How long is roasted coffee good for?

[echelon3]

As I said earlier, I use a French press whenever my wife hasn't already started that electric thing, and I even go so far as to make certain that my water is heated to as close to 205 as possible. These are a lot cheaper than a Technivorm and, truth be told, can produce a terrific cup of coffee.

Another neat little device worth checking out is the "Clever Coffee Dripper".
Thom at Sweet Maria's has a little write-up about them. I won't post the link, but it ain't hard to find. $13.20 and you have the brewing equivalent to a Technivorm, and enough left over for a nice dinner out.
It's my travel companion, FWIW.

 

[BurkDarkpatches]

As to the $20 coffee maker, there is currently only one consumer coffee maker certified by the SCCA, the Technivorm. The reason for this is that only the Tech provides water at the (SCCA's) correct temperature range of 200-205. Coffee makers generally available in stores deliver water at a temp of around 185 degrees, well below the established standard, IOW substandard. 185 degrees is inadequate to release all of the soluble compounds within the bean.
I leave to you to argue with the SCCA as to whether or not they chose the appropriate ideal temperature for coffee brewing.

As to coffee storage and the effects of age, Dr. Illy and others have studied this to death. It is incontestable that coffee begins to degrade to a significant degree, (even in Dr. Illy's products nitrogen environment) rapidly.

Whilst one may be able to tell a difference in a substandard brew as it ages, the fact remains that if one is brewing coffee at too low of a temp (with a $20 coffee maker), or with an incorrect dosage, or too long after roasting, or heavily adulterated, whatever subtleties make a particular coffee special are lost. One poster asked are beans "that have been sitting in my freezer for a few months are probably no longer good?". The answer technically is yes, they are not any good. Degradation has progressed too far. Does it mean you won't like them? No.

Ultimately, like putting ice cubes in your Châteauneuf-du-Pape, it's a matter of personal taste.
If you like it, that's all that matters.

But there are legitimate standards.

You're missing my point, just as the original poster did. I'll sum it up: With an inexpensive machine, you can easily tell the difference between fresh roasted and ground coffee and pre-ground, stale coffee. You just can.

Your point (not mine) that there's a significant difference between the Technivorm (expensive) machine and an inexpensive machine is refuted by Consumer Reports:

"You can spend more than $250 to make the ultimate cup of coffee. But our tests yielded several coffeemakers that get the best from the beans for a fraction of the price.

At $80, the new Kalorik CM25282 costs less than a third of the $265 Technivorm Moccamaster, a Dutch import touted by connoisseurs for its superior brewing. The Technivorm aced our brewing tests, which gauge a coffeemaker's ability to reach the 195º F to 205º F needed to extract the most flavor from the coffee. But the Kalorik is one of eight top picks that brewed comparably for as little as $40.

Less fussy about your java? The Black & Decker DLX1050B, $20, is among several models that brewed almost as well."

...and CoffeeReview.com:

"Some years ago, I was certain that I could make better filter coffee than any of these machines could simply by pouring the water over the coffee myself by hand. Now I am not so sure. Even the cheapest, mass-marketed machines have improved, with most of the egregious performers of yesteryear eliminated from the shelves. A rather rigorous 1999 test in which I took part turned up no bad performers whatsoever among the models tested. Furthermore, the low-end, mass-marketed brewers performed almost as well as a selection of more expensive, high-end models."

If you've done a large, controlled sampling of many coffee-makers (not likely, but if so), at least you have an informed opinion. If not, instead of coffee-connoisseur faith, I'll rely on more objective guides such as the ones listed above. I may someday try a Technivorm and it may hit my G Spot like no other coffee-maker. As of today, the biggest determiner of good coffee (for my small sample size) is the quality of the coffee.

For the record, my two Mr. Coffee makers ($20/40) only hit 190F. I tried Jasonian's suggestion and poured over hotter water and couldn't tell the difference. Maybe some day I will.

Steve