How many times have we heard that the freshest coffee possible is optimal for consumption? We are sorry to tell you that... it is a myth .
To demystify this statement, it is first necessary to distinguish between freshness and peak flavor.
How does it affect the freshness of a coffee?
A freshly roasted coffee should refer to a coffee that has been recently roasted. But we find the case that there are coffees advertised as "fresh" that refer to them being at their maximum flavor development, and this does not coincide with the fact that the roasting date has been recent.
This happens because the flavor of the coffee changes as the days go by.
The reality is that when coffee is roasted the high temperature breaks down the sugars and amino acids into CO2. This CO2 affects how our cup of coffee tastes, and the maximum peak of CO2 happens right when you take the roasted coffee out of the roaster. That is, the maximum CO2 occurs when the coffee is as fresh (in the literal sense of the word) as possible.
Therefore, it is important that we allow the coffee to degas and rest.
Another event that occurs while coffee roasts is that the bean becomes porous. On the plus side, this allows the aromatics within to come to light. But it also allows the coffee to be in contact with oxygen, which causes it to age rapidly (oxidize). By this same logic, ground ages faster than beans since a greater surface area of coffee is exposed to oxygen.
So… what is the best period to get the maximum flavor from coffee?
Source: Boot Camp
Like everything… it depends! At Hola Coffee we recommend waiting at least 7 days after the roasting date. Depending on the coffee, it can maintain its flavor 60 days after the roasting date or even a little longer.
Factors such as use, packaging and storage of coffee also affect the flavor. If your preferred method of drinking coffee is filter, we believe that one week is the optimal rest to achieve the maximum expression of flavor. On the contrary, if the coffee is intended for espresso, we recommend waiting at least two weeks to ensure that the CO2 levels drop sufficiently.
In the same way, the packaging we use at Hola Coffee has a valve that allows CO2 to escape while preventing the passage of oxygen. Now, once the bag is opened , it is necessary to keep it well stored and closed to prevent air from entering and rusting very quickly. We recommend a dry place, outside the refrigerator and tightly closed so that the coffee does not lose its complexity faster than we would like.
Niki
