What are the benefits of grindding your own coffee?

Question

Is it better to buy whole beans and grind them yourself?

Answer 1

Whole bean coffee stays fresh longer than ground.  You can grind enough for a pot as needed and the remainder of the beans should be kept in an airtight container to help retain freshness.  Coffee should also be purchased in small quantities unless you drink a lot on a regular basis as it can go rancid.

Answer 2

It is definitely better to grind the beans yourself. When the coffee is ground it goes stale very quickly (within a few hours).

Answer 3

The primary reason is for freshness. Coffee begins lossing flavor within minutes of grinding. SO the advertisment for Folgers being 'just opened' verses Folgers after a week open should give you a clue about pre-ground coffee. In the FOlgers 'test' they are just proving that you can't tell 'old coffee' from 'older coffee'. LOL...

I will give you another tip on freshness....all those coffee beans in those bins at coffee shops and markets...If you didn't see them roast them and put them in the bin, you have no idea how old they are. And the 'Best by' date on a bag of sealed beans....Yeah, that is so you will buy them within 6 to 8 months of the roast date. Problem is...coffee that is over two weeks from roast DATE is on the downhill slide to BAD....

Want really fresh coffee??? Roast you own. That is how I was able to get away from old coffee.

Answer 4

Truthfully, a whole lot of trouble. I have ground so much coffee off and on until I know. I do think you can buy some very special whole bean coffees that you can't buy already ground.To keep whole bean coffee fresher, you must grind it as you use it. And frankly, I don't know if I can tell the difference. Buying the flavored coffee and grinding it in the store is great. It tastes good and has lots of flavor. To keep any coffee fresher longer, seal it up really well and keep it in the frig. I am a coffee lover and I buy the brands I like and open it and use it. I think you could tell anyone it was freshly ground and they would not know the difference.

Answer 5

Absolutely grind them yourself. Beans keep better when whole (and when kept in a cool, dark, airtight container....fridge is perfect).

Alternatively, if you need to, buy ground beans in small quantities, so you use it faster, and its not sitting there. Also, buy from a coffee shop, generally it comes direct from a roaster, not from a warehouse where it's been sitting for weeks.