How to store coffee beans

Coffee goes stale because of air, light, heat and moisture. After roasting, the beans slowly lose their aroma and the oils go flat. A good bag, with a one way valve and a zip, helps, but the right storage helps even more.

Keep the coffee in its original sealed bag or in an airtight container that blocks light. Squeeze the air out before closing the bag. Store it in a cupboard, away from the stove, the sunlight and the kitchen sink, where the temperature changes and it gets damp.

Do not keep the daily bag in the fridge, as the humidity and smells can ruin it. If you buy a large amount, you can freeze part of it in small, airtight, sealed portions. Take out only what you need and let it come to room temperature before you open it, so that no water condenses on the beans.

Buy whole beans and grind only what you need. Ground coffee loses flavour in days, while whole beans stay good for a few weeks after roasting. Try to finish a bag within about a month of opening. Keep the rest of the beans sealed while you grind a small amount, so that the main supply is not exposed to air again and again.

In a hot, humid climate such as much of India, coffee stales faster. Buy smaller bags more often, rather than one large bag, and reseal it every time. A small airtight tin kept in a cool cupboard, away from the stove and the window, is usually the best place in an Indian kitchen, and it helps to pour coffee into it in small amounts.