The Care and Nurturing of Whole Bean Coffee
 ~ How to use Coffee Beans

If you are a coffee connoisseur then you are probably familiar with whole bean coffee. If you are not, then here's a bit of information you might be searching for. To start with, whole bean coffee is coffee that has been roasted but not ground. Coffee will always have a better flavor if ground just prior to brewing. Canned ground coffee like the kind bought in the market, cannot even begin to compare to the awesome taste of freshly ground coffee, even though the aroma that is released when you first open the can is absolutely delicious. Unfortunately, after a few days, that can of coffee has lost most of it's aroma and a lot of it's flavor.

The biggest problem most folks have with whole bean coffee is that you need to use a coffee grinder and, it takes a little bit of time to grind the coffee before you brew it. So if you are an impatient person that is not all that particular about how your coffee tastes, then whole bean coffee is probably not the coffee for you.

But, if you want to have the ultimate in a coffee tasting experience, then you owe it to yourself to give freshly ground coffee beans a try. And the good news is that some of the newer models of coffee pots on the market today, can grind the coffee beans just before brewing a pot of coffee. How good is that?

For the best tasting coffee ever, you should start with fresh, quality, whole bean coffee. Ideally, your coffee will be at its best if used within two to ten days of  being roasted. The bean is nature's ultimate package because it wraps the flavor of the coffee oils, inside the outer shell. But nothing lasts forever!

As mentioned above, it is important that coffee is ground just prior to brewing. It bears repeating because it is important to remember that the coffee grounds begin to lose their flavor within about one hour after being ground. So, grind only enough for the immediate brewing process. If you find that the brewed coffee tastes bitter, it  is usually the result of not using enough coffee. When a lot of water is poured through a small portion of the coffee grounds, the bitter elements in the coffee will be extracted. To reduce the amount of bitter extraction, increase the amount of coffee. Another point to remember is that the longer the brewing time, the stronger the coffee. A finer grind will result in stronger coffee as well.

Another thing to remember, is to use good quality water to brew coffee. Do not use softened water for brewing your coffee. It will slow down the extraction process and could result in a bitter taste. Avoid distilled water because some of the chemicals in regular water are actually needed to enhance the flavor oils in the coffee.

After brewing your coffee, it is best to pour it into a thermal container. Thermal containers are insulated and airtight and will prevent evaporation. Because it is not being continuously heated, you can store the coffee for up to 45 minutes before it begins to lose its flavor.

It is also important that you know how to store your whole coffee beans. Roasted whole beans will last one to two weeks at room temperature. They should be stored in an airtight ceramic container away from light. If you can't use your whole bean coffee within two weeks, then you should freeze it. This will make it last about a month or two. Once it has been frozen and thawed, do not refreeze. Frozen whole beans will grind up just fine.

The worst place to store your whole bean coffee is in the refrigerator. It is not cold enough to prevent them from going stale and they can pick up odors from other foods in the refrigerator.

Just remember, a good tasting cup of coffee starts with coffee that is fresh. Instead of buying several pounds of a particular whole bean coffee, just purchase what you plan on using in the near future. Besides, it gives you the opportunity to try a different variety of whole bean coffee every time you shop.