mikeNZ1.
Making coffee.
Coffee starts to deteriorate as soon as it’s out of the roaster — light and air immediately start to break it down. Coffee is actually more similar to fresh fruit and vegetables than it is to other bagged goods you’ll find in the supermarket. Whole beans maintain their freshness at peak condition for around two weeks after roasting— but if you buy ground coffee, think apple slices. Once you cut into an apple, the surface area is exposed to light and air and it starts to soften, lose moisture and turn brown within minutes. The same applies to coffee grounds. A coffee enthusiast can actually pick up on the deterioration of coffee grinds after only 30 minutes.”
In contrast, coffee supplied through supermarket chains can take up to two months just to get from the roaster to the supermarket shelf. Coffee travels from the roaster to a central distribution centre, from there into storage before being allocated to a specific supermarket. Then it will go back into storage at its final destination before being displayed on the shelf. And then it needs to be sold. So some supermarket coffee can be around two to twelve months old before it gets to your pantry — many supermarket coffees have a long expiry date to compensate for the supply chain journey.
Making coffee.
Coffee starts to deteriorate as soon as it’s out of the roaster — light and air immediately start to break it down. Coffee is actually more similar to fresh fruit and vegetables than it is to other bagged goods you’ll find in the supermarket. Whole beans maintain their freshness at peak condition for around two weeks after roasting— but if you buy ground coffee, think apple slices. Once you cut into an apple, the surface area is exposed to light and air and it starts to soften, lose moisture and turn brown within minutes. The same applies to coffee grounds. A coffee enthusiast can actually pick up on the deterioration of coffee grinds after only 30 minutes.”
In contrast, coffee supplied through supermarket chains can take up to two months just to get from the roaster to the supermarket shelf. Coffee travels from the roaster to a central distribution centre, from there into storage before being allocated to a specific supermarket. Then it will go back into storage at its final destination before being displayed on the shelf. And then it needs to be sold. So some supermarket coffee can be around two to twelve months old before it gets to your pantry — many supermarket coffees have a long expiry date to compensate for the supply chain journey.