Tips for getting the most out of your coffee.

You have taken the time to select your coffee and now you have brought them home. Now how do you store your coffee?

Here are some helpful tips for storing your coffee so that you get the most out of it.

The original packaging does a pretty good job keeping your coffee beans fresh.
When you purchase coffee from Red Cedar Coffee Co. you will notice a one-way valve on the front of your bag. This valve releases gas from the coffee beans while keeping oxygen out of the bag.

The foil bag protects the coffee beans from moisture and light. It is always best to open one bag of coffee at a time.

Grind your coffee right before you brew.
To maximize the lifetime and flavors of your coffee you will want to grind your coffee right before brewing it. Coffee grinding releases gases and aromas which are important when you brew coffee.

Keep your coffee at room temperature.
Coffee beans can be sensitive to temperature, moisture, and air.

Store your coffee away from spices as coffee can quickly absorb odors. If placed in a cabinet, be sure it is away from the oven.

We suggest keeping your coffee beans at room temperature out of direct sunlight.

While there are various opinions around this topic, we feel that freezing coffee does not help your coffee in the long term. Freezer burn, the potential for packaging to develop micro cracks, condensation and then forgetting it is in the freezer, it is best to keep your coffee at room temperature.

Airtight containers are coffee’s best friend.
The best way to keep your coffee fresh is to remove the air from your storage container. We are fans of the AirScape. The AirScape container has an inner lid with air-valve that forces air out and locks freshness in. The AirScape works great for both whole bean and ground coffee which makes us love it even more.

Brewing a great tasting cup of coffee does not require a lot of fancy equipment. With a few tweaks you can get great tasting coffee from any coffee maker.

Here are some tips and tricks to help you brew the best cup of coffee.

Use freshly roasted coffee.

Look for coffee roasters, like Red Cedar Coffee Co., instead of grocery store coffee brands. For some grocery brands it may have taken 6-9 months for the coffee to work its way through their distribution system from being roasted to being placed on the store shelf. By comparison, you can enjoy coffee from a local roaster just days after it was roasted.

Pay attention to water.

Start off with good tasting water since coffee is approximately 98% water. Filtered or spring water can improve the taste of your coffee.   

Clean your grinder and coffee maker from time to time.

Use specially formulated equipment cleaners to make sure your coffee maker brews good tasting coffee. Please, do not use vinegar to clean your coffee maker! Click here for more information on cleaning your coffee maker and grinder.

Weigh out your coffee beans. 

We are often asked “Do you use a measured or heaping scoop of coffee?” Take the guesswork out of how much coffee you need by using a digital scale to weigh out your coffee grounds. It is a small step that is extremely helpful to make sure that you are replicating the same brewing recipe each time. Oftentimes a brewing recipe will show a brewing ratio such as 1:16 (one-ounce coffee grounds to 16 ounces water). We find that the brewing ratios of 1:14, 1:15, 1:16, 1:17 works well for most.

Using a pour over? Consider weighing your water, too.

The Chemex and Hario drippers are great ways to brew coffee but can be very difficult to eyeball the right amount of hot water. Place the pour over, filter and coffee grounds onto a digital scale and then tare out the weight. Then, you will want to weight the amount of water you are using (pour the hot water over the coffee grounds). Again, with the help of a digital scale you can with brew consistently.

Grind your coffee before brewing.

Did you know coffee begins to start losing some of its flavor and aromatics as soon as it is ground? Grinding your coffee beans fresh is one of the best ways to brew a more flavorful cup of coffee. Burr grinders are best because they grind coffee consistently.   

Use the correct grind style for the coffee maker you are using.

There are several grind styles when it comes to grinding your coffee. To name a few there is fine, auto-drip and coarse. You want to make sure that you are using the correct grind style for your brewing method. This is important because if the grind is too large, you will end up with a weak cup of coffee. If the coffee grind is too fine for your coffee maker then you end up with a bitter, over-extracted cup of coffee. Most drip coffee makers and single serve units work well on the auto-drip setting. If you are using a French press or Toddy cold brew system, you will want to have your coffee ground coarse.

Preheat your coffee carafe, Chemex or French press prior to brewing.

This is helpful especially during the colder months when heat loss is more noticeable. Heat up some hot water ahead to time and pour it into your coffee maker’s carafe, or your Chemex or French press before you brew. The hot water will take the chill out of the coffee maker and your coffee will stay hotter for a while longer. After sitting for about 10 minutes, pour out the hot water and then brew your pot of coffee. This trick also works great for travel mugs.

Carefully store your coffee. 

Coffee beans can be sensitive to temperature, moisture, and air. Keep your coffee in an airtight container at room temperature and out of direct sunlight. Avoid storing your coffee in the freezer or refrigerator.

Happy brewing!