Question:

What is the best way to store coffee? The "barristas" at local coffee shops continually contradict each other. I'd like to know how to best store ground beans and un-ground beans, and how long they can be stored.
B. Fleischer

Answer:

You're right, there's more to making the perfect cup of joe than how much or what type of coffee you use. Flavor deteriorates quickly with exposure to air and moisture, more quickly with ground than whole beans. To maximize freshness, keep only one to two weeks' worth of coffee on hand — preferably in an airtight, opaque container — storing it at room temperature and keeping it out of direct sunlight and away from anything that generates heat, such as refrigerators or ovens.

Either replenish your stash with fresh coffee as you run out, or, if that's not convenient, freeze the rest of your coffee in re-sealable plastic bags. Cold temperatures do have a detrimental effect on the oils in the beans, so the resulting cup of joe won't taste quite the same as if you'd used unfrozen beans, but the difference will be marginal if you use whole beans within a month, and ground coffee within a couple of weeks. (Once you've thawed frozen coffee, do not refreeze it.) Unopened ground coffee is good for up to two years.

Kimberly Williams