Vacu Vin Vacuum Coffee and Tea Saver

As a coffee lover, I always take the proper steps to make sure that my coffee stays fresh. There are several steps that you can take to ensure that you get the longest life out of your coffee. In this video we will cover how to store your coffee along with some useful tools that will help keep your beans fresh.

“The bag of coffee that I just received is blown up like a balloon!”

Once in a while, this is a phone call that we field, here at Whole Latte Love, about some of our coffees, and our response is always the same, “Relax, don’t worry. Your coffee beans just have a little gas!”

Roasted coffee naturally releases carbon dioxide (CO2). The phenomenon is called degassing, which could cause the pressure inside a coffee bag to increase over time, and make it “blow up like a balloon”. To solve this situation one-way degassing valves were created. These valves let the CO2 escape without allowing air to re-enter the bag, resulting in a fresher bag of coffee. Unfortunately, there are times when the valves need a little help, so gently squeezing the bag should relieve the situation.

Degassing valves are a coffee industry standard on most of the brands hat we carry. Nevertheless, if you receive a puffy bag, your coffee is still fresh because outside oxygen has not been allowed to enter and cause the beans to spoil.

Of course the best way to preserve your fine coffee after you open it is in a cool, dry place, preferably in a vacuum-sealed storage system, like the Vacu Vin Vacuum Coffee and Tea Saver. Remember, freezing your beans is NOT a good way to preserve them.

Have you ever had any experiences with coffee beans degassing in their bag?

How do you store your coffee?

Coffee, freezer. Freezer, coffee. The question of whether or not these two should meet has been a topic of contention for many coffee consumers. Say you stocked up of your favorite coffee, what's the best way to safeguard your stash?

Everybody agrees that storing beans and pre-ground coffee alike in airtight containers, such as the Yohki Glass Jar or the Vacu Vin Vacuum Coffee and Tea Saver, is critical to preserving flavor and aroma. The National Coffee Association of the United States also recommends storing coffee in a dark, cool location. They advocate steering clear of over-oven cabinets or shelves that are exposed to a lot of sunlight. But there are two distinct camps when it comes to the idea of giving your beans the deep freeze.

Freezer detractors, including most of Whole Latte Love's Facebook fans, advocate steering clear of the icebox. The environment is just too harsh for the delicate beans, resulting in flavor and aroma breakdown, according to coffee purists. That's not even the worst-case scenario. Have you ever had the unfortunate experience of tasting an ice cube that has been sitting in the freezer for a while? Disgusting, isn't it. Items left in the freezer tend absorb surrounding smells like a sponge. One mistake and fish flavored coffee could be in your future!

In theory, coffee can be frozen. Almost anything can go into the freezer; but like fresh fruit vs. frozen strawberries, in a perfect world, most of us would go with the former. If push comes to shove and you must venture into the frozen abyss, you can minimize the damage by keeping your coffee in an airtight container and away from the door, where temperature variations are the greatest. Whatever you do, only freeze once! Don't freeze, thaw, and then refreeze; that's just coffee flavor and aroma suicide. And, for Pete's sake, stay away from the fridge! Refrigerator temps are not cold enough for water to freeze; the damp atmosphere is about as bad as it gets for coffee beans.

Have you had a freezer experience gone wrong; or have you been successfully freezing your beans? Post your thoughts; we'd love to hear them!