Freshness Counts

by Imelda Ball February 03, 2021

Rise and shine to that stellar scent that floats softly from the kitchen. It dances just above your nose so that you'll find the strength to rise from that warm, cozy bed. It's none other than fresh coffee. Isn't it great the way new-age coffee makers have built in timers that allow them to brew at any set minute? It's ideal for the American lifestyle. By this I don't imply that we're lazy, but rather enjoy convenience. We're constantly exposed to more and more forms of convenience, so it's only natural. Okay, so here's the important part. Where are you purchasing your coffee beans and are they truly fresh? Many people don't even know.

If you haven't noticed, big store names like Folgers and Maxwell House have taken a beating lately. The notion of fresh coffee is in their face and they don't have much to say on the topic. After all, their coffee is ground and compressed in a can or bag. Who knows how long it sits in there before it's actually used in a drip pot! It could be months or even years. That is NOT fresh coffee. Heck, it's not even close. This coffee should have been tossed out long ago. Although many avid java drinkers don't know it, coffee has a life span once you roast it. Have you ever actually smelled freshly roasted coffee beans? The aroma is incomparable. The trick is to find quality beans that have recently been roasted. It's preferred to purchase beans that were roasted and bagged a mere day or two ago. This way you'll have about ten days to consume them. Longer if you store them in vacuum seal bags or containers. Air, light, and temperature are not your friends when it comes to maintaining the freshness of your beans. You'll get that outstanding fresh coffee you deserve. You don't even have to buy them ground anymore. In all honesty, you shouldn't. Purchase your fresh coffee whole. Then only grind the portion you're using at the time. This makes for a phenomenal cup of coffee. The smell alone will send your senses flying. Very naturally, your daily coffee experience begins with the aroma and freshly roasted and ground creates the highest level of that experience.

I turn to the small coffee house for fresh coffee beans. This place, in particular is, great because they use only high quality, Specialty Grade beans and they take orders before they roast the beans and ship them direct on the same day. That ensures the beans are in my hands within mere days of roasting. Try to find this at Starbucks! God knows how old their coffee beans are. I couldn't even begin to guess. If you do not have a local shop that supplies fresh coffee, you can always turn to the web for plenty of options.

---

Also in News