Niche Coffee Storage.

pete10uk

So a quick one here.

I have on order a Niche grinder which for me and I guess many will be the first delve into single dose.

Looking forward to trying different beans throughout the day but the question is how do you store your open bags to keep them as fresh as can be.

I’ve heard all sorts or things but I’m after ideas on containers, where I.e fridge or room temp and how long for. I normally buy 1kg bags so it’s a rush to use them up.

Thanks in advance.

Pete

LMSC

pete10uk I have used coffee vac and airscape. i’m not happy with both as the beans looses aroma and freshness in a few days. I open the containers at least 6 times a day Now, I’m storing one-day worth of beans in a glass jar. I take them out overnight from the freezer. I also store 18g/20g beans in 60 ml glass jar. These work well for me.

A lot of people are happy with airscape, though.

CafeNoir

pete10uk FWIW, I went to a Niche about 18 months ago from a Macap on demand grinder and the workflow is just wonderfully simple. Being human, there are still limitless opportunities and ways to make it harder and more frustrating. But its not really necessary, IMHO.

I started out using small Airscape containers and they work really well for a smaller bag of coffee that’s gone within a week, or less. By design, the beans are stored in a reduced amount of air but are continually exposed to air when opening the container, which is why longer term storage in them isn’t great.

When I’m working away and my wife’s consumption is (much) lower, we break the bag up into small airtight containers and freeze them. Around 100g at a time which is placed into the Airscape from the freezer.

I’ve tried any number of different methods and this involves the least mucking about and wastage. My wife’s taste buds are vastly better than mine and she loves the result.

MediumRoastSteam

Pete, depending on consumption.

Some use airscape or vac vin, or whatever other form (which is fine for a week or two max). Some would do that, but offload the next 2-3 days into single dose containers. All at room temp.

For long term storage, consider vacuum packing (or equivalent) and freezing.

See:

LMSC I am reviving that thread here.

hornbyben

For less frequent use I keep in the freezer in small doses. My main bag I keep in an airscape. I’m not convinced it’s any better than an airtight container, but it looks nicer on the side. At my use rate I typically get through a bag in about a week and haven’t seen any noticeable degradation in flavour. Some might have keener palates though.

-Mac

Funnily enough, I’m working on the subject myself at the moment. Over the last few years of not working I’ve been smoking through lots of tins of pipe tobacco. I know they have an airtight seal - anaerobic aging of tobacco is a good thing - so I imagine they might be quite good for coffee once they’ve been through the dishwasher.

pete10uk

Thanks all for this. I did try searching the forum earlier but didn’t get this related topic. Either a smelling mistake or an error.

But thanks this answers the question and I think for me I’ll try freezing with daily defrosts for the main bean and single doses in freezer for any specials.

Cheers

HVL87

pete10uk when you say daily defrosts for the main bean, you don’t want to be opening and closing the same bag from the freezer on a daily basis.

Depending on how much coffee you drink in a given week, as an example you might want to let your fresh beans degass in the bag they came in (number of days depends on roast level), then freeze 500g or 750g in 250g batches, apportion a weeks worth of the remaining beans into single dose containers and keep the rest in an airscape or other airtight container. Once you run out of room temp beans you can defrost 250g overnight ready for the following week.

I still need to test whether defrosted beans will be dialled in at the same setting as when they were “fresh”.

pete10uk

HVL87

Yes thanks. I think I’d divide 1kg into 4 which will last about 2.5 days at current holiday usage. We normally get through 500g a week under normal use.

I buy 1kg bags and have been keeping 250g at a time in the hopper and just popping an elastic band on the bag in the cupboard at room temperature, so any improvement it going to be a bonus, the last few days of an open bag are noticeably different from the subsequent new bag.

oztayls

I take any suitable container, preferably glass, and fit a one-way valve cut from a coffee packet into the lid. I use a step drill to cut a hole in the lid for a press fit. Seal the back with silicone if the fit is not perfectly tight. The freshly roasted beans emit CO2 which is heavier than air, and this causes the oxygen to be driven out through the valve. As I roast my own beans, I find this is a cheap (free!) and effective way to store my coffee and keep it fresh.

HVL87

I saw these on Instagram yesterday.

Glass spice jars with stainless steel cap. Could be useful for single dosing and relatively inexpensive. Apparently can store up to 24g so there will be some headspace with a standard 18g dose.

£2 for 2 from ikea:

https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/oertfylld-spice-jar-glass-stainless-steel-60391350/

MediumRoastSteam

HVL87 - I’ll have a look at those when I’m at ikea next.

Cuprajake

They look good i had some off amazon but then got these weber ones via a wood working mate

DavecUK

Don’t laugh but I have considered wide syringes with caps…so air can be driven out.

HVL87

DavecUK I’m conflicted. I thinks it’s an interesting idea yet I want to laugh 😄

LMSC

DavecUK We have all gone Giphy - Mad Schitts Creek GIF by CBC

🤣

dfk41

I have tried all sorts over the years including those Lyn Weber things, but I found them a faff. Instead, I opted for a vacuum sealer like this:

This is not the one I have but they are all similar. I let the beans Degas, then seal them into 250 gm bags. If once vacuum packed they Degas further, so what? CO2 is used as a preservative. The beans will stay for me, 2 to 3 months though the longer you leave them then you cannot expect them once opened to stay fresh for weeks. I go through around 500 gms a week. For me this system works. Having to fill those flipping tubes! When I open a vacuum bag, I combine with an airspace

DavecUK

dfk41 Well I want one because it’s a gadget, keep seeing them in Lidl.

dfk41

What Dave does not say, is that we were vacuum sealing things 15 years ago with the most god awful reusable bags that were real shite!

DavecUK

dfk41 What Dave does not say, is that we were vacuum sealing things 15 years ago with the most god awful reusable bags that were real shite!

they were

HVL87

I have this one, which can usually be had for £20.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B07G92HYX4?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title&th=1

DavecUK

MediumRoastSteam I’ll have a look at those when I’m at ikea next.

I look at them every time I am at Ikea….but I don’t want to succumb as I pack in food grade mylar, no valves and heat seal anyway.

LMSC

DavecUK food grade mylar, no valves and heat seal anyway.

What’s food grade mylar please ?