How Do You Store Your Coffee?

[KillarneyRose]

I must've heard somewhere once that coffee should be stored in the refrigerator once it is opened so I have this big ol' container of Folgers in my refrigerator taking up precious space and I'm wondering if I could just keep it in my pantry instead.

What do you all do? Quality of taste really isn't a big issue for me unless keeping it in the pantry would make it really, really horrible. For the most part, though, I can't tell the difference between Starbucks and the stuff I buy by the cup at Exxon when I fill my car up.

[AlphaSigOU]

I keep mine in the fridge - it keeps fresher longer. You could keep it in the pantry as long as the container you store it in can be tightly closed. I woud only choose the latter for storing unground coffee.

[Lil' Hannah]

Originally posted by KillarneyRose
For the most part, though, I can't tell the difference between Starbucks and the stuff I buy by the cup at Exxon when I fill my car up.

I'm pretty much the same way, and I keep my crappy store-brand coffee in the fridge. I don't know why, it's really silly now that I think about it.

[midwesterngirl]

I have done both fridge and counter storage and haven't noticed a difference. Currently,my coffee sits out next to the coffee pot where I can have easy access.As I am usually in a hurry in the morning,I am all for whatever is going to save me even a small amount of time.

As for gas station vs Starbucks, I usually put some cinnamon creamer in my travel cup and fill up at my local Quik Trip, makes no difference to me. I can't justify the $4 that Starbucks charges me for a cup.That would be $80 a month if I stopped everyday. I do enjoy the peppermint mocha that they have around the holidays though and I usually will get that about once a week when they serve it.

[_Lisa_]

I keep my coffee sealed in an air-tight tupperware container & you absolutely SHOULD NOT keep your coffee in freezers/fridges.

Article: "How to Store Coffee" by the National Coffee Association

It is important not to refrigerate or freeze your daily supply of coffee because contact with moisture will cause it to deteriorate. Instead, store coffee in air-tight glass or ceramic containers and keep it in a convenient, but dark and cool, location. Remember that a cabinet near the oven is often too warm, as is a cabinet on an outside wall of your kitchen if it receives heat from a strong afternoon or summer sun.

The commercial coffee containers that you purchased your coffee in are generally not appropriate for long-term storage. Appropriate coffee storage canisters with an airtight seal are a worthwhile investment.

[xo_kathy]

Originally posted by crzychx
I keep my coffee sealed in an air-tight tupperware container & you absolutely SHOULD NOT keep your coffee in freezers/fridges.

Article: "How to Store Coffee" by the National Coffee Association

Interesting. On my honeymoon in Hawaii the guys at the Greenwell Farms - the Kona coffee plantation we visited - said airtight container in the freezer.

[Honeykiss1974]

Originally posted by midwesterngirl

As for gas station vs Starbucks, I usually put some cinnamon creamer in my travel cup and fill up at my local Quik Trip, makes no difference to me. I can't justify the $4 that Starbucks charges me for a cup.That would be $80 a month if I stopped everyday. I do enjoy the peppermint mocha that they have around the holidays though and I usually will get that about once a week when they serve it.

Quik Trip coffee is the bomb, especially since they redesigned the coffee section and the flavors. Their Chai Latte is my favorite.

I notice a difference in coffee when its not kept in an airtight container (whether in the fridge or pantry) I've been thinking about switching to one of those single serve brewers myself. (Like this one) http://www.gevalia.com/Gevalia/partn...tion_1810.aspx)

[HotDamnImAPhiMu]

I bought my brother Lucky Strikes for Christmas (he was totally hooked on them in Richmond, but they're harder to find in DC.) I was doing my Christmas shopping early, though, so I asked the tobbaconist if I should put them in a ziplock in the freezer or what to store them.

He said absolutely not -- that concept came from back when freezers were really awful, and therefore there was a lot of moisture inside them (which is what's good for tobacco, and I would assume, coffee too.) Now freezers are a lot more efficient at taking the moisture out of the air (and therefore your tobacco) and that's no good.

But, I am neither a tobacco or coffee expert, so.

[valkyrie]

I store mine in tupperware, in a cabinet. I am also one of those people who buys whole bean coffee and grinds it immediately before use. We're lucky if a package of coffee lasts us a week, so freshness isn't a big issue anyway.

[AOPIHottie]

This thread is making me want coffee.....

Anyway, I always heard to keep it in the fridge, so thats what I do. Although I guess I will just leave it out now..... I put so much sugar and cream in my coffee anyway, i pretty much only want it for the caffinee factor! I absolutly LOVE starbucks, but I agree it is way to expensive. But sometimes the gas station coffee is just to overly sweet. and not in the good way

[trojangal]

We've always kept it in a small tupperware cannister--I've always seen it kept that way. Now with fresh coffee beans, my grandmother will freeze hers until she's ready to use them and it doesn't seem to affect the flavor much.

Here in Alabama, we have the Shop A Snak and Cowboys which is similar to Quik Trip. They offer the flavored coffees/cappucinos and have at least 3 flavors. $1.99 for refillable mug and .39 a refill. That's my coffee fix in morning.

A student brought me a $25 gc for Starbucks, and I'm anticipating using it this summer...mmmm.

[sugar and spice]

Originally posted by KillarneyRose

For the most part, though, I can't tell the difference between Starbucks and the stuff I buy by the cup at Exxon when I fill my car up.

That's because, for the most part, there isn't that much of a difference. Starbucks pretends to be high-class pseudo-"gourmet" coffee, but in terms of the coffee world, it's really pretty low-to-mediocre quality.

That said, every time I've had "good" coffee, it's tasted pretty gross, so I'm not going to complain about Starbucks.

[aurora_borealis]

I keep whole beans in the freezer in an airtight bag (I have one of those vacuum food keepers). I have yet to figure out the exact amount of beans to make a certain amount of coffee, or I would just do a lot of smaller bags. I have so many different kinds of coffee that it got a bit out of control for awhile.

I believe the parentals are getting us a coffee maker that not only has a preset timer and a water filter, but also grinds the beans, as a housewarming gift. Among the three of us, we spend the price of it on coffee in a month.

[aephi alum]

I buy my coffee whole-bean and store it at room temp. I grind it up as needed and store any excess ground coffee in a ziplock bag in the fridge for future use. Works well...