Fresh Roasted Coffee: Why Timing Matters for the Best Flavour

When it comes to roasted coffee, we can’t say it enough — fresh is best. The moment beans leave the roaster, the clock starts ticking on their peak flavour. Understanding how coffee ages — and when it tastes its best — is the secret to consistently great cups at home.

The Coffee Degassing Period: Why You Should Wait Before Brewing

Freshly roasted coffee goes through what’s known as the degassing period. For the first 14 days after the roast date, beans release carbon dioxide, which can make your coffee taste unstable, overly gassy, or even a little harsh.

While it’s tempting to brew immediately, giving your beans time to rest allows flavours to develop and balance.

Coffee is a Fresh Food — Even in Professional Packaging

Even when stored in heat-sealed, triple-foil, one-way valve coffee bags, roasted coffee is still a fresh food that slowly degrades over time. Packaging helps preserve quality, but it can’t stop the natural ageing process.

The 45-Day Rule for Peak Coffee Flavour

We recommend planning your coffee purchases in 45-day intervals. This ensures you enjoy your beans at their flavour peak — after the degassing period but before noticeable staling sets in.

Why “Best Before” Dates Can Be Misleading

By law, coffee packaging often carries a 12-month best before date (or even 2 years in some countries). But this doesn’t mean your coffee will taste great for that long — it simply means it’s safe to consume.

Coffee doesn’t go bad in the bacterial sense, but it does lose its aroma, sweetness, and complexity over time.

Bulk Buying vs. Freshness

Buying in bulk can save money, but after 60 days, you may notice your coffee isn’t as vibrant as when it first arrived. Trust your palate — if the flavour has faded, it’s time to shorten the gap between purchases.

Our Recommendation

We put the actual roast date. But in reality, we recommend using your coffee within 45 days for the best possible flavour.