Coffee shelf life

[Onepoint]

My wife roasts it in a frying pan over the side burner of the BBQ, which really should be done outdoors, lots of smoke and smell.

[Rocketvapor]

Storing fresh beans, and roasting them sounds like a good idea for long term storage.
Freezing?
Looks like store bought coffee has a 1 year 'best by' period.  We shop price drops and likely have at least a year on hand just to beat the prices during shortages.  When it's down, we buy. 
A year's supply in the pantry could be expanded to a couple of years AFTER SHTF in a freezer if you kept 40 - 50 pounds frozen.  Running the generator for the coffee freezer sounds like the ultimate prepper

[Stetto]

My wife roasts it in a frying pan over the side burner of the BBQ, which really should be done outdoors, lots of smoke and smell.

Mmmmm, I'm stayin' for breakfast next time!

[Lone Eagle]

I would put it in the freezer Filroy.   Coffee beans are oily. That oil, just like rice, will go rancid. How long. The link Ramblin posted has lots of info.

We do this as well.  Only thing is, use it up fairly quickly once you open it.  We left a can in the freezer opened for about 4-5 months, and it freezer burnt, even with the lid on it.  One of those 3lb Yuban cans will last us about a month. 

[Filroy77]

Ive got a BBQ with a side burner AND a cast iron skillet so now I have to start roasting coffee beans.    I liked the bucket with the oxygen depleater n desiccant idea way more better.

I'll be on the hunt for a fine coffee freezer. 

[Sgt_Pork]

Back when I was a college kid I worked in a gourmet specialty coffee store (this was before Starbucks, so a long time ago).  Here's the straight dope on storing coffee.  The ground coffee you buy at the market, Folgers, etc. is intentionally made stale before they can it.  This is to keep the cans from exploding from the out-gassing of the roasted coffee when it is freshly roasted and then ground (thus the short shelf life).  The bags of roasted beans you can get at the market will remain good for a month to six weeks before they too go stale.  They do gradually out gas as the bags sit on the shelf (thus the valve on the bag).  Once you grind the roasted beans they stale very quickly because you are increasing the surface area exposed to the air which facilitates quicker out gassing.  Unused ground roasted coffee will go stale in a matter of a day or two at most. 

For long term coffee storage the only way to go is to buy a big 50 lb bag (or two or three or four) of the un-roasted green coffee beans, and then roast them yourself in small batches as needed.  The green beans will keep for a year or more, possibly much longer if you vacuum pack them using mylar bags, oxygen absorbers and sealed 5 gallon buckets (pretty much like any other raw dried beans).  Small batch roasting can be done in a popcorn popper or using just about any pan really, the key is to keep the beans constantly moving so that they do not scorch (scorched beans make awful bitter nasty coffee that I would not wish upon my worst enemies).  The reason you roast is to draw out the natural oils in the beans, the grinding then creates more surface area so that when the hot water hits the grounds it can pick up more of those oils and carry all that coffee goodness into the pot.

[Griz375]

Coffee in my house has a shelf life of about a month.

So .... you're cutting back?

[Filroy77]

I thought about this thread the other day. We had a little more fun back then and fewer worries.

[1mlt]

I store my coffee in the freezer. It will last YEARS in

Uh-oh, eatbydate says something different:

http://www.eatbydate.com/drinks/coffee-tea-shelf-life/coffee-shelf-life-expiration-date/

there. But

Of course they will tell you that. Trying to have you toss /2 your coffee and go buy more.

[Onepoint]

If you are squirreling it away and want a good fresh cup of coffee, then use by dates will mean something.  If you have been without continuous power for days, or weeks, eating sparsely and sporadically and cold, ANY coffee will be welcome and taste great.  Heck, I  know when hunting I will eat the worst fried charcoal potatoes and not complain, while at home, normally they go in the trash.

[Griz375]

If you have been without continuous power for days, or weeks, eating sparsely and sporadically and cold, ANY coffee will be welcome and taste great. 

Having once unwisely gone on a fishing trip  & not verifying the ration load-out, I can attest to that!

never did that again!

[Filroy77]

Anybody do black rifle coffee? Why is it so expensive? Do they donate to wounded warriors or something else?

I know, I could just google it but what’s the fun in that? They are not our friend anyway.

[1911crazy]

The Boy Scouts taught me, take a larger perk pot remove the perk part, boil the water add coffee. Lower the heat. Let it settle. Serve gently. It’s cowboy coffee.

[cvasqu03]

You're all a bunch of junkies arguing about your "stash." 

 

I rarely touch the stuff, though I have been known to drink a bit of tea on occasion.  It IS an interesting question though.  I was thinking about it because my brother and his fiancé were thinking of visiting me in Atlanta and my apartment is very small and only has stuff I need. In other words you'll be hard pressed to find any ketchup (IMO the most overrated of all the condiments) or any coffee in the entire place.  Those two on the other hand love their coffee and have some fancy new type of contraption in the house as well as frequenting Starbucks a lot.  I was wondering what would happen to them if they came by for a week or so and couldn't brew any coffee, as I am not going to buy a coffee maker just for guests (something that hasn't come up as I have literally not had a single guest in the place in the two and a half years I've been there).  I've been thinking maybe I could keep a small container of instant coffee for guests like that Seinfeld Library Cop suggested.

So to reiterate:

JUNKIES!!!!!

Small container of instant coffee.

That is all. 

[JimmyJamesKY]

Anybody do black rifle coffee?

I do not, but do know that they are veteran owned and operated, and endeavor to hire veterans, so that's noble.  They have a nifty logo, and you are pretty much paying for the name and to have a rifle logo on your coffee.  It may be the best coffee ever, but I haven't had it. They have lots of merchandise and some cool looking shirts.

I usually buy Seattle's Best.  Mainly because their "Henry's Blend" is the wife's favorite.  I get the "Post Alley"  because it's a darker roast, which is what I like.  I compared them side by side with some Starbuck's and the Seattle's was better, and takes about half the coffee to brew the same amount for some reason.  The Starbuck's was dry, and made a sandy sound when you scoop it out.  When I compared the two, I used the same amounts and the Starbucks was just brown water, so I had to brew some more using twice as much for the same strength as Seattle's.  The Seattle's Best is more aromatic and much less dry.  The Seattle's Best is fresher, cheaper, better tasting, and goes farther, so I'll stick with it.  It's not too pricey.  A tad more than Folger's, about half of Starbucks, which is much over rated IMO.

I used to have a grinder, and liked to grind the beans into a fine ground for a stronger cup, but now I just buy the Seattle's pre-ground.  We both have a Yeti cup full every morning, and it doesn't last long enough to get stale.  A 12oz bag lasts about two weeks for us.

I'm not above Kroger Brand French Roast, and grew up on Maxwell House instant coffee that my old man drank.  I'm not a coffee snob by any stretch, and the hipsters can keep their damn Starbucks.  Seattle's Best is usually $4.79 vs. $7+ and change for Starbucks.  Kroger sometimes runs a deal where you can $1 off if you buy five or more, and I'll stock up a bit at $3.79/12oz bag.

We have a local coffee shop called Baxter's, and I occasionally get their "Rise and Shine" which is a double shot of espresso with frothed cream for $2.50.  I like to support local businesses, so I hit them up from time to time.  A Starbuck's opened here a few weeks ago, but I haven't been there and don't plan to.  Most of the locals that like fancy coffee products are going to stick with Baxter's.

As far as the topic, I'd say unopened instant coffee would last a pretty good while, and under SHTF circumstances would be a welcome treat.  Also, no apparatus required.  If I think about it, I'll grab some and stash it away somewhere.