though I have the super jolly now). Probably not worth bothering if you're looking for an espresso type grind.

eclectichoney

I got a Bodum Antigua (€60 so a little more expensive) recently and I have to admit I am finding it great for the ol' French Press. You're right khannie - the freshness is amazing I could never go back! I haven't tried it to see how fine a grind you could get if you were trying to make espresso though (hmmm note to self!)

Sparks

Wouldn't a hand grinder do the same job better for the same kind of money?
This kind of thing, for example: http://www.whittard.co.uk/ProductDetails.aspx?pid=115048&cid=ce5020&language=en-GB

Khannie

eclectichoney wrote: »

You're right khannie - the freshness is amazing I could never go back!

I was amazed at how quickly I was turning my nose up at pre-ground. Never thought I'd be a coffee snob until I had fresh ground.

eclectichoney wrote: »

I haven't tried it to see how fine a grind you could get if you were trying to make espresso though (hmmm note to self!)

I think the consistency of the grind becomes an issue as you get finer and finer.

Brian: You're welcome to a loan of my whirly for a few days if you want to try before you buy. I can meet up with you in town.

The_Conductor

If you store it in an airtight container in the freezer- it keeps much longer. Its to do with the aromatic oils which are released once you grind it.

eclectichoney

I read somewhere you should *never* put coffee in the freezer. Is this true?

The_Conductor

eclectichoney wrote: »

I read somewhere you should *never* put coffee in the freezer. Is this true?

I store mine in the freezer, no bad reprecussions whatsoever.
My Belgian flatmate in college was the one who got me into grinding my own coffee......

Sparks

Grounds in the freezer, beans in the cupboard. Or at least that's what I thought...

Mr Magnolia

brianthebard wrote: »

I buy the regular vaccuum packed pre-ground variety. Once its open how long can it be considered fresh? Does using a clip or something else to close the bag lengthen its shelf life at all?Thoughts people?

Great question.

Freshly roasted coffee has a lot of oils, fats and gases present in the bean, some are naturally present, some are generated by roasting. Beans start to degrade around 36 hours after roasting. Basically these oils and fats start to dry out and this detracts from the flavour.

Ground coffee, as you can imagine degrades considerably quicker as it has a lot more surface area exposed to the atmosphere. It starts to dry out immediately after being ground.

Keeping the coffee in an airtight container in a dark place will help the cause though.

eclectichoney wrote: »

I read somewhere you should *never* put coffee in the freezer. Is this true?

Correct. Storing coffee in a fridge or freezer, taking it in and out causes the air that it's packed in and any moisture in the bean to condense. The humidity caused by the condensation will cause the beans to degrade a lot quicker than if they were stored in an airtight container.

RE*AC*TOR

For the record a cheap blade grinder will only be acceptable (and I mean bare minimum) for drip filter brewing. Otherwise save up and buy a decent burr grinder. I don't want to be preachy, but if you're making the effort to ask questions about coffee on an internet forum, you obviously want more from your coffee. A decent burr grinder is the best thing you will ever do for your coffee.

As for the freezer. I know of people who freeze beans post-roast to keep that freshness. That may work, never tried it myself. I think once you move away from whole beans you are pissing in the wind.

brianthebard

Khannie wrote: »

Brian: You're welcome to a loan of my whirly for a few days if you want to try before you buy. I can meet up with you in town.

thanks for the offer but i live in co.sligo.I might have a look in the home shops and see if theres anything there.Someone asked what i use to make the coffee-if i just want one cup i have a filter machine,otherwise i use a french press or a stove top.Lots of info on this thread,good stuff!

Khannie

RE*AC*TOR wrote: »

For the record a cheap blade grinder will only be acceptable (and I mean bare minimum) for drip filter brewing.

Freshly (whirly) ground french press > supermarket ground french press IMO.

RE*AC*TOR

Khannie wrote: »

Freshly (whirly) ground french press > supermarket ground french press IMO.

What about the sludge? Even with a burr grinder sludge is an issue.

Khannie

brianthebard wrote: »

thanks for the offer but i live in co.sligo

Doh! I thought you were studying in Dublin. Must have mixed you up with someone else. Sorry.

Khannie

RE*AC*TOR wrote: »

What about the sludge? Even with a burr grinder sludge is an issue.

I found sludge more of an issue with the pour over than with the french press when I used the whirly (probably because of the coarse grind for french press). I treated it a bit like a cup of leaf tea....just leave a bit in the bottom.

RE*AC*TOR

Khannie wrote: »

I found sludge more of an issue with the pour over than with the french press when I used the whirly (probably because of the coarse grind for french press). I treated it a bit like a cup of leaf tea....just leave a bit in the bottom.

Gold filter or paper?

Khannie

Gold. They recommend cloth on coffeegeek.

RE*AC*TOR

Paper would be best for anti-sludgeness. Cloth involves a lot more cleaning than gold.

Khannie

With a decent grinder the gold pour over is actually a great piece of kit. Very little effort to clean and makes a lovely brew.

Just made some decaf with the french press ground with the whirly. Nyom. A bit like having a nicotine patch instead of a cigarette though.

RE*AC*TOR

Khannie wrote: »

With a decent grinder the gold pour over is actually a great piece of kit. Very little effort to clean and makes a lovely brew.

Just made some decaf with the french press ground with the whirly. Nyom. A bit like having a nicotine patch instead of a cigarette though.

I guess the problem with decaf is that it robs more than just the caffeine.

You need a second grinder (told ya so )

Khannie

RE*AC*TOR wrote: »

I guess the problem with decaf is that it robs more than just the caffeine.

So it seems. Still though, it takes the edge off.

RE*AC*TOR wrote: »

You need a second grinder (told ya so )

Haha. Only really until I get the rest of the doserless kit. There was a brief discussion about how well the MDF fitted in with the classic and how it would fit under the counter. And then it was over.

johnnyrotten

RE*AC*TOR wrote: »

For the record a cheap blade grinder will only be acceptable (and I mean bare minimum) for drip filter brewing. Otherwise save up and buy a decent burr grinder. I don't want to be preachy, but if you're making the effort to ask questions about coffee on an internet forum, you obviously want more from your coffee. A decent burr grinder is the best thing you will ever do for your coffee.

As for the freezer. I know of people who freeze beans post-roast to keep that freshness. That may work, never tried it myself. I think once you move away from whole beans you are pissing in the wind.

I want to get a grinder. I know a burr grinder is the chap but i can't afford €275 for the likes of a MDF. Saw a Krups GVX burr grinder LIKE THIS in Harvey Normans the other day. Any use?

RE*AC*TOR

johnnyrotten wrote: »

I want to get a grinder. I know a burr grinder is the chap but i can't afford €275 for the likes of a MDF. Saw a Krups GVX burr grinder LIKE THIS in Harvey Normans the other day. Any use?

No use.

SGT£100 for an Iberital MC2 on happydonkey.co.uk

Gran Hermano

google 'kraps grinder' and you see opinions on why to avoid krups.
Search this forum for my link on mason jars. Am away from home and bookmarks think it's lakeland in uk that has them cheap for jam making
With the rubber real and top clasp they are perfect for storage..