Can I freeze my coffee beans?
Simply put - Yes! However, by saying that, I immediately open myself to criticism. So, please allow me have have 5 minutes of your time to explain why, how and when you may choose to freeze your coffee.
Others may offer conflicting advice. One says, “you can freeze your coffee, I freeze mine all the time.” Another scolds you strongly, “You should never freeze your coffee!” But, what lies under their assessment? The reason they freeze or do not freeze is entirely different.
To freeze or not to freeze, that is the question.
What’s really happening to those frozen coffee beans? The answer is rooted in science and is quite easy to understand. Ultimately we all want to enjoy the best tasting coffee possible. No matter how you define “great coffee” no one intentionally makes their coffee taste worse.
Sadly many people do unintentionally make their coffee taste worse.
So where does coffee flavor come from and how is it destroyed? By understanding this, we will come to our conclusion and answer the age old question, “can I freeze my coffee?” But, we’ll take it a step further to answer more importantly, “when and how should I freeze my coffee?”
Can I freeze my coffee?
I repeat, yes you can freeze your coffee. The goal here is to preserve freshness. Fresh coffee tastes better than stale coffee. How does coffee go stale? After the beans are roasted they become highly susceptible to oxidation. Oxidation is a fancy word for “going stale” (or in British English we say “going off”). This is why you should pay attention to “best by” or “roasted on" dates stamped to your coffee bag.
What if your friend sends you 6 bags of coffee!?!
When we open a bag of coffee - it smells great. So good in fact, that days and weeks later, you long for a new fresh bag of coffee. That’s because over days and weeks time oxygen has been hard at work infiltrating your beans, stealing away volatile aromas and complex compounds which should be dissolved and enjoyed in your brewed cup. But, oxygen stole them.
This oxidation process happens even faster when you pre-grind your coffee, leave the bag open, store beans in hot or damp conditions and place in clear containers where UV light penetrates the beans. In reverse, we can state the BEST PRACTICES for ensuring coffee freshness (and in turn tastiness!)
✓ Grind beans fresh each time.
✓ Close coffee bag to remove air and seal properly.
✓ Store coffee in a cool, dry, dark place.
When should I freeze my coffee?
The answer, it when you have too much. Freeze your excess coffee. Let’s pretend you have a vacation home and you only visit on occasion - freezing the remaining coffee, is much better than leaving it in the cupboard for months until your next holiday. What if, your favorite artisan coffee roaster sends you several bags of your favorite micro-lot single origin coffee - freeze the extra bags. If you love Christmas blend, then naturally you can only buy it once a year - freeze some to enjoy during the summer.
Freeze your excess coffee.
Let’s talk about the science of freezing real quick. Think water and ice. Water is a liquid because its particles are actively moving. Oxygen is moving in and out of liquid water. Ice on the other hand is solid - almost non-moving. Yes, frozen molecules move super super slowly. So, at best, oxygen can only bump up against the hard immovable bean shell.
Break it into smaller brew size bags for quick future use. Store in a second bag in back of freezer.
How should I freeze my coffee?
Now, for the fun part. Grab yourself several plastic bags. Plastic works better than paper in the freezer to block air and moisture. Breakdown your excess coffee into small portions that you can easily use in 1-2 weeks. Zip these smaller portions up and toss them into a second larger bag for double barrier protection and place them in the back or bottom of your freezer - ideally away from the door where repeated opening causes larger temperature fluctuations.
Next time you visit your vacation home or have a hankering for Christmas blend - pull one of those frozen packs out, brew, enjoy and store in a cool, dry place. These coffee freezing tips will protect your coffee beans, coffee grounds and yes, even k-cups… although there isn’t much left in a k-cup to protect : )
Note of caution: Freezing, thawing, refreezing, and thawing again creates excessive moisture on the coffee due to condensation. Avoid refreezing. Once out - leave out to use completely.
Congrats!
Now you can freeze your coffee like a pro!
Also found at YouTube: https://youtu.be/UxDYjmisMcc