How to tell if you coffee is off

Coffee Bean Freshness

If you do not already know coffee beans are freshest up to 2 weeks after roasting, some extension of the freshness can be achieved by freezing, as has been proved by many a specialty coffee lover the grandfather being Mike Sevitz.

How to you the consumer know if it is off, or past its most enjoyable date. Now remember I am talking about beans here, not grinds, if you are using ground coffee it is stale!

Stale what is that

As coffee beans (or grinds for that matter) leave the roaster, their aging process first affects their aroma (what you smell) or nose), then their taste (tongue, mouth...). However there are many who have become familiar with the dulled down flavours and they do prefer to have less bright flavours and aromas. Let us not assume that you are one of these J. As the coffee ages all the flavours become duller and duller, then the oils in the bean start moving to the top of the bean, and that is when the coffee is really stale

Sensory Tests

Here are the senses you can use to test the coffee is fresh or beyond its enjoyablity date

Eye Test

If you can see the oils discolouring the coffee bean then the oils are exposed, or about to be exposed, do not go forward destroy beans, least they come into contact of other human beans (beings). No proper roaster EVER exposes the oil, the oil produces crema and the crema is the sacred grail of coffee – especially for espresso

Touch Test

Rub the coffee bean between two fingers, and see if any oily substance is left on the fingers. If there is then see eye test regarding human beans, otherwise proceed to next test

Smell Test

Smell the bean, if you are still getting strong flavours citrus, chocolate or cigar then it is probably fresh otherwise you got this far may as well try the next test

Taste Test

Last but not least is the taste test to determine if coffee is stale, is to try and eat a coffee bean of the coffee you are concerned about. If the bean does not dissolve or tastes flat, it is off.

Crema Test

No purely sensory, but look at how much crema the bean produces a nice solid amount is normally a guide to it being fresh (or blended with Robusta, but then the taste test would have failed ;))

I recommend coffee at its freshest from the roaster so make sure your coffee supplier marks the roast date and you grind the coffee to order to ensure that best flavours from coffee bean are exposing completely.