Coffee is highly perishable. After roasting, coffee beans start to deteriorate very quickly. When the aroma of coffee is gone, the coffee has lost its freshness. Exposure to oxygen, moisture or sunlight will cause instant loss of taste and aroma.

Fresh coffee always tastes best and will be earthy and sweet in flavour, as the natural sugars are still present.  Ground coffee loses its freshness quickly after grinding; to get the most out of your coffee, you need a good dose grinder to grind coffee on demand. 

For guaranteed freshness, buy small quantities of freshly roasted beans and grind just before brewing.  It’s important that your roaster provides you with a roast date to ensure freshness.  Beans should be kept for 5 weeks maximum and even less once ground.  Old beans will tend to be oily and if they do not have a strong aroma when you open the bag, they are possibly stale or rancid. We recommend that you buy your coffee fresh, every 10 to 14 days.

Tips to buying fresh coffee

• Check packaging dates. If there is no roast date, chances are the coffee is already stale, especially if it's sitting on a supermarket shelf.
• Check for blend origins, for example, whether the product is 100 percent Arabica or a mixture of Arabica and Robusta beans.  Arabica are more desirable in espresso coffees.
• Look for a one-way valve on the packaging.
• Don't buy too much at one time.
• Buy direct from a roaster.
• Avoid packaging with a clear window showing the beans, as sunlight will damage roasted coffee. 

Tips to the Perfect Brew

• Keep your equipment clean. Coffee oils quickly build up.
• Use filtered water where possible. Water that tastes or smells unusual will affect your coffee’s flavour.
• Use the correct amount of coffee with the correct grind for your brewing method.
• Use two level tablespoons of coffee (7 to 8 grams) per breakfast cup.
• Don’t re-heat cold coffee.