Coffee Knowledge

Now that you have your coffee beans, it’s important you know how to make the most of them.

Here at Coffees Are Us we’re committed to ensuring that every cup you make – whether in the comfort of your own home or in your café – is delicious.

That’s why we’ve put together some indispensable coffee tips. From correctly storing and grinding your coffee, to ensuring you know how to correctly use your coffee appliances, we share with you the absolute coffee must-do’s that guarantee a delicious cup every time.

At Coffees Are Us we combine passion with experience, and we pride ourselves on not just selling the finest beans and products online and in-store, but also on providing the best coffee tips. We know all about the storing, roasting, brewing and drinking techniques to make sure your cup of coffee is perfect every time. 

 

Coffee Storage

What’s the Best Way to Store My Coffee Beans?

Coffee is perishable, so storing your coffee correctly is essential to ensuring you can enjoy a delicious-tasting brew.  

Eighty percent of the flavour and aroma of coffee comes from the natural oils of the bean. These oils dissipate quickly when incorrectly stored and exposed to oxygen, moisture, heat and light.

Here we’ll share with you the best way to store your beans and ground coffee to ensure optimum freshness, and of course, taste! 

Keep it in an opaque and airtight container

Oxidized coffee is not good-tasting coffee. Exposure to oxygen can cause the natural oils in the beans to evaporate, which leaves you with dried out, tasteless beans. That’s why you’ll find that most beans and ground coffee are sold in special one-way pressure-activated bags, which prevent the coffee (which, when fresh, releases carbon dioxide) from exploding the bag and letting in oxygen.

To keep your coffee fresh, store your beans or ground coffee in an opaque and airtight container that’s preferably not plastic, as plastics can also draw out much of the beans’ oils. Airtight glass or metal canisters are the most suitable storage options.  

Coffee is highly absorbent

There are different views on whether coffee does well when stored in the freezer. Keep in mind that coffee is highly absorbent – not just of moisture, but also of surrounding odours and tastes. And while freezers are tightly sealed, they can still let in small amounts of oxygen, which as we explained above, are no good for the beans. 

If you absolutely must store your coffee in the freezer, always use an airtight container, and only take out what you need. Ensure to place the coffee back in the freezer as soon as possible so that it doesn’t thaw out.

Instead of freezing your beans or ground coffee, you could try buying your coffee in smaller amounts more often so that you don’t end up wasting anything, and you’re using it while it’s at its freshest. Here at Cisco’s we sell our coffee beans online to make it easier for you to purchase only what you need, as often as you need. We also dispatch all online orders within 24 hours of roasting, so you only ever receive the freshest beans! 

Coffee likes cool, dark places

Find a spot that’s cool (room temperature is best) and dark, away from direct sunlight or heat emitted from kitchen appliances. Coffee derives its flavour from the oil in the beans. If exposed to heat and light, these oils will leach out, meaning your coffee won’t taste like much at all. We also suggest storing your beans in a low cupboard, as heat rises.

The shelf life of beans correctly stored should be 3-4 weeks. Ground coffee, correctly stored, should last 2-3 weeks.

If you’re purchasing unground beans, many coffee experts will tell you that to yield the best flavour and to maintain freshness, you should only grind them just before use. 

 

Coffee Grinding Tips

Grinding your coffee correctly is essential to enjoying the perfect cup. If you choose to purchase whole beans, then you’ll need to know how to correctly grind your beans according to your brewing method.

No matter how you like your coffee, it’s always preferable to grind your beans just before use to ensure premium freshness. 

Which coffee grinder should I use?

Coffee grinders fall into one of two categories: blade and burr. Most coffee experts and baristas will recommend a burr grinder, thanks to its ability to grind beans in a uniform size.

There are two different types of burr grinders available– conical and flat – but they ultimately produce the same result of consistently ground beans.

You may choose to purchase a manual or electric grinder depending on your budget, how frequently you drink coffee, and how much space you have available to store it. If you want to take some of the guesswork out of grinding, then an electric grinder is your best option. With in-built grinding and dosage settings, it’s easy to get perfectly ground beans for your brew of choice. 

At Coffees Are Us, we sell an array of both hand-held and electric grinders to suit every type of coffee drinker. If you’re not sure which grinder is best for you, don’t hesitate to give us a call. We’ll be happy to help you find your perfect coffee grinder.  

GRIND GUIDE

No matter which grinder you choose, it’s important to know the grind settings appropriate for each brewing method.

Extra course -
Suitable for cold-brew coffee

Course -
Use coarsely ground beans for French press/plunger coffee, as well as siphons

Medium course -
Medium course beans are best used in flat-bottomed filters (such as in automatic coffee makers) 

Medium -
Best for cone-shaped filters  

Fine -
Stovetop coffee makers require finely ground beans

Extra fine -
Turkish or Greek-style coffee needs extra fine coffee grounds  

If you’re still not sure which grind is best for your brewing method, get in touch with us today. We sell an array of grinders, from hand-held to electronic, to help you prepare the best-tasting coffee. All of our beans can also be purchased pre-ground for your convenience, so you can enjoy delicious coffee straight away.