Everybody who drinks coffee goes through their unique ritual that starts when they make the initial purchase. You may be the type that simply buys the store brand coffee at the local market and store it in the freezer to maintain freshness. You may be the type of coffee drinker who insists on buying Ethiopian coffee beans from the local fair trade market and then promptly grinds it up for later consumption. But you may just be messing up your morning coffee, in an unintentional way of course. Here is a list of what many well-intentioned coffee drinkers are doing that is wrecking their coffee.

Coffee is best consumed within weeks of roasting, like bread is best when consumed just after it is baked. After just a few weeks, coffee begins to stale and you begin to lose the sweetness and liveliness diminishes. So be smart about when you buy your coffee, or better still, buy unroasted coffee and roast it yourself.

Walking down the coffee aisle at the local market you are probably amazed at the wonderful aroma coming from the bulk coffee bins. But buyer beware, that coffee is going stale in that open air. Again, it is best if you roast your own coffee, but it can be just as fresh buying it from a company that roasts their coffee on a daily basis, like we do.

Now, freezing your coffee or coffee beans will extend their life, but you need to be careful. Repeated moving from freezer to room temperature will accelerate condensation, which makes them go stale. It is best if you only take from your freezer the amount of coffee you will use over the next several days. And make sure you allow enough time for the coffee to completely thaw before you unseal the bag to best prevent condensation.

Wherever you buy your coffee, make sure you keep it in a sealed container. If your coffee comes in a flimsy bag with the bendy thing on it, discard as soon as possible and store it in a better container. A container that is airtight is best. It is also recommended that you store your coffee in a cool, dry place to maintain freshness.

It might save a lot of time if you mass-grind your coffee in one fell swoop, but you are doing yourself a disfavor in the process. Stop sacrificing quality by making this critical mistake. It is far better to grind just a small amount of coffee at a time, so it stays fresher for a longer period of time. Let’s put it this way, you start sacrificing flavor just 20 minutes after grinding your coffee.

So next time you place a coffee order with us, whether you are ordering Ethiopian, South American or Central American coffee beans, consider how you will best keep your coffee beans fresh. After all, you are buying the best coffee beans on the market, so you will want to ensure you get the most out of every single cup you brew.