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Ohhhh my, have I been wrong all this time?

You know when you think you know an answer. An answer that you thought you have been very sure of for a long time, and find out it may not be true. Well 9 guys (of whom I hold in great respect) from homebarista.com have done some work on freezing fresh coffee and if this extends shelf life, and it appears that it may have some beneficial results.

It’s a great article at Home Barista but I do worry a little (trying to claw back some credibility). I think its got to be frozen well (i.e. no air in a good freezer) and there must be no condensation on the beans during defrosting. I also believe that buying fresh coffee is the only way to guarantee ultimate freshness, and freezing isn’t for everyone.

But what I do like is having my long standing beliefs challenged and this article is something that really did that, well done guys.

About the author Just Steve Leighton

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2 Comments

  1. Thanks for posting this interesting article, Steve. Do you think an 8 week max time is nearly a long enough timeline for these gentlemen to post any definitive claims just yet? I have a couple thoughts about the article thus far (haven’t finished it yet).

    First, regardless of what purists like you and I say, there are many, many others who will adamantly profess that two months is well within the window of freshness for sealed, flavorlocked coffees stored at room temp and away from direct light and heat.

    Second, you will be among the first, my friend, to mention that taste is subjective. That’s why McDonald’s new “premium roast” beat Starbucks coffee in a blind taste test. I’ll have to finish reading the entire article but so far the author(s) haven’t addressed their qualifications for consistency and therefore, for external acceptance.

    However, I completely agree with you about how great it can be to have your holy cows questioned and even torn down from time to time. Keeps us all growing. Maybe they’ll extend their timeline tests over six months, a year or two and publish again….

  2. I think you hit the nail on the head Steve when you mentioned it needing to be air free and in a good freezer. The problem with all tests is that they are subjective. I guess most people have problems keeping the moisture away from the beans, whereas the HB boys will have ensured optimum conditions for a proper test. As Aaron says, it will be interesting to see the longer term results. I also wonder whether the average user will go to the trouble of sealing the containers sufficiently should the experiment eventually yield a favourable conclusion.

    Hey mate, first Fairtrade and now this …… bloody hell, Sunderland will be promoted soon and turn your world totally upside down 😉

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