Whole Bean vs. Ground

So, does it matter if you buy whole bean coffee or ground coffee? Well, honestly, it’s totally up to you, and comes down to convenience for most people. However, (also honestly), it does matter in terms of freshness / shelf life.

If you buy whole bean coffee from a roaster, there is usually a “roasted on” date. This tells you exactly when the coffee was roasted, and as a result, how fresh it is. The whole beans start to become stale as they degas. Degassing starts as soon as the beans are done roasting, and a lot of the gas is released in the first 24 hours. But, the process can take 6 to 8 weeks; maybe longer depending on the type of coffee and the storage method.

When you buy ground coffee, it becomes stale much, much faster…like within a day or two, depending on how you store it. The reason is that when you grind whole coffee beans, there is a much larger surface area exposed to oxygen. Oxygen is not your friend when it comes to keeping coffee fresh! And, the finer the grind, the more surface area, which results in faster staling.

So, the bottom line is that buying and storing whole beans is much more conducive to keeping your coffee fresh.

Stay fresh! :-)