A great place to learn why to order whole bean coffee!

There is one basic reason as to why you should order whole bean coffee:

Aroma and Flavor!

Whenever you choose to grind your coffee, the flavor and aromas are going to diminish a little bit. In addition, the coffee is more likely to pick up surrounding aromas at that time.

This is why we are seeing a trend in coffee makers with built in grinders. Usually a simple blade grinder installed in the top, but a perfect addition to enhance a fresher taste. The closer time to actual brewing will decrease the chances of altering the natural flavor of the bean.

Even to invest in a simple $10-$15 grinder to keep on the counter is worth it. Even then, only grind the beans you are going to use for brewing that day or at most that week. Especially if you are not a daily coffee drinker, storing whole beans will increase shelf life ten fold. Either way, ground or whole bean, store your coffee in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.

Ground coffee has a short shelf life. Once coffee is ground, you can expect a fresh taste for up to nine days. After that, the air and humidity will have their effects on the coffee. Not to mention, surrounding air will be absorbed into ground coffee much more easily altering the taste. If you know you are buying enough for a week supply only, and don’t own a nice grinder, then take advantage of your roasters consistent grind. Otherwise, buy whole bean in larger quantities and use the discount to buy a nice conical grinder. It will be worth every penny.

Whole bean coffee does have a longer shelf life. Whole bean coffees once roasted have approximately 45 days to have that freshly roasted taste. If you store the beans well, you should have no problem getting great tasting coffee from your beans cup after cup. Additionally, if you can get your roaster to package each pound individually, and leave the packages sealed until needed, you can stretch this to almost three months.

Note:The amount (we mentioned individual pounds) should be what you drink in about a week. So if you brew a full 10-cup pot daily, this will be approximately a pound. If you drink 2 pots a day, having your roaster individually seal 2 pounds per package would be fine. Roasters normally can accomodate, 1 pound, 2 pound, and 5 pound packaging.

For more tips on storing coffee.
For more tips on choosing a grinder.