How Long Does Ground Coffee Stay Fresh?
Thanks to the wild Double 11 discounts, many coffee lovers recently stocked up online, flooding our Taobao and Tmall customer service with coffee-related questions. Among the most frequent were: “How long can coffee last after it’s ground?” and “How soon should I finish it after grinding?” Interestingly, when people ask these questions, they’re not really asking about the shelf life of coffee powder. Everyone knows coffee beans or grounds can technically last up to 365 days . What they’re really asking about is the flavor window —the period when the coffee tastes its best. So, what exactly is a coffee’s “flavor window”? It refers to the optimal time during which a coffee’s flavor and aroma are at their peak. If brewed during this period, you’ll get the richest, most complete sensory experience. The reason coffee has such a window is because its flavor comes from volatile aromatic compounds —tiny molecules that begin to evaporate right after roasting. Once these aromas fade, th...