How long is brewed coffee good for? The one thing to remember is that how long it lasts depends significantly on how you store it and what kind of brewed coffee you brew.
Therefore, it depends on many factors. So, let us review the major factors influencing how long brewed coffee lasts, then examine some specific examples to decide if it is safe to drink coffee left in your fridge.
Brewed Coffee: The Basics
Do you drink brewed coffee? All passionate coffee drinkers know that brewed coffee is made by pouring hot water over coffee grounds and then letting it steep for a few minutes.
To make iced coffee, you should first brew a pot of coffee. Then, take a few ice cubes from the ice cube trays and pour the coffee over the ice. The resulting liquid is then strained, and you have your brewed coffee.
No matter how you make it (in the coffee maker or the French press), brewed coffee is best enjoyed fresh. But if you find leftovers, you can store your brewed coffee to stay fresh. Steeping grounds in cold water make cold brew coffee for 12-24 hours.
Ground coffee and whole coffee beans can last for a long time if they are kept in the right way. Whole coffee beans will keep longer than ground coffee, but both options work well when stored properly. If you grind up your coffee beans at home, you should store them in an airtight container away from heat or light.
For an instant or pre-ground coffees, many different storage options are available. Some people like to keep their instant coffees in a refrigerator, while others like to freeze them into ice cubes. Whatever storage option you choose will vary depending on how often you use instant coffees and how much free space you have in your refrigerator or freezer!
How To Know If Brewed Coffee Is Fresh?
The simplest way to know if your coffee is fresh is to check the date on the package. If two weeks have passed since you roasted the coffee, it is probably not fresh anymore. If unsure when the coffee was roasted, give it a smell test.
Fresh coffee should smell fragrant and have no hint of staleness. Another way to tell if coffee is fresh is to look at the color of the beans.
Fresh beans should be shiny and vibrant. If they are dull and lifeless, they are not fresh. Finally, try brewing a cup of coffee with the beans. If the coffee tastes sour or bitter, it is not fresh.
If you put some leftovers in the freeze, the thawed coffee might have a weird, funky taste. Frozen coffee is not the best option, so head straight to the closest coffee shop and forget about the coffee in the fridge.
When it comes to whole beans, they go stale fast once you roast them, so you must store them properly to preserve the flavor.
How Long Does Brewed Coffee Last In The Fridge?
So, how long will coffee last in the fridge? Although nothing compares to fresh-tasting coffee, you can refrigerate coffee and have some later.
Brewed coffee will last in the fridge for up to a week, although it will lose its flavor after a few days. However, if you do not drink it in a few weeks, you can forget it.
If you want to extend its shelf life, you can store it in an airtight container with coffee ice cubes. You can use these cubes to make iced coffee without watering it down and letting it lose its rich flavor.
Black coffee will last the longest, but adding milk or cream will shorten its lifespan. Hot coffee will only stay fresh for a few hours, so if you are not going to drink it right away, brew a little extra and save it in the fridge for later.
Roasted coffee beans will also go bad eventually, but they will last much longer than brewed coffee—up to a year if stored properly. Dark roasted beans will last even longer because of their higher antioxidant content.
How Does Milk Affect The Coffee Shelf Life?
Coffee’s flavor is not the only thing milk affects; it also affects how long coffee will keep. If you have dairy products in your fridge, your brewed coffee will be good for about a week before it tastes sour and icky.
If you do not have any dairy products in your fridge, then your brewed coffee will be good for about two weeks before it tastes sour and icky. Just store your coffee correctly in an airtight container, and make sure you drink it before its expiration date!
How To Prevent Coffee From Going Stale?
You have just brewed your pot of coffee, and now you need to know how long brewed coffee last in the fridge.
Most people think that storing coffee in the refrigerator will make it last longer, but that is not necessarily true. Coffee can go stale faster in the fridge because of temperature fluctuations. So, how can you prevent your coffee from going stale?
You can do some things to keep your coffee from going stale. First, make sure you are storing it in an airtight container.
Opaque containers help prevent light from entering and getting trapped inside your coffee grounds. If possible, do not store your coffee near fruits or vegetables because these foods give off ethylene gas which causes food to spoil faster.
You should also never put hot coffee in a refrigerator since exposure to heat can damage its quality over time. Instead, let it cool down before you put it in storage.
If you want to get maximum shelf life out of your coffee, store it at room temperature and only refrigerate it if needed. For most people, that is somewhere between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
Can I Freeze Brewed Coffee?
If you want to store brewed coffee, there might be better options than the refrigerator. When you keep coffee in a fridge, the condensation when you take it out can ruin its taste, resulting in stale coffee.
When it comes to freezing fresh taste coffee, the answer is yes; you can freeze leftover coffee. Today, more people decide to freeze their cold brewed coffee.
Best Practices For Storing Brewed Coffee
There are many ways to keep brewed coffee fresh, and there are many ways to store it when you take it out of the coffee maker. Drinking coffee should be the best part of the day for all coffee lovers, but it will lose its exceptional taste if not stored properly.
If you want more coffee throughout your day, drinking old or unused coffee can taste bitter. And instead of a fresh cup with a rich aroma, you will be disappointed with a flavorless drink.
Use A Coffee Pot Or A Thermos
You can use a thermos, a coffee pot for up to four hours, or coffee storage. Just pour your milky coffee into the thermos, and you do not need to worry for the next few hours.
Use The Fridge
A fridge is a safe option if you want to drink coffee for a few hours while it’s fresh.
Use The Freezer
Another option to store coffee is to freeze it in an ice cube tray. Then, when you take it out, you can add milk if you are making iced coffee as your beverage. Then, add the coffee cubes to a blender for the perfect combo, and mix them with milk and ice.
How Long Will Cold Brew Coffee Last?
You can keep cold brew coffee in the refrigerator for about two weeks. Then, if you store the cold coffee properly, it will retain its flavor. Also, the difference with hot instant coffee is that the cold brew will not oxidate. Oxidation happens with hot coffee, which will taste stale afterward.
Conclusion
If you unintentionally make more coffee than you can drink, preserving it in the fridge is a safe option.
You can leave brewed coffee in the refrigerator for up to a week without it going stale or losing its flavor completely.
However, the fridge is not the best place to keep coffee; the best place is your stomach, where the cup is rich with flavor and taste.
FAQs
What If I Accidentally Drink Old Coffee?
Drinking coffee from old coffee beans should not make you sick, even with the expiration date. Coffee does not go bad, so you can store coffee beans without worrying that they will go bad.
How Long Can Coffee Beans Last In The Freezer?
Whole bean coffee can last up to four months in the freezer (if you store it in sealed containers). Also, ensure that there is no water in the containers before you freeze the coffee beans. Coffee grounds must stay dry. However, it will taste different from fresh coffee after you take it out.
How Can You Store Brewed Coffee In The Freezer?
If you decide to freeze instant coffee, black coffee, or cold brew in the freezer, you should prepare coffee cubes. However, this will not keep your coffee fresh and tasty.
What Is The Best Way To Store My Roasted Coffee Beans?
The best way to store roasted beans is to keep them airtight and in a cool place. If possible, store them at room temperature in an airtight container.
