ಸಂಗ್ರಹಣೆ · Keep it fresh

How to store ground coffee

We grind our coffee fresh and send it to you fresh — and a little care at home keeps it that way. Our house filter blend has more surface exposed to the world than whole beans, so it fades faster. The good news: keeping it lovely is simple, and it comes down to four things — air, moisture, heat and light.

Freshly ground coffee is at its most aromatic in the days just after grinding. Those volatile aromatic oils are exactly what makes a decoction smell and taste alive — and they are also what escapes first. Coffee rarely becomes unsafe; it simply becomes flat. Store it well and you protect the very thing you paid for: flavour. Store it poorly and even the best blend tastes tired.

1. Airtight, always. Keep coffee in a clean, dry, airtight container with a tight-sealing lid. If it stays in its pack, roll the top down tightly and clip or seal it after every use so as little air as possible gets in.
2. Cool and dark. A cupboard or pantry away from the stove, oven and direct sunlight is ideal. Room temperature is fine — steady and cool is what you want.
3. Away from moisture. Never leave the pack open near a boiling pot or a wet counter, and always use a dry, dry spoon. A drop of water in the pack is the fastest way to spoil it.
4. Keep smells out. Coffee readily picks up strong odours. Store it away from spices, onions and anything pungent, and keep the container closed.

For everyday use, the fridge and freezer do more harm than good. Coffee absorbs fridge odours easily, and every time you take a cold pack out, moisture condenses on the powder — the one thing you're trying to avoid. A cool, dark, airtight cupboard beats the fridge for coffee you'll finish within a few weeks.

Here is the honest truth no container can fix: freshness is bought, not stored. The surest way to enjoy fresh coffee is to buy smaller packs more often, so what's in your kitchen is always young. A giant pack that lasts three months will taste tired by the end, however carefully you keep it.

• Buy a quantity you'll comfortably finish in a few weeks.
• Note the best-before date on the pack, and finish opened coffee well before it.
• Reorder fresh rather than stockpiling — we grind to order and ship anywhere in India.

Best-before is a date for the sealed pack. Once opened, aroma fades faster regardless — so treat an open pack as something to enjoy soon, not to ration for months.