Buying Premium Coffee Beans this Black Friday?
Black Friday deals on gourmet coffee are always irresistible. The same can also be said for Cyber Monday deals, when some of the best coffees money can buy are temporarily slashed in price.
From Panama Geisha coffee beans to Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee (i.e. the best Jamaican coffee) to Hawaiian Kona coffee (i.e. the best Hawaiian coffee), there’s no better time to pick up a bargain.
But assuming you take full advantage of the Black Friday sales and pick up a sizeable batch of beans, what’s the best way to preserve their freshness? Is there a way of prolonging the lifespan of the coffee beans you buy, or is it better to pick up gourmet coffee in small batches where possible?
Why Not Roast Your Own?
While it is not always an option, one of the best ways of prolonging the lifespan of gourmet coffee beans is to roast your own. If you can pick up Kona coffee of Panama Geisha coffee beans in their raw/unroasted form, it’s worth giving home roasting a shot.
It is important to remember that the moment coffee beans are roasted, the gradual deterioration of quality and freshness begins...albeit slowly. The same also applies to the grinding process, which vastly accelerates the loss of the compounds that give coffee its fragrance and flavor.
Hence, anything you can do to preserve these essential compounds right until the last minute is worth doing. If you can buy green coffee beans and roast them at home, you’ll be looking at the freshest and most enjoyable coffee money can buy. If not, set your sights on whole bean coffee that is freshly roasted to order, and grind your beans at the last minute.
Careful Storage of Coffee Beans
If you find yourself dealing with a surplus of gourmet coffee beans this Black Friday or Cyber Monday, you’ll want to preserve their freshness for as long as possible. Doing so means taking into account the three main environmental factors that can compromise the quality of coffee – oxygen, light, and moisture.
Consequently, the most effective way to store coffee beans is in a secure, airtight container in a cool and dark place. A vacuum sealer can be particularly effective in preserving the freshness of coffee beans, but a good mason jar of an appropriate size can also get the job done fine.
While some swear by freezing excess coffee beans to preserve their freshness, it is not normally the recommended approach. The reason is that the expansion and contraction of the beans during the freezing and defrosting process can compromise their quality and integrity. Likewise, a deep-freeze environment is naturally high in humidity, which can likewise pose a major threat to the quality of your coffee beans.
Hence, if planning on buying coffee beans in bulk this Black Friday or Cyber Monday, the key to long-term preservation lies in simple common sense. A good mason jar with an airtight seal combined with a dark cupboard is really all you need to the job done.
And in case you don’t feel like waiting until the next Black Friday / Cyber Monday, you can order some of the best coffee beans in the world from Hayman’s online store now. All our specialty coffee varieties are available for you as unroasted coffee beans / raw coffee beans (for home roasting), roasted whole bean coffee, roasted ground coffee, Nespresso®* compatible pods, and coffee pods compatible with Keurig K Cup coffee makers (incl. Keurig 2.0 models)**. Click here to order today, we are offering free worldwide shipping!
* Nespresso® is a registered trademark of Société des Produits Nestlé S.A., unrelated to Hayman ®. Our espresso pods are not created or sold by Nespresso®.
** Keurig and K-Cup are registered trademarks of Keurig Green Mountain, Inc. unrelated to Hayman®. Our pods are not created or sold by Keurig®.
