Are Frozen Coffee Beans More Flavorful?
William Barton, Head Roaster | Fortuna Enterprises, LLC
A little while ago, a study came out stating that freezing coffee beans helps preserve flavor over time. Our marketing manager, Griffin, and I decided to find out whether we could duplicate this scientific study and get the same results for the average consumer. To test this theory, we left samples of freshly roasted coffee in the freezer, refrigerator, and at room temperature. We wanted to answer the question: does putting your coffee in the freezer help preserve flavor?
Short answer:
No. Not at all.
Long Answer:
This scientific study was conducted by scientists. Go figure.
Their coffee was flash frozen, held below zero degrees, and was perfectly sealed in containers containing absolutely no oxygen. In these conditions, freezing coffee does indeed preserve flavors.
Unfortunately, the average home consumer won’t have these tools available to them until the world runs on nuclear fusion energy and half of the population has transcended into glowing orbs of light.
Until then, keep your beans out of the freezer.
Here’s why:
Both freezers and refrigerators maintain relatively high humidity which is bad for roasted coffee beans.
Over the two weeks we left our coffee samples out, the refrigerator samples tasted the worst. The freezer samples were only slightly better, but both samples contained off flavors. The best was the sample we left at room temperature for two weeks.
At Fortuna, we roast coffee fresh every day. Many of our customers come pick coffee up when it still has a bit of warmth left over from the roasting process!
We also use special bags that contain a one way valve. This allows us to package our coffee as soon as it has cooled, rather than waiting for a few days to allow the beans to rest. As fresh coffee rests, it releases a surprising amount of gases which can rupture packing materials. Just think of a two-liter soda bottle when it’s shaken around. Our special bags allow the release of those gases, pushing out oxygen along with it.
By roasting coffee fresh every day and delivering it right away, we ensure that you get the freshest coffee possible. You don’t need to put our coffee in the fridge or freezer. It’s so good, it won’t stick around for that long anyway.
- William Barton
A little while ago, a study came out stating that freezing coffee beans helps preserve flavor over time. Our marketing manager, Griffin, and I decided to find out whether we could duplicate this scientific study and get the same results for the average consumer. To test this theory, we left samples of freshly roasted coffee in the freezer, refrigerator, and at room temperature. We wanted to answer the question: does putting your coffee in the freezer help preserve flavor?
Short answer:
No. Not at all.
Long Answer:
This scientific study was conducted by scientists. Go figure.
Their coffee was flash frozen, held below zero degrees, and was perfectly sealed in containers containing absolutely no oxygen. In these conditions, freezing coffee does indeed preserve flavors.
Unfortunately, the average home consumer won’t have these tools available to them until the world runs on nuclear fusion energy and half of the population has transcended into glowing orbs of light.
Until then, keep your beans out of the freezer.
Here’s why:
Both freezers and refrigerators maintain relatively high humidity which is bad for roasted coffee beans.
Over the two weeks we left our coffee samples out, the refrigerator samples tasted the worst. The freezer samples were only slightly better, but both samples contained off flavors. The best was the sample we left at room temperature for two weeks.
How Does Fortuna Keep Coffee Fresh?
The best way to keep your coffee fresh is to consume it all while it’s fresh! Coffee reaches its maximum flavor potential anywhere between two and five days after roasting and slowly declines from there.At Fortuna, we roast coffee fresh every day. Many of our customers come pick coffee up when it still has a bit of warmth left over from the roasting process!
We also use special bags that contain a one way valve. This allows us to package our coffee as soon as it has cooled, rather than waiting for a few days to allow the beans to rest. As fresh coffee rests, it releases a surprising amount of gases which can rupture packing materials. Just think of a two-liter soda bottle when it’s shaken around. Our special bags allow the release of those gases, pushing out oxygen along with it.
By roasting coffee fresh every day and delivering it right away, we ensure that you get the freshest coffee possible. You don’t need to put our coffee in the fridge or freezer. It’s so good, it won’t stick around for that long anyway.
- William Barton
Roast Master
Fortuna Enterprises, LLC
Fortuna Enterprises - Want it all? We have it all!
Established in 2000, Fortuna Enterprises is the consummate leader in providing complete and comprehensive solutions for all of your coffee shop needs. Located in Greensboro, NC, Fortuna excels in unparalleled customer service by offering specialty roasted small-batch coffee, a fully stocked warehouse, imports, design, equipment repair, consulting, barista training, and more!
We are compelled to be the unsurpassed authority for all coffee shop requirements. We use this drive to continue our extensive research in carefully selecting only the highest quality coffees, equipment, syrups and other coffee shop necessities. Our products have a proven record of premium industry performance and unmatched reliability. We buy large quantities from our suppliers so we are in turn able to negotiate extremely competitive pricing for our customers.
We look forward to hearing from you about how we can take you from concept to completion!
Established in 2000, Fortuna Enterprises is the consummate leader in providing complete and comprehensive solutions for all of your coffee shop needs. Located in Greensboro, NC, Fortuna excels in unparalleled customer service by offering specialty roasted small-batch coffee, a fully stocked warehouse, imports, design, equipment repair, consulting, barista training, and more!
We are compelled to be the unsurpassed authority for all coffee shop requirements. We use this drive to continue our extensive research in carefully selecting only the highest quality coffees, equipment, syrups and other coffee shop necessities. Our products have a proven record of premium industry performance and unmatched reliability. We buy large quantities from our suppliers so we are in turn able to negotiate extremely competitive pricing for our customers.
We look forward to hearing from you about how we can take you from concept to completion!
