For The Freshest Coffee, Avoid Buying Your Beans At The Grocery Store

The difference between good and bad coffee depends on several factors, one of which is human error. While there are plenty of mistakes that worsen your cup of joe (such as improper extraction and using old beans), there are also ways to make it taste fresher and more delicious. Chief among these methods is quite simple — when you buy coffee beans, don't get them from a grocery store.

Whole beans producing a higher quality cup of coffee than pre-ground alternatives, but they should be used soon after roasting to ensure you get the freshest drink possible. Using coffee beans between five and 30 days after they've been roasted should give you the best results. After 30 days, oxidation begins to heavily impact the quality. A process brought about by extended oxygen exposure, oxidation weakens and worsens the flavors and aromas. You may not know if store-bought bags of coffee beans could've been roasted long before they reach your kitchen, especially if they don't display a roast date. You should stay away from them whenever possible. Instead, visiting coffee shops that roast their own coffee beans in-house gives you more certainty regarding the freshness of the beans you're using.

Finding freshly roasted coffee beans might take some effort if you don't live near many local coffee shops, but it's worth going the extra mile. While the pre-packaged beans at grocery stores can benefit from being sealed tightly — and sometimes even feature specialized anti-oxidation precautions like one-way valves — those measures won't completely offset the effects of time spent sitting on the shelf.Roasted beans release carbon dioxide (hence the need for valves on packaging). This eventually leads to a decline in flavor and aroma.

Thus, local beans are the way to go if you want truly fresh coffee but don't want to go through the hassle of learning to roast coffee beans yourself. However, the freshness of your beans isn't the only difference-maker when it comes to taste. Brewing your coffee soon after you've ground the beans is vital to making the drink delicious, too. Ensuring that your water is heated between 195 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit and using the correct coffee ground-to-water ratio — typically 1:16 — are other ways to get the best results when brewing at home.