It's Time To Thaw the Coffee

Not too long ago I went to Metropolis Coffee and picked up 12 oz. of just-roasted. When I got back, I discovered that the canister I was going to pack the beans in held maybe 9 oz. or so. No problem; I filled it, wrapped up the bag the beans came in, and threw the bag in the freezer to wait.

It's time; the canister's about 3/4 empty (or, for you optimists 1/4 full). What's the best way to thaw out the frozen beans? I assume that condensation's going to form on them and that ideally I'll want to avoid putting wet beans into the canister. I'm thinking maybe spread them out overnight in a sieve for best air circulation? Or maybe just lay them on a paper towel overnight? (I'm not tied to overnight if shorter periods work; it's just 10 p.m. so if I start tonight, it will be overnight.) Is there a most reliable way to take the condensation off the surface of the bean without affecting the rest of it much?

Oh, and it was their Peru blend. Eh. I reckon I'll have no trouble finding something I like better. I grew up on 25¢ bottomless cups and want to find the just-roasted version of that. But these beans really had just been roasted, and even I could taste the difference.

I grind the beans straight out of the freezer. No problems with condensation.

Fillay

I'm not a coffee drinker, so I'm not an authority on this, but I've seen reports that suggest not freezing coffee, as it affects some quality of the brew. I don't remember if it was a beans or grounds situtation (I'm betting frozen grounds deteriorate more), and I think it was a Good Eats golden rule. Alton gets a little type-A about his food storage, so it may be an exaggeration.

I worked for a coffee manufacturer for a year before starting my current job, and we recommend never ever ever freezing whole bean coffee. Just using it as quickly as possible. If you must store coffee, it should be kept in an airtight container that also blocks out light. It isn't just the condensation, it is the change in temperature (and, in the case of home freezers,the daily fluctuation when the door opens and closes) that impacts the quality of the beans.

Ground coffee is a different beast altogether - it needs to be stored airtight, and frozen is less frowned upon. Not highly recommended, but not forbidden by my coffee-trainer colleagues.

edited for spelling and the word 'just'

Read more about coffee storage here:

http://www.ineedcoffee.com/99/07/storage/

The reason not to freeze coffee is because that your typical freezer's freeze/thaw cycle will cause condensation to form on the beans/grounds. Coffee is better kept in an airtight container at room temperature.

However, if they are already frozen, then I would recommend fillay's suggestion.

Thanks, folks. Fillay, that seems a reasonable solution for the short term, since condensation wouldn't have a chance to form. And Joel and Queijo, thanks for steering me away from freezing. That was my first trip to Metropolis, and all I saw were 12 oz. bags, so next time I'll see if I can coax them into selling a smaller quantity.

It's all very well for coffee roasters to recommend against freezing coffee. They also recommend against storing it at room temperature for more than a week or so either. What they want you to do is throw out all the coffee you have and buy fresh coffee. Preferably daily and in quantity.

If you don't make coffee every day, or have more than you can use in a week or so, the freezer stores it fine, assuming you keep it wrapped airtight and have normal freezer use (i.e. you aren't opening the freezer every minute). Modern, frost-free freezers don't allow moisture to condense. Temperature fluctuations that are fine for meat, fish, butter and other delicate products are hardly going to mess up your coffee in a few weeks.

Like fillay, I tend to grind it straight from the freezer. If I'm making coffee frequently and want to have more out at room temperature, I let it thaw in the airtight container on the counter.

I don't recommend this, but I've had coffee frozen up to a year and it was fine. Certainly a lot better than coffee stored at room temperature for a year would have been.

The coffee manufacturers don't seem to agree, anyway:

First Colony wrote:# The best way to keep coffee fresh is to store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The container should not allow air to interact with the coffee and dry it out. Also, the refrigerator has the cool temperature needed to slow the aging process. Coffee stored in this way will last for up to 1 year.

# Although not as ideal as refrigerator storage, coffee can also be stored on a pantry shelf in an airtight container. Be sure to find a darker spot that is room temperature or below. Coffee stored in this way will last for up to 6 months.

# Finally, we do not recommend storing coffee in the freezer. The very cold temperature of the freezer will actually speed the aging process!

Dunn Bros. wrote:* The refrigerator is a no no! Roasted coffee is an odor magnet. Unless you can completely seal your coffee air tight, it might end up tasting more like that left over Tandoori Chicken you have sitting in the back of your frig than the high grown estate Colombia you thought it was. A bigger threat is the condensation that forms at refrigerator temperatures. In this situation even an airtight container wont keep moisture from forming and destroying the freshness of your coffee.

* The freezer is your best bet for long term storage of whole bean or ground coffee. At this extreme temperature condensation no longer is a problem, although the odor rule still applies. A zip lock freezer bag is a great solution for keeping freezer odor away from your coffee. Unlike those frozen skinless/boneless chicken breasts you have in your freezer there is no need to thaw frozen coffee, you can go directly to your grinder or coffee brewer if already ground.

Thanks, LAZ (and also Food Nut and Fujisan for your thoughts, which appeared while I was writing my earlier reply).

Especially given that the beans were still pretty warm even by the time I got them home, I'm really not worried about the aging question -- my bigger concern was whether it was OK to throw frozen beans into an airtight canister with room-temperature beans. Since I can use them straight from the freezer, it isn't a concern.

As for storage and the frequency of buying beans, ideally I'd buy everything I consumed the day I planned to use it. I try to come as close to that as I can anyway.

Fujisan wrote:The reason not to freeze coffee is because that your typical freezer's freeze/thaw cycle will cause condensation to form on the beans/grounds. Coffee is better kept in an airtight container at room temperature.

However, if they are already frozen, then I would recommend fillay's suggestion.

Could you provide more info on the freezer's freeze/thaw cycle? I was under the mistaken impression that food stored in my freezer, once frozen, stayed frozen so long as power to the unit was available and nobody left the freezer door open. Is this freeze/thaw cycle universal to all freezers or are there certain brands/models where this takes place?

All freezers labeled as "frost free" keep themselves frost free by periodically warming up the walls to slough off the frost. The freezer doesn't totally warm up but items near the walls tend to get a bit of defrost, causing ice crystals to form. This is more visible when air is present in the container. Over time, this thaw/freeze cycle will pretty much ruin your food. Frost Free freezers are not good for long term storage.

A regular freezer that you have to manually defrost doesnt' do this, which is why you have to periodically defrost it! Which is why, for longer term storage, a regular freezer is best.

I'd hardly call that a freeze/thaw cycle - I was thinking more of the freeze/thaw effect that allows water into the cracks of my sidewalk and then later freezes (and thaws, and freezes, . . .). Besides, any longterm storage in my freezer is typically in a food-savered vacuum bag.

Back on topic, I don't freeze coffee beans today but have in the past - though not for long periods of time - and didn't note any ill effects. It was hardly a scientific study, though, so I'm certainly willing to admit that it may not be the best way to store them.

On coffee degrading in the freezer: As a coffee manufacturer, we employ a number of sensory experts and use some finely tuned scientific equipment (don't ask me what it is b/c I just don't know - I'm a chef and a fromager, not a coffee person). The experts do note that coffee quality decreases in a freezer after a few days (and even faster when exposed to air), but what is perceptible to them may be imperceptible to the average taster/consumer. Coffee evolves quickly from day to day and differences are noticable on the palate, provided that you have an educated one. The average consumer is probably safe storing their coffee in the freezer -- it all comes down to personal choice. I choose not to. I buy less coffee and drink it quickly.

Where is Kit when you need to hear from a real coffee fanatic?