Yes, you can freeze coffee beans. Although the result is not quite the same as having freshly roasted beans, freezing will keep your coffee from going bad for a few months. Other than that, it’s a pretty standard household trick to try if you have extra coffee and don’t know what to do with it.
Many people use this technique in their cafés, especially those who have trouble with freshness and inventory control on account of the hectic nature of running a small business. By keeping extra coffee in the freezer, you can always fall back on what’s there without waiting for fresh beans to be delivered from the roastery.
If you’re a home barista who doesn’t mind having stale coffee, then freezing is probably not a good idea. It’s better to store your coffee in an opaque container to keep it from going bad. Freezing will probably give you a more bitter brew, and oxidation may also be an issue.
As with almost all things coffee, there are many conflicting opinions out there. Some say that freezing is just fine if you take into account the temperature and amount of time your beans were exposed to it, while others argue that it is never permissible to freeze coffee beans because they will inevitably end up being stale when you thaw them.
How to freeze coffee beans:
1. Plan ahead. You don’t want to do this too far in advance or your coffee will be stale before you get a chance to use it (or if you’re lucky, it will go bad before then).
2. Place the beans into an opaque container, making sure that they are completely covered in cold water, and then freeze them.
3. When you’re ready to brew with the frozen coffee, take out the desired amount of coffee.
4. Place the coffee in a clean container with a lid.
5. Refrigerate the coffee until you’re ready to brew it, and then brew as usual.
This is an easy, immediate way to use up the beans and will allow you to have a fresh cup in no time.
6. Use your coffee within 24 hours for best results.
How long can I freeze coffee beans?
You can freeze coffee beans for 3-4 months.
Can you freeze coffee beans and still use them?
Yes. As long as the beans are frozen, you can use them just as if they were fresh or bulkier. Freezing doesn’t change the character or taste of the coffee at all! The most important thing when freezing is that the container you are freezing it in needs to be airtight so that moisture can’t escape, otherwise your coffee will end up staling quickly.
Don’t use an airtight container though; the beans need to vent. If the beans don’t do that, then your whole batch of beans will be stale when you thaw them! So make sure that any container you plan on freezing your coffee in is one that allows for small amounts of moisture to escape.
This method will be more suitable for those who have a fridge and have very small batches; a good option for this is using individual bags in a mug or travel size (which is also great for parties).
Can I freeze coffee beans for more than 2 months?
You can keep your coffee beans up to 3-4 months frozen. After that, it will likely be stale. If you have more than 5 pounds of beans and don’t mind having some stale ones, then you can freeze them all!
Can I freeze the whole bag of coffee at once?
Yes! You can freeze the whole bag of coffee at once. You just need to put the bags in a container that will allow moisture to escape. When you take it out, the beans will still be fresh. Airtight container like plastic containers is not recommended as they are likely to stale the beans inside. An open container like Ziploc bags or plastic containers with vent holes would do fine.
What if the beans get freezer burn?
Freezer burn is when moisture leaves a frozen food, or in this case coffee beans, and causes it to have a dry texture and bad taste. You can prevent this by simple keeping the coffee beans in the freezer longer.
If you left your coffee beans out of the freezer for a long time, then you may see some light brown patches on them. If this happens, there’s no need to worry! This doesn’t affect the flavor. The coffee beans are still great to use.
After the brown patches go away, there will be no more freezer burn, and the coffee will be ready for you to use. MAKE SURE TO KEEP WEIGHT ON THE BEANS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE IN ORDER TO KEEP THEM FRESH!
If you’re wondering why would someone want to freeze coffee beans anyway, then here are some more reasons:
1. You want a steady supply of fresh coffee throughout the year with minimum hassle.
2. You don’t want to use beans that have been sitting around for too long and have lost their freshness.
3. You’ve got extra coffee and don’t know what to do with it.
4. You’d like to save money by buying in bulk and freezing it so that you don’t have to buy coffee all the time.
5. You want to experiment with new beans but don’t want the hassle of trying to find a place to store them.
6. You’re going camping and will be far from your favorite coffee place for an extended period of time.
7. You love freshly roasted coffee but find that it loses its taste pretty quickly when you freeze it, thus you’d rather have it in bulk and freeze it yourself instead of buying freshly roasted coffee when you need more!
8. You want to be able to use your coffee maker without the hassle of having to run out and buy more beans all the time.
Conclusion
Coffee can be frozen in a number of different ways. It can be frozen in a container, or it can be frozen within an ice cube tray. It can also be put into an air tight plastic bag and placed in the freezer, but this method has been proven not to work well since there will inevitably also be moisture produced in your freezer that will make your coffee go stale.