WHAT DOES "FRESH COFFEE" REALLY MEAN?

Freshness in coffee goes beyond the roast date. It encompasses how long the coffee has rested after roasting, its exposure to air, and even how it's stored.

Every cup of coffee should be a delightful experience. But what does "fresh" really mean regarding your favorite coffee? Let's dive into the delicious world of fresh coffee and why it's essential for unlocking the full potential of your favorite beans.

The Perfect Resting Time

When coffee is roasted, it undergoes degassing, where carbon dioxide builds up and needs to escape. If you brew coffee too soon after roasting, you may encounter a sour or overly acidic cup. The right resting time allows the flavors to mature, enhancing the sweetness and complexity of the coffee and resulting in a smoother, more enjoyable drink.

Coffee Degassing: the process where freshly roasted coffee beans release carbon dioxide, a natural byproduct of the roasting process. This gas release occurs mostly within the first few days after roasting but varies based on coffee type and roast profile.

Average degassing timeframe: 3 to 7 days

Light Roasts: Up to 14 days, depending on the coffee

Dark Roast: Can be sooner than average, 2 to 5 days

Roasted On, Best By, Use By, and How We Label Our Products.

You can find your coffee's roast date on all CCR packaging. For our 2.2lb bags, you can find the roast date on the front label. For our cans, you can find the roast date under the barcode, printed after the lot number. See the pictures below for help.

We recommend a 6-month best-by window and a 12-month use-by limit for our coffees. These date ranges mean our coffees are best within the first 6 months after roasting but can still be consumed up to a year after. 

Our coffee packaging features a one-way valve to allow gases to escape but not let air in. This valve extends the freshness of your coffee. However, once you open your coffee, proper storage and prompt consumption are key to ensure you are still enjoying the coffee's tasting notes.

How to Store Your Coffee

The key factor in properly storing your coffee is to keep it away from light, heat, and moisture. Exposure to oxygen, higher temperatures, and humidity can accelerate the oxidation of coffee and cause the degradation of aroma, the loss of freshness, and the development of stale flavors. Keep your coffee in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight, moisture, and strong odors. A pantry is a great place, but beware if that's also where you store your spices. Coffee is absorbent, and if left to mingle with your cumin and cinnamon, you could end up with a tainted cup.

If you have a 2.2lb bag, make sure you squeeze out all the excess air before you close the zipper. Remember we mentioned the one-way valve on our packages? Any air that might still be in the bag will escape out of that valve. 

Another option is to invest in an Airscape Coffee Canister. You can pour half your bag (or a whole can!) in the Airscape and then store the rest in its original packaging after you've muscled out that air, of course! Airscape storage canisters feature a patented plunger lid designed to fit snugly against the inside of the canister. Oxygen is forced out through a two-way valve as you press the lid down. This forced-air system is a great way to keep your coffee fresher as you open and close it daily. 

If you need long-term storage, you can store whole beans in the freezer for up to a month and a half. The best way to do this is by using a vacuum seal bag to protect the beans from moisture forming on the beans and disturbing the natural coffee oils. Take it out and thaw it when you're ready to consume it, and don't refreeze or thaw more than once, or your coffee will taste stale. You should not store coffee in the refrigerator or freezer and take it out scoop by scoop. Dramatic temperature swings will create condensation and will degrade your coffee even faster.

Pro Tip: If you have an espresso machine at home, only fill up your espresso hopper with what you will use daily. Remember: Coffee's biggest enemy is oxygen! 

Join the Fresh Coffee Movement

At Chesapeake Coffee Roasters, we are committed to providing you with the freshest, most sustainable coffee possible. When you choose one of our coffees, you're not just making a purchase; you're joining a community that values quality, flavor, and sustainability.

We invite you to explore our selection of freshly roasted coffee and experience the difference for yourself. Whether your preference is organic, Bird Friendly, or flavored, remember, great coffee takes time, just like the perfect cup you deserve! 

Thank you for being a part of our coffee-loving family. Here's to many more cups of coffee together!