how long does a pound of coffee last you?

[Chuckaluck]

Most coffee sites state that you must use up the coffee within a week for the best flavor/freshness. I make one pot (4 cups) per day, so a pound will last me a couple of weeks + easily. I like to buy through the mail (Peets, Intelligenstia etc), so I always buy 2 pounds at a time, as I think it would be too costly just to buy one pound with the shipping costs. How much coffee do you burn through, and do you have any trouble with freshness after a week?

 

[danek]

There are several small roasters near me, so I buy locally. I buy 1/2 pound at a time and it lasts me a couple of weeks. Except for a wee bit left in the grinder hopper, I keep the ungound beans in an airtight container. I've never noticed any degredation of quality in that amount of time.

 

[Bertilak]

I don't know exactly, but I do know my coffee beans sit around longer than the recommendation. Still better than supermarket brands.

I just found another on-line roaster that ships free for three or more 12oz bags. I have tried a couple of roasts and found them excellent.

The thing I want to point out is the bags they use. Of course they have the typical one-way valve, but instead of one of those wire-tie-like things at the top, the bags have a resealable strip, like zip-lock bags. I think this might keep the coffee fresher a bit longer.

http://www.johnsonbrotherscoffee.com/

 

[jwhite]

If you keep your coffee in an air tight and opaque container it will prolong freshness. Mine is a ceramic bail top with a silicone seal. and can be found at virtually any Walmart/department store.

 

[Jasonian]

If you have access to a vacuum sealer, I'd suggest sealing 1/4lb. batches, and opening one at a time while keeping the others in the freezer.

Just make sure to let a sealed batch thaw completely before unsealing (breaking the seal, opening, whatever you want to call it).

It should stay fresher that way.

If you don't, I'd suggest splitting it into two 1/2 lb batches however you can, and freezing the one not being used. Don't freeze and thaw coffee repetitively, or it will go stale even faster. Keep it in a dark, cool, dry place once thawed. (cool being about room temperature and out of direct sunlight)

I go through a pound in about a week.

 

[SiBurning]

It's ideal within two weeks after it's roasted, but still blooms for a month. Of course, you want to let it sit two or three days after it's first roasted. I go through a pound a week at home, and probably just as much while at work.

 

[Ray Zorblade]

My wife and I go through a pound every 7 to 10 days. We roast our coffee using the iRoast, which keeps the cost of beans cheap and lets us have fresh roasted coffee whenever we want it.

 

[_JP_]

A pound lasts less than a couple weeks for me when I'm drinking it daily.

 

[tsmba]

I go through a pound in a little under a week. For years, I've weighed my beans prior to grinding. I don't put coffee in the freezer, although I used to. One of my sources, before I started roasting, used the fresh produce analogy. Something that has been frozen is never the same as fresh. I have heard that, if you do freeze beans, they should not be taken in and out of the freezer.

 

[Scotto]

Every week I roast three batches of coffee: two (different) 8 ounce batches for my daily drip, and a smaller (6oz) batch for espresso consumption. What can I say - I like variety.

 

[Johnny Dale]

About 10 days for me to go through a pound. Freshness is unknown since I buy from the bin at Wally World. I grind them there espresso fine and keep in an airtight container. They are Churchill brand beans but at least it is better than Folgers. French Roast is my poison.

 

[fsatsil]

I go through about 1/2 pound a week. Most of the time I buy locally and I can buy just what i need for the week. But I do order online quite often and I buy 2 or 3 pounds to save on the shipping cost. In those cases i will break down the bags into half pounds, double bag them in ziplock bags and then put them in a vacuum container. This method seems to work well, I just opened my last half pound of Idido Misty Valley last week and it was still fresh after being stored for a month.

 

[homebrewer]

A pound lasts me about a week... if I'm lucky. I'm still fighting the urge to start roasting at home. Although I'm very interested and would love to try it, I'm deathly afraid of yet another obsession/disorder.

 

[olla86]

A pound lasts me a month