When you're paying a premium for authentic Hawaiian 100% Kona coffee, you want to make sure that it's as fresh as it can be. There are three critical points in the process that affect bean freshness.
FRESH TEST #1: ROAST DATE
The first barometer of freshness is determined by the roast date. When you buy Kona coffee online, you want your order shipped soon after it was roasted. This is one advantage of buying online from a family farm versus at a grocery or big box store where gourmet specialty coffee often sits on the shelves for weeks and months, dramatically affecting the freshness of the coffee.
At Kona Earth, we ensure freshness by micro-roasting in batches of 10 pounds, then storing the coffee in airtight, food safe containers prior to shipping.
FRESH TEST #2: WHOLE BEAN ADVANTAGE
100% Hawaiian Kona coffee is expensive. In order to preserve its quality and flavor, whole bean coffee is superior for freshness.
Once your Kona coffee arrives, you want your Kona coffee to stay fresh -- good to the last drop, as it were. This is why Kona Earth only ships whole bean Kona coffee. As soon as the coffee is ground, it is exposed to air & the flavor starts to degrade. So if you have a pound of ground Kona coffee sitting on your countertop for a few weeks, you're not getting the best out of your very pricey java.
Grinding your coffee on a daily basis doesn't have to be a big ordeal or be a big cost add-on. A decent Burr Mill grinder with a nice selection of settings can be found on Amazon for around $50. By grinding your whole beans when you're ready for a cup, you'll be preserving the quality and flavor of those very special Kona coffee beans.
FRESH TEST #3: COFFEE STORAGE
Another important consideration is storage. What is the best method for storing your freshly roasted, whole bean Kona coffee? Ideally, you want to store your specialty coffee in an airtight container, in a cool and dark place. There's no need to freeze your coffee - unless its going to be unused for a long time. In fact, by taking coffee in and out of the freezer or refrigerator, you're exposing it to unnecessary temperature variations that could negatively impact the flavor.
Kona Earth has a special edition Airscape container. The patented design features a plunger lid that actively removes and locks out air to preserve the freshness and flavor of your whole bean coffee, dramatically increasing its shelf life. It's spill-proof and leak-proof, BPA free and Food Safe.
The farmers at Kona Earth nurture their single-estate, high elevation, micro-roasted 100% Kona coffee from the seed, then ship it farm direct. By following these tips, you'll ensure that your farm fresh Kona coffee stays fresh until its time to re-order.