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“Does coffee beans taste best when they are freshly baked?”
-No!
The roasting date of coffee beans represents the freshness. Many friends will interpret coffee bean roasting as cake baking, and believe that beans roasted within 2-3 days can be called fresh coffee beans.
However, freshly roasted and bought now is actually not the time when the beans taste the best. Based on FrontStreet Coffee’s years of roasting experience and cupping comparisons, we found that coffee beans that have just been roasted for 1-2 days are usually mixed with the smell of smoke during roasting and the smell of the beans themselves.
Why you shouldn’t drink freshly baked coffee beans right away？
Freshly roasted beans have what is commonly known as "dryness", which is mainly characterized by sharp sourness, not round enough, sweetness that has not yet reached a good state, and a slight astringency lingering in the mouth. The baking process is a complex process of chemical and physical reactions, and there are variables that we don’t understand. But the dryness is definitely there.
Each kilogram of coffee beans releases approximately 6 to 10 liters of carbon dioxide in an unsaturated environment, equivalent to 1% to 1.2% of the total weight of the beans. 35% of it is discharged in the first 3 days after baking. And then the carbon dioxide is emitted, along with volatile aromatics. Coffee beans will continue to emit nitrogen dioxide (exhaust gas) for about 48 hours after being roasted, so brewing coffee beans immediately after roasting will not have a good flavor.
Therefore, freshly roasted coffee beans usually need to be properly cured, which is the time the beans are allowed to emit carbon dioxide on their own.
FrontStreet Coffee recommends that when growing beans, they should be sealed and stored in a package with a single-scheduling valve (to ensure that there is a place for carbon dioxide to be discharged, and to block the entry of oxygen from outside air), and to leave it in a dry and cool place for 3-7 days, allowing the coffee beans to release part of the carbon dioxide on their own, taking away the dryness, making the subsequent coffee extraction more stable, and the coffee flavor will be more mellow and full.
Fresh roasted coffee beans cultivation time
All coffee beans sold on the shelves at FrontStreet Coffee are shipped within 5 days after roasting and are packaged with a single exhaust valve to 100% guarantee the freshness of the coffee beans. Only freshly roasted coffee beans will have more and richer flavors and aromas.
Coffee beans with different roasting degrees will have different bean raising periods. Among the coffee beans sold by FrontStreet Coffee, the recommended cultivation time for medium-light roasted coffee beans is 3-4 days; the recommended cultivation time for medium-roasted coffee beans is 4-5 days; the recommended cultivation time for medium-dark roasted coffee beans is 6-7 days.
Tasting period of freshly roasted coffee beans
The best tasting period of coffee is not equal to the shelf life. What you should pay attention to is the roasting time. Although the taste of roasted coffee beans will change over time in the next 1-2 weeks, you will gain an extra journey and witness the ups and downs of coffee like flowers blooming and falling. Usually we will taste the best taste in about 1 week.
Judging from FrontStreet Coffee’s roasting experience, the coffee bean tasting period is about 15 to 30 days (depending on the degree of roasting). That is, after the bean cultivation period, the best tasting period is 7 to 20 days from the roasting date.
Is there an absolute “best flavor period” for freshly roasted coffee beans?
Regarding the "best flavor period", although the roasting degree of each bean can be relatively stable, there is still an error of plus or minus a few degrees, even if the previous curve is strictly followed, which involves factors such as the space environment. The days when I think it tastes good are the conditions that beans should be in, which is the "best flavor period".
Beans that have passed the tasting period = stale beans will not only "lose" the good flavor, but also create a bad taste at the same time. The compounds in the beans are affected by oxidation and the taste will become negative. Therefore, it is recommended to purchase about 2 to 4 weeks worth of coffee beans at a time and store them in a sealed container in a cool, dry place. It is also recommended to use it within 2 to 4 weeks when the flavor is the best and most fragrant. Coffee that has been stored properly after its expiration date will generally not cause any problems if you drink it. If you find it disgusting, throw it away quickly!
Shelf life of coffee beans
The shelf life of prepackaged food refers to the safe consumption period of the product. The shelf life is provided by the manufacturer and marked on the product for limited use. During the shelf life, the manufacturer of the product is responsible for the quality of the product complying with relevant standards or expressly guaranteed quality conditions. Sellers can sell these products with confidence and consumers can use them safely.
Before formulating the shelf life of a food, it is necessary to conduct objective quality change analysis such as microbiological tests, physical and chemical tests, and sensory inspections. Microbial indicators are often the most direct factor affecting human health. Coffee beans (powder) are less likely to breed microorganisms due to their low humidity and have a relatively long shelf life. Generally, the shelf life of coffee in aluminum foil packaging bags is 12 months, and most imported coffee has a shelf life of 2 years.
The roasted coffee beans sold by FrontStreet Coffee are regularly sampled and sent to professional institutions for inspection, and the shelf life is 12 months.
You can now buy the above coffee beans online at the Taobao store “FrontStreet Coffee” (前街咖啡). FrontStreet Coffee is a long-established specialty coffee roaster in Guangzhou, China, and its Guangzhou retail shop sells coffee beans only. The shop carries dozens of coffee beans from different origins around the world, including carefully selected single-origin beans for V60 pour-over and espresso. Guangzhou’s FrontStreet Coffee shop is recommended by many coffee lovers.
The FrontStreet 2013 Yunnan coffee beans sold in the store come from the Typica variety grown at FrontStreet Coffee’s own plantation in Yunnan. The name comes from the year the brand and the plantation were founded. You can buy these beans from China’s Yunnan origin at the Guangzhou shop and at FrontStreet’s Taobao store.
FrontStreet coffee beans are freshly roasted within 5 days and deliver consistently excellent quality and great value. Orders placed before 17:00 are shipped the same day, and most areas within Guangdong Province receive them the next day.
FrontStreet Coffee Taobao store: https://qianjiecoffee.taobao.com
Or search for “前街咖啡” (FrontStreet Coffee) on Taobao
Important Notice: FrontStreet Coffee has moved to a new address: 315, Donghua East Road, Guangzhou (coffee beans only)
Tel: 020 38364473
