This question is all about context as it can be both a yes and no answer and is a common question we get asked here at Blackboard. Today we take a deeper dive into why fresher is and isn’t always better.
When purchasing coffee we have a couple of options, we can purchase either directly from a cafe, a roastery or we can purchase from a supermarket. Typically when buying straight from a cafe or roastery your would be getting coffee that has been roasted within a 1-2 week window of purchase and will include a “roast date” whereas in a supermarket the age of the coffee is most likely unknown and could potentially be months old, significantly past its prime. This is the scenario where fresher is better as we want to know when the coffee was roasted so we can brew it at the optimal time to capture the best of our brew.
So fresher is better?
Yes but not exactly. Considering we are here reading this post, let’s assume that we are already buying freshly roasted specialty coffee with a roast date on it from your local cafe, or roastery. So what now? This is where we gaze into the “ideal age window” of which to brew coffee in. When coffee is roasted, there are numerous reactions happening within the coffee throughout the roasting process which creates a build-up of gasses within the coffee itself, of which the coffee slowly releases as it ages. This is why we ideally need to allow the coffee to rest for 1-2 weeks before brewing to allow the gas to escape. This allows the coffee to become more soluble; easier to pull out all the good stuff, which leads to more sweetness, balance and clarity of flavour.
So what is the “ideal age” to brew coffee?
To conclude this little deep dive into coffee freshness, our ideal recommended “coffee age window” sits within the 10-30 days post-roast. Brewing between this age range lets us best unlock and experience the most potential and best representation of a given coffee.
So, if you’re after some fresh, delicious coffee, hit up one of our Cafe Partners near you to enjoy a brew, and why not grab a bag for home while you’re there!
Let’s get brewing!