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Image by Peter Burdon

" The truth about Coffee "

What is the approximate age of coffee at the store?

We picked a random brand (Eight O'clock), looked up the company's website, found the Contact Us link, and shot them a message asking for essentially the same information. 

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We received two useful bits of information.

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1st- Our question was about roasted whole beans, not ground.  Even though the info we received, seem to be fairly similar for both, That company believes both are  "fresh" for a year.

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2nd- That doesn't mean the coffee on the shelf is a year old. They stamp a date on the package that is one year from the roasting date. So knowing their labeling policy tells you exactly when the beans were roasted.  In this particular case these were approx. 6 months old.

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Note:  We chased down Starbuck’s policy on shelf life, package design, freezing beans, etc. They are officially happy with a 34- week shelf-life. Can you believe that? They consider 8 month old coffee “fresh”....yikes!

Anchor & Bean coffee is shipped to us from Colombia 24 hours after it's roasted. Shipping time is usually less then 2 weeks. We generally keep an inventory of 1.5 of all outstanding coffee subscriptions. This means that your coffee is shipped to you approx. 3 to 4 weeks after it's been roasted..... YOU CAN DEFINITELY TASTE THE DIFFERENCE.  

How long does coffee last? 

Coffee certainly degrades over time.

Whole Coffee Beans:
Unopened coffee beans can stay relatively fresh for 6 to 12 months,  especially if vacuum-sealed or nitrogen-flushed packaged. Opened can stay fresh for one to two weeks when stored in a dry, airtight container that blocks out light, and kept at room temperature away from heat sources.

Ground Coffee:
Unopened lasts about 3-5 months.
Opened should be used  within 2 weeks to ensure optimal taste,  as ground coffee has more surface area exposed to air, which speeds up oxidation.

The majority of Anchor & Bean coffee members purchase their coffee on one of our subscription plans.  This way you will ensure you're enjoying the freshest coffee imaginable, delivered to your door.  

"We'd love to hear from you.  Feel free to message us with any questions you'd like answered". 

Dave & Leanne

FAQ's 

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