Unfortunately, once you’ve become a coffee snob, you really can’t go back ― the difference between the good stuff and an instant cuppa is night and day.
That’d be fine if it was like bread, where you can make your own at home for less than you’d pay for a worse loaf in-store. But it’s not ― decent coffee and its endless equipment can seriously add up.
That’s why it’s important to make sure you’re getting the best of the best when you’re sorting through a store shelf.
Thankfully, coffee expert @thebrownbarista says there’s one sign you should “always check for” on a coffee pack that’ll help to ensure its quality.
Which is?
“I’ve got one important rule when it comes to coffee ― always check for a roast date, whether it’s from a grocery store or a cafe,” the pro said.
Coffee beans are always roasted before use, and when that process happens can really affect their flavour.
“If you don’t know when the coffee was roasted, you have no idea how fresh it is, have no idea how good it’s going to taste... If all you see is a ‘best buy’ date, that means they don’t actually want you to know when the coffee was roasted.”
Abyss Coffee Roasters agrees, writing on their site that “The roast date should be stated clearly on any bag of speciality coffee.”
If the three, six, or eight numbers that show the roast date are missing, that’s a little sus, they add.
“If you can’t find it, ask the retailer or roaster – but that may be a red flag, since this is a basic piece of information that’s important for knowing how fresh a coffee is.”
How fresh should my coffee be?
Depends on what you’re making, but Abyss Roasters say “most coffee will be at its prime between ~1 and 8 weeks” after it was roasted.
The Brown Barista says, “if you prefer dark roasts, those actually go stale faster than a light roast does.”
Coffee expert James Hoffmann says, “When it comes to espresso in particular, fresher isn’t always better.”
Still, he says, it’s important to know where you stand so you can make the cup you’re looking for.
He adds that supermarkets “hate” roasting dates, pointing to a brand whose in-store beans do not have a roasting date, but whose product does when bought directly from them.