Culture: Here is the brews. . .

There’s nothing like the smell of freshly-ground coffee; it has an aromatic warmth with a welcome lift that’s hard to resist. If, like me, you’re a self-confessed coffee addict you’ll no doubt enjoy a brew at home as much as when you’re out and about. But how you store your coffee can have a huge impact on taste.

So how do we identify fresh roasted grounds or coffee that’s lacklustre? Exposure to light, varying temperatures and the introduction of oxygen could be making your coffee stale. Visually this is difficult to detect but stick your nose in the bag and you’ll definitely know the difference between fresh and stale coffee! Stale coffee has little smell and may appear dry, whereas fresh coffee has an unforgettable aromatic kick. Stale coffee has an unpleasant, ashy and bitter taste rather than the well-rounded aromatic flavours of a good cup of coffee.

How to store coffee

Whether you’re making a brew at home or a business using coffee beans on a larger scale; using fresh coffee is key for flavour. There are all sorts of methods (some causing surprising controversy) for keeping your coffee fresh once opened. Here at Paddy & Scott’s we advise a couple of failsafe ways to keep your coffee fresh.

The main things to be wary of when storing your coffee are air, moisture, heat and light as all can have a disastrous impact on flavour and aroma. You might be surprised to hear that ground coffee exposed to the air is likely to go stale within 30 minutes. Coffee beans stay fresh for a little longer but once you’ve made your coffee it’s important to store the remaining coffee beans in the correct way.

Avoid moisture – This seems like an obvious one but until you’re actually brewing a cup; don’t let your coffee get damp. Storing coffee in the cupboard or shelf above your kettle or cooker is a classic people often overlook. Hot steam rises upwards, meets the coffee and forms mildew – sounds delicious, right? Taking coffee in and out of the fridge is also problematic; the change in temperature means condensation is formed. It goes against what most people think is right, but we believe the fridge (or freezer, for that matter) is definitely not the place for storing coffee.

Airtight cannister

The best place to store ground coffee and beans is in a clean, airtight container. This should preferably not be glass or clear plastic as light-exposure can erode freshness too. Coffee canisters should be opaque with a sealable airtight lid. You can find a great example of this on our website – a limited edition coffee gift tin perfect for locking in all those marvellous flavours for just £3.99. Fresher coffee is tastier coffee; store your coffee tin on a cool, dry shelf and enjoy the best home brew, day after day.

Buy fresh – stay fresh

It goes without saying that all our coffee is RFA certified and freshly ground in the UK. From our punchy kick-starters: Wakey Wakey and Pure shot to Chit Chat and Café Decaf, we have a strength and flavour to suit your mood. Keeping it fresh might well change your daily cuppa – find your perfect match at one of our fuelling stations!

Scott Russell

CEO

Paddy & Scott’s

Abbeygate Street and Abbeycroft Leisure Centre, Bury St Edmunds,

72 High Street, Hadleigh

paddyandscotts.co.uk