Let’s talk about the big F-word in coffee: freshness. Everyone’s chasing it. Bags stamped with roast dates, "best before" warnings, vacuum seals, oxygen absorbers—it’s like your beans are going into witness protection. But here’s the thing: yes, coffee beans do go stale. The truth? It’s not instant, but it’s inevitable.
So what is stale coffee?
Stale coffee is coffee that’s lost its mojo. We're talking dull, flat, cardboard-in-a-cup kind of vibes. When coffee is fresh, it's got that lively punch—sweetness, clarity, depth. Over time, oxygen sneaks in and starts pulling those flavour notes apart. Oils go rancid. Aromatics disappear. What’s left? Sad beans that even your moka pot would reject.
How long do beans stay fresh?
It depends on how you’re storing them, but as a rule of thumb:
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Whole beans: Best within 2–4 weeks of roast. After that, they slowly start losing their shine.
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Ground coffee: You’ve got about 30 minutes post-grind before it starts going downhill fast.
That said, "fresh" isn’t just a date on a bag. It’s how the coffee behaves in the cup. A coffee can be too fresh (yeah, really), especially within the first 3–5 days post-roast. The CO₂ is still doing its thing, and your espresso might taste gassy, with weird bubbles and uneven extraction. Let it rest a bit, and it’ll mellow into something much tastier.
Can you stop beans from going stale?
You can’t stop time, but you can definitely slow it down:
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Store beans in an airtight container, away from light, heat, and moisture. Not in the fridge. Not in the freezer. Just somewhere cool and dark, like a cupboard.
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Only buy what you’ll use in 2–3 weeks. You don’t need to hoard it like it’s toilet paper in a lockdown. We've made this easier than ever with our new 100g bag sizes.
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Grind fresh. Always. Although, small caveat here, you're gonna need a decent grinder to make the most of our blends and single origins. If you've got nothing, or a middle-aisle-deal; you're best off buying small quantities and going pre-ground from a speciality roaster. Nothing can ruin your cuppa like a uneven grinding.
Our take?
We're not into gimmicks. We roast to order, pack it quick, and send it out while it’s peaking—so you can always enjoy those rich, sweet, full-bodied flavours we’re all about. No stale beans, no stale vibes.
Drink it how you like it. Just don’t let it sit on the shelf ‘til it’s a shadow of its former self.
