Freezing Your Espresso Beans Retains Them More energizing for Longer

Whereas sipping an espresso with espresso marketing consultant Jaymie Lao, I expressed my fear about beans from a current journey to Panama going stale earlier than I’d have the possibility to make use of them up. She supplied this recommendation: “Simply freeze it.”  

“Did you say freeze it?” I requested, eyes large. “Sure,” she stated, “You simply can’t have any air or moisture within the bag.”

For years, conversations round storing espresso made it appear as if placing beans within the freezer was taboo, a rookie mistake, that might degrade the standard of treasured beans. 

Older generations typically stored espresso in dented pantry tins, or stocked free beans in floppy luggage within the freezer, however this methodology of storing espresso creates an unstable setting the place the beans can soak up moisture or undesirable aromas.

However because the second wave of espresso with Starbucks and Peet’s led to the third wave of espresso that promoted an much more artisanal strategy to sourcing, roasting, and brewing, so did the need to maintain specialty espresso beans recent. 

Even for those who spend quite a lot of time round cafes, roasters, and even barista competitions, as I do, you should still not bear in mind that if you end up with an excessive amount of espresso to drink earlier than the freshness dissipates, you’ll be able to at all times freeze it.

Freezing beans for main barista competitions and specialty cafe menus

If the freezer is nice sufficient for a few of the world’s specialty espresso retailers and barista competitions, it’s nicely price making an attempt at dwelling. 

Fastidiously freezing espresso can protect freshness and optimize the flexibility to brew your entire worthwhile beans. 

When Esben Piper, founding father of Denmark-based espresso firm La Cabra, opens new roasteries in Brooklyn and Copenhagen, this frozen strategy to storing beans is a part of the plan. 

“This system will embody a freezer menu with uncommon and restricted tons that we purchase by auctions and our community of long-time producing companions over the previous decade,” says Piper.

At La Cabra, the staff has been experimenting with learn how to assess the best second to serve espresso for optimum taste. Frivolously roasted espresso stays recent longer than darkish roast beans. “It’s all about uncooked materials and its density,” says Piper.

Kyle Ramage, co-owner of Black and White Roasters in Raleigh, North Carolina, has experimented with frozen espresso beans for competitors. He now makes use of a few of the strategies he realized to save lots of the model’s favourite coffees for future consumption. 

“Black & White focuses on small producers and seasonality,” says Ramage. “So, after I discover a espresso that does it for me, then these are those to avoid wasting to drink later.” 

Ramage makes use of a vacuum seal machine to protect beans, and Black & White has been saving coffees, some from their Black Label membership competitors espresso subscription, for about 12 months. This yr, the model will debut its freezer menu with 20 to 25 coffees of their cafes. 

Matt Lewin of Australia’s specialty roaster ONA Espresso additionally advocates for the observe of storing roasted espresso beans within the freezer. When getting ready for a barista competitors, Lewin experimented with freezing espresso with Hidenori Izaki, World Barista Champion 2014. They each found the low temperature affected the espresso taste positively. 

This expertise led Lewin to discover methods to freeze and serve uncommon coffees at their ONA Espresso cafes in Australia and advise prospects on learn how to freeze beans at dwelling. “One of many important insights from experimenting with freezing espresso beans is knowing the right ‘peak taste window,’” he says.

Lewin says the optimum time to freeze espresso beans is ideally 10 days after they’ve been roasted. 

“At this level, the beans have launched most of their CO2 from the roasting course of, and the steadiness between CO2 and oxygen is excellent permitting the gorgeous aromas of the espresso to come back by,” he provides.

Freezing beans at dwelling

From a monetary and sustainability perspective, it is smart to not wish to waste high-quality beans.

To freeze a complete bag sealed from the roastery, a couple of easy steps will assist keep freshness for brewing later. 

“Whatever the bag measurement, push out as a lot air as you’ll be able to earlier than freezing,” says Lewin. “This step is essential in sustaining the espresso’s high quality. As soon as the air is out, cowl the bag’s one-way valve with tape. This valve often lets CO2 out, however protecting it ensures no air can get in.” 

For one of the best outcomes, Lewin suggests utilizing vacuum-sealed luggage. “This methodology helps keep the espresso’s high quality and stop any potential freezer burn or different points,” he says. Whether or not freezing a big or small quantity of espresso, holding the air out and sealing the bag correctly will make a giant distinction in preserving taste.

Alejandra Jaime of Estellar Espresso makes use of a Foodsaver Vacuum Sealer Machine to save lots of the coffees she brings again from their farm in Colombia.

Jaime’s fundamental focus with Estellar is to share the sensory expertise of consuming espresso, thus the freshness of the espresso beans is of the utmost significance. She hopes sharing info will encourage individuals to really feel snug buying espresso, storing it nicely, and studying learn how to brew scrumptious espresso at dwelling. 

Preserving beans recent

When Michael Phillips, World Barista Champion 2010 and director of schooling and engagement for Blue Bottle Espresso, was on the lookout for an environment friendly possibility for storing beans, he began to discover choices for saving single doses. 

“Once you open a bag of espresso beans, the clock is ticking,” says Phillips. “Oxygen is the enemy. I noticed individuals utilizing Weber Workshop tubes that maintain 25 grams of espresso beans. They reignited the sport for me.” 

Weber Workshops bean cellars are comprised of BPA-free polypropylene. The caps have a one-way valve system to permit CO2 to outgas creating a super setting to protect the freshness of the beans and simply entry a single dose to brew espresso or pull an espresso shot.  

Phillips has since crammed a number of tubes and began his personal espresso bean library to save lots of particular coffees to drink later and share with mates and colleagues. As soon as Phillips fills a tube that has gasket caps that retains out oxygen, he labels all the particulars and shops them in Ziplock luggage marked with classes like “filter espresso” and “espresso”, in addition to “Japan” and “Korea” for current journeys. 

When requested in regards to the best temperature of the saved beans, Phillips says, “The colder the higher.”  

Brew like the professionals

When taking a full bag of espresso out of the freezer, optimize the possibility for the espresso to remain recent by storing the beans in a vacuum canister in a cool place and out of the solar. Fellow makes a sequence of canisters that, with a couple of twists of the lid, take away air and stop oxidation.

What’s the subsequent step after taking beans saved in single-dose tubes out of the freezer? 

“In the case of brewing frozen espresso beans, the reply is delightfully easy,” says Lewin. Grind them straight from the freezer.”

Others may suggest bringing the beans to room temperature. If recent espresso beans have been saved and frozen correctly, each strategies will doubtlessly produce a scrumptious cup.