How Long Does Ground Coffee Last Opened? [Get The Facts!]

Every coffee drinker wants to know how long does ground coffee last opened, as buying great quality coffee like amazing single origin specialty coffee can be expensive, and the costs can add up.

If you are in a rush, I’ll respect your time and give you the quick answer straight away. An opened bag of ground coffee will last for 3 to 4 months.

Keep reading for the longer and more detailed answer and learn how to store your favorite coffee for maximum flavor and freshness!

How Long Does Ground Coffee Last Opened?

How long ground coffee will last when it is opened depends on the quality of the coffee that you are having. Your high quality specialty grade pre-ground coffee will lose their flavor very quickly regardless of being opened or not.

The reason that those amazing specialty grade single origin or blended go off quickly within 10 days of the roasted on date. The peak flavor window for top quality roasted coffee beans and grounds starts 3 days after roasting and lasts for only 7 days. After this time frame the quality of the flavor starts to degrade.

To be clear, coffee, per se, regardless of quality, doesn’t go off. It does rot like eggs, apples or bananas. It’s shelf stable and is more like pasta, rice and quinoa.

With regular coffee, whether the bag is opened or not be they whole beans or ground coffee beans you don’t need to worry or be concerned with your coffee losing its flavor. Regular coffee while opened is good for 3 to 4 months.

To be clear, your high-end specialty coffee is good for 3 to 4 months after opening too but just don’t expect the vibrant aromas and flavors – they will be long gone. They lose their flavor over time.

Read: How long can coffee last in the fridge?

How Long Does Ground Coffee Last Unopened?

A package of ground coffee or whole coffee beans will last for an additional month beyond the 3 to 4 months that opened ground coffee can last while opened.

Expect your unopened ground coffee to last for up to 5 months.

How Long Does Ground Coffee Last Opened In Fridge?

Let’s be clear about something very important about coffee of all quality. Whole bean and ground coffee is an excellent absorber of flavors and odors, thus storing them near food in your pantry or fridge they absolutely will absorb and take on the flavors of the nearby food items.

If you are considering keeping your coffee grounds or beans in your fridge, you absolutely must store them in an airtight container, preferably an opaque container to block light too.

The period of time in which your regular ground coffee will last in your fridge is still in the 3 to 4 month range. There is little difference in the quality of flavor.

For your single origin or blend of specialty grade coffee, not much changes in relation to how long they will last while opened. The flavors will last and be more vibrant and fresher for a little longer; you’ll squeeze an extra day of two out of the peak flavor window.

Your fridge helps to keep food fresher for a little longer due to the lower temperature slowing down the oxidation process and rate in which food (and coffee!) degrades.

How Long Does Ground Coffee Last Opened In The Freezer?

It is important to know that if your store opened or unopened coffee in your freezer while in its original packaging that it is detrimental to your coffee as it will suffer from the phenomena of freezer burn.

You must store it in a proper container, preferably a well-designed professional coffee canister that is opaque, airtight and can create a vacuum.

Ground coffee when stored in those conditions will last for up to 2 years, whole bean coffee will last for 3 years and green coffee beans have an indefinite period of time.

Your specialty grand coffee when stored in this way will maintain their vibrant flavors and aromas.

When you store your coffee beans in your freezer, don’t go opening that coffee canister every day or every single time that you want to make a cup of coffee. The opening and closing of your coffee canister, breaking the vacuum and re-vacuum sealing them in your canister adds to their exposure to air and defeats the purpose.

The changing of temperature every time you take your canister out of your freezer is not good either.

Remove at least two weeks worth of coffee and store it in a second airtight vacuum coffee canister and store this second canister in your fridge. If you do that, you’ll only be opening the coffee canister in your freezer once every two weeks, and you’ll keep your fresh grounds vibrant and full of flavor with the use of the second canister in your fridge.

Read: How long does fresh ground coffee last?

How Long Does Ground Coffee Last In Airtight Container?

An airtight opaque container will not make your favorite coffee last any longer or extend its fresh flavors or shelf life. It will last for the same 3 to 4-month period as an opened bag of coffee.

What an airtight container does is it helps to maintain freshness and flavors by protecting your coffee against what causes it to deteriorate. A regular airtight container will protect your coffee against odors and moisture, two enemies of coffee and its great flavor.

An opaque, airtight container will protect your coffee from strong odor, moisture and light – three enemies of coffee.

An insulated opaque, airtight container will help to protect your coffee from moisture, light, odors and heat – four enemies of coffee.

An insulated opaque airtight container with the ability of it to create a vacuum will protect your coffee from heat, odor, light, moisture and air, all five enemies of coffee.

It is clear to see the advantage of using a professional coffee canister with the ability of it to create a canister.

Read: How long does ground coffee last?

How To Keep Ground Coffee Fresh For Months

As an avid coffee lover, a bonafide coffee aficionado and penny pincher I am a fan of buying coffee in bulk and saving a lot of money in the long run.

Sure, there is a high upfront cost in owning a lot of vacuum coffee canisters and bulk buying your coffee bags.

But I can keep them stored for up to 3 years (whole beans) and 2 years (ground coffee) in my freezer.

Your freezer works by slowing down the oxidation process to a snail’s pace. As I already spoke about, keep the vast majority of your coffee beans in your freezer and only two weeks worth in your fridge and use the coffee from your fridge for your morning coffee, your day to day coffee.

Refill when you need to.

Frequently Asked Questions About How Long Does Ground Coffee Last Opened

Can Ground Coffee Go Bad?

Ground coffee or whole bean coffee doesn’t go bad in the same way that other food items like an apple, banana or eggs do. Coffee is more like rice and pasta as it is considered as shelf stable.

Just like rice and pasta, if ground coffee or whole bean coffee is in contact with water or moisture, even too much moisture in the air, it can go off. Moisture will cause your grounds to go off and grow mold. If and when stored well, it will keep good long past the best used by or best before date.

How Long Is Ground Coffee Good After Opening Bag?

Regular ground coffee will maintain its flavor for 3 to 4 months after the bag has been opened. Unopened regular coffee grounds can maintain their flavor for up to 5 months.

Specialty coffee due to the more vibrant and lively flavor will keep well for only 10 days after the roasted on date.

How Do You Keep Ground Coffee Fresh After Opening?

The best way of keeping your ground coffee fresh after opening the bag is to store them in a professional coffee container. Simply using an ordinary airtight container will not help you to extend the life of ground coffee as they don’t have a one way valve to allow the degassing of carbon dioxide.

Also, regular airtight containers may not protect against strong light, odors, and heat. A proper and professional coffee canister will have all these features.

Store your coffee in a coffee canister and store it in your fridge.

How Do You Know If Ground Coffee Has Gone Off?

Fresh coffee beans or coffee grounds have a notable fresh and strong aroma of coffee. When they start to go off the aroma gets weaker and weaker and eventually starts to smell flat.

Also,

when you brew a cup of coffee, it will have lost the vibrant flavors and taste very flat.

Should You Keep Ground Coffee In The Fridge?

While some coffee enthusiasts advise against storing your coffee in the fridge due to coffee being an excellent absorbent of odors and will absorb the flavors from the food in your fridge.

However, you can store your freshly roasted coffee beans or coffee grounds in an opaque airtight coffee canister with a one-way valve and store it in your fridge.

Due to being airtight, the scents and aromas of food in your fridge is not a concern as it will not affect your coffee.

What Is The Shelf Life Of Ground Coffee If Not Preserved?

The shelf life of ground coffee if you don’t store it well under optimal conditions is from 3 to 4 months when opened and 5 months if it is unopened.

Specialty grade coffee will last only 10 days after the roasted on date before they lose their vibrant aromas and flavors.

How Long Will Ground Coffee Last In Dispense Chamber?

Your ground coffee will last approximately two weeks in the dispensing chamber before it goes off and tastes flat and loses its freshness factor.

Can You Store Ground Coffee In A Ziploc Bag?

Yes, you can use a ziplock bag to store your whole bean coffee or yoru coffee grounds, but it is not the ideal thing to use as it offers very little protection against strong or harsh lights and doesn’t let your coffee breath.

Freshly roasted coffee beans emit carbon dioxide, which is why a one-way valve is needed on a coffee canister. It allows the CO2 to escape and prevents air from getting in.

Also, a ziplock bag offers little to no protection against heat, which is an enemy to the freshness of your coffee.

Final Thoughts – How Long Does Ground Coffee Last Open?

You have the answer to the question how long does ground coffee last open. If you are skipping and scanning this article and missed it above I suggest that you scroll back up and learn how to store your coffee in optimal conditions.

The answer for the scanners and scrollers your coffee will last for 3 to 4 months when open.

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Derek Marshall

Derek Marshall, a certified barista by the Specialty Coffee Association possesses over two decades of experience in specialty coffee shops. He holds professional certifications for coffee brewing and barista skills. Derek is also an author with authoritative books covering various coffee topics including specialty coffee, sustainability and coffee, coffee brewing, coffee recipes, coffee cocktails and books focusing on Brazilian coffee, Vietnamese coffee, Indonesian coffee and Malaysian coffee. As a barista for over two decades, Derek Marshall has worked in specialty coffee shops across the United Kingdom, Spain, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Vietnam. His expertise extends to the distinct coffee cultures, specialty beverages, and brewing techniques of each nation. Functioning as a coffee consultant, Derek charges US$50 per hour. To learn more about Derek Marshall and Latte Love Brew, visit his About Me Page. For coffee inquiries, contact him at +34-639-410-375 or Derek@LatteLoveBrew.com, mentioning your name and location