Coffee deserves better than storage in the fridge

BY SUSAN SELASKY
DETROIT FREE PRESS TEST KITCHEN DIRECTOR

What's the best way to store ground coffee, asked Jeannette Donnellon of Madison Heights.

"I've heard keeping it in the refrigerator or freezer is best. Or is it best to just keep it on the shelf?" she asked.

There are varying answers to coffee storing, Jeannette, depending on whether you buy whole or ground.

The refrigerator or freezer is not always the best place to store whole bean or ground coffee. But many sources recommend storing it in the freezer. Coffee purists may frown on the freezer, but one thing most agree on is that the refrigerator is off limits.

The National Coffee Association of U.S.A Web site ( www.ncusa.org) says: "It is important not to refrigerate or freeze your daily supply of coffee because contact with moisture will cause it to deteriorate." Freshly roasted coffee also should be kept away from air, heat and light so that it stays fresher longer.

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