Experts advise against freezing coffee

David Howells

15/11/2011 10:58:40

Freezing coffee beans may not be as good for the taste as some may claim, coffeefaq claims.

It has long been known that factors which impair the flavour of coffee beans include air, light, heat and moisture. As a result of this, many people elect to store their beans in the freezer, thinking the coffee that ends up coming out of their espresso machine will taste better as a result. Reports have suggested, however, that this may not be the case at all.

One of the biggest factors which makes coffee unsuitable for storage in the freezer is that it is porous, meaning it can not only absorb moisture but also the flavours carried within it. This, when used to brew flavoured coffee works perfectly well. However, it also means that coffee can absorb the flavours of the things it is stored alongside, be it fish or long-frozen water particles within the freezer.

Furthermore, freezing can also break down the oils present in coffee beans that give the drink its distinctive taste. In breaking down these oils, the flavour is removed and the richness taken completely away.

“Think about it,” coffeeam.com suggests, “if coffee tasted better and fresher from the freezer, then you would buy it in the frozen food section, your local coffee shop might look more like an ice cream parlour and our power bills would be through the roof trying to maintain a meat-locker the size of a warehouse.”