Expired coffee. How to determine and whether it is safe to drink? Let's look at the question

Many modern people simply cannot imagine their life without coffee. For this reason, it is often purchased in large quantities and remains in the depths of the kitchen cabinet, sometimes for a very long time. Some people believe that coffee can be stored indefinitely. However, this is a misconception. Like any product, an invigorating drink has a certain shelf life. It depends primarily on two factors: variety and storage conditions.

Before we talk about whether expired coffee can cause harm to the human body, let’s take a closer look at each of them.

Is it possible to drink expired coffee beans?

Coffee beans are collected and brought to Russia from America, Vietnam, Africa and India. The shelf life is determined by GOSTs. It can reach 18 months. The product is not perishable. It is stored for quite a long time, but over time it loses its taste. Therefore, if the coffee is not covered with mold, the storage conditions were optimal, and the taste does not matter at all, then the drink can be consumed after the expiration date.

Green grain

Coffee from producers arrives to roasters in raw form. Green and raw grains are roasted, thereby revealing their taste and aroma. After this point, its qualities begin to deteriorate.

Berries collected from trees undergo a process of fermentation and drying in the country of origin. The grain concentrates, seals and preserves its properties and flavor qualities. This is quite a long process. For example, “aged coffee” beans are produced in India, so they are processed for years to give them a special aroma. Therefore, green grain can be stored for a long time in good conditions. The humidity percentage in the storage area should be 10-12%. Manufacturers believe that properly dried green coffee does not lose its properties for 1-2 years.

Roasted grain

Green fruits are fried on special ovens called roasters. At high temperatures, moisture is rapidly lost, cells are destroyed, and esters begin to evaporate. And the chemical reactions that take place reveal the taste.

The fruit becomes porous and absorbs foreign odors and moisture. After roasting, it is recommended to consume coffee within 2 months. In order for the drink to have the richest taste and aroma, the grains must always be freshly roasted.

Therefore, a product from supermarkets, despite the expiration date printed on the packaging, will not bring joy to a true lover.

When choosing coffee, packaging matters. It should be opaque, with a degassing valve. There should be no more than 3-14 days after the roasting date. You should not buy if more than 2 months have passed since the roasting date.

Expired green coffee

If you have such a product and there is no way to check the shelf life on the packaging, then you should pay attention to the following nuances.

The grain structure of expired green coffee is damaged. Either it crumbles very quickly or becomes hard and brittle. The color changes and looks faded. No aromatic properties.

But such a product can also be used. By and large, coffee only loses its aromatic qualities. You can also roast and grind it and then cook it any way you like.

Alternative cooking methods will come in handy.

Coffee in a Chemex;
making coffee in pour over.

At the moment, there have been no recorded cases in which consumption of expired green grains would cause poisoning.

You can try to revive the product. To do this, you should add a large number of spices that will help add flavor. The following options work well: cinnamon, anise, pepper, cloves.

You need to fry for a long time until dark. Deep roasting can help bring back the flavor. If you are interested in what coffee roast levels are, look for information on this page.

Let me remind you that green coffee in its original packaging can be stored for up to 5 years.

Coffee capsules

Designed for brewing in special capsule coffee machines. One capsule is intended for one serving. Coffee is used natural, ground, roasted, sometimes with the addition of spices. Sealed packaging preserves taste and aroma for a longer time. Manufacturers have set a shelf life of one to 2 years. Naturally, like any natural drink, it also loses its properties during storage. But you can use it after the expiration date.

Is it possible to return the taste to expired food?

Adding spices and frying

You can try to breathe new life into the delay. But keep in mind that the taste and aroma will not be the same.

Try roasting green beans with some spices. A strong amber of cinnamon or cloves will eliminate the unpleasant odor.

Spices have antibacterial properties that will help neutralize bacterial growth.

The freshest drink is also drunk with syrups. Sweetness mutes the taste of expired food. More tips in the article “What else is added to coffee for taste and aroma.”

If you don’t like oriental notes, try frying it in a hot frying pan without additional ingredients. This will help release the natural flavors hidden within the beans.

If roasted grains have spoiled, it is better not to experiment with restoring quality. But don’t rush to throw away the expired items. There are other ways to use coffee beans.

Alternative uses

Roasted coffee beans are useful in interior decor. For example, for decorating photo frames, flower pots, vases, bottles.

You can make Christmas decorations, scented candles or coffee topiaries. There is a lot of information on this topic on the Internet, with step-by-step instructions.

Often roasted and ground grains are used in cosmetology in beauty salons and at home.

Face masks and scrubs based on ground powder will help refresh and tighten the skin.

Interesting! At what age can children drink coffee, its effect on the body

Hair masks will restore shine and smoothness to your hair.

Cosmetic coffee wraps remove excess fluid from the body and help fight cellulite. The skin after the procedure is smoothed and softened.

Instant coffee

This is a chemical product. For its preparation, any raw materials are used, without any claims to quality. Saturation is achieved through flavor enhancers and flavorings.

Types of instant coffee:

powder - soluble substances are removed from crushed grain under pressure into hot water. The resulting extract is filtered and dried with hot air;
granules - pressed soluble powder;
freeze-dried - coffee infusion is frozen at low temperatures, and then the water from the crystals is evaporated.

During the production process, aromatic oils evaporate from the coffee beans. The requirements for such a product are greatly reduced. Therefore, the shelf life in a closed jar reaches 2 years. After opening the jar, it is advisable to consume it within 3 weeks. When moisture gets into the product, lumps form and the taste deteriorates. Store only in a tightly closed glass jar.

If the product is stored under optimal conditions and there is no moisture or mold in the jar, if you really want to, the expired drink can be consumed.

If your coffee beans have expired

Subject to storage conditions, the grains retain their quality for one year. After this, you can brew a drink from them. But keep in mind that the aromatic qualities begin to be lost.

The main signs of an expired shelf life are an oily sheen of the grains, darkening, and deterioration in aroma.

You can’t expect much strength from a drink made from such raw materials either. The best option is to use grains for decorative purposes, making all kinds of decorative elements from them. Read how to make topiary from coffee beans.

How to Use Expired Coffee: Alternative Methods

If you don’t want to risk drinking expired coffee, you can easily find alternative uses for the product. Roasted grains are used to decorate crafts, make appliqués, and fill decorative vases. You can replace watercolor with instant coffee if you make a solution of different consistency. Such drawings look impressive on special paper.

Coffee grounds are a good organic fertilizer that can be applied to beds with carrots and radishes. The aroma will repel pests that feed on plant roots. The product perfectly absorbs odors, so grains in linen bags can be placed in a car or shoes.

Ground coffee is one of the most popular ingredients in anti-cellulite scrubs and body wraps.

We all know well that all products should be consumed exclusively fresh, paying close attention to expiration dates. But what should you do if you somehow find a pack of your favorite type of coffee in the kitchen cabinet? Should I throw it away mercilessly or consume the drink without a shadow of a doubt? This is the issue we have to deal with you today. So, is it possible to drink expired coffee? What could be the consequences of such a decision?

Different types of storage containers

There are several types of packaging in which coffee is usually kept:

Paper bags;
Containers made of plastic or metal;
Foil packaging with check valve;
Glass or ceramic containers with a tight-fitting lid.

Each type has its pros and cons, which are worth considering in more detail.

Coffee is most often sold in bags made of paper in stores. But this is not the best packaging for the product. It is quite thin and does not protect well from environmental influences. Therefore, after purchasing, when you come home, it is advisable to pour the coffee into another, more suitable container for storage.

Metal and plastic containers are separated into a single group, since both are poorly suited for storing coffee in them for a long time. The reason for this is that these materials tend to give the product an unpleasant aftertaste, and can themselves become saturated with its odor, which is difficult to remove.

You might be interested in: The benefits and harms of ground coffee

Very often glass or ceramic jars are used for this purpose. It is advisable that the lid be equipped with a silicone seal to ensure the tightness of the package. If the container is transparent, then it is advisable to place it in a dark place to prevent exposure to sunlight. The disadvantage of such containers is that there is no possibility of removing carbon dioxide from it.

Therefore, grains that have been roasted independently can be transferred to a jar only after a day. During this time, gases and excess moisture will come out of them.

The best storage option is foil bags equipped with a special clasp and valve. They significantly increase the shelf life of coffee. The opaque material prevents sunlight from reaching the product, and the non-return valve allows excess gas to escape freely from the packaging.

Can't be stored or thrown away

The suitability of coffee beans for consumption is determined by the method of production, variety and storage conditions.

Raw coffee

Green grains retain their properties for up to 9 years, but most manufacturers indicate a maximum shelf life of no more than 5 years.

As they approach a “venerable” age, raw grains acquire an uneven color and practically lose their aroma; crumble easily, or vice versa, become hard but brittle.

In the absence of an unpleasant odor, indicating a strong “stale”, the coffee is quite suitable for consumption.

But first, it is recommended to pre-fry it with the addition of cinnamon, cloves or anise. Deep heat treatment will “pull out” the remaining caffeine, and spices will replenish the missing aroma.

Roasted coffee

Do not rush to throw away roasted coffee sealed in an airtight package that is no more than 1 year expired. Open the pack: if the beans have not darkened, do not have an oily sheen and do not “give off” the smell of rancid oil, feel free to prepare the drink.

If in doubt, chew a couple of coffee beans.

If there is an unpleasant aftertaste, it is better to use the “overdue” for household needs.

Ground coffee

Its taste, aroma and original volume are preserved longer (from 1.5 to 3 years) and are better when vacuum packed.

A sealed paper or plastic bag ensures that the taste and quality of the ground powder remain unchanged for 9 and 6 months, respectively.

The ground powder comes into more contact with the air and releases carbon dioxide faster. Therefore, after depressurization of the packaging, manufacturers recommend using it within 14 days, until the aroma “dissipates.”

Is it possible to drink expired coffee, ground more than two weeks ago?

It will remain fully usable if you pack it in foil and place it in a container that does not allow light to pass through. The powder stored in this way can be used for brewing even after a month or a month and a half.

True, during this time only a thin “trail” of the previous aroma and a small reserve of “invigorating” caffeine will remain. But in the absence of visible signs of unsuitability, you are not in danger of being poisoned by a drink brewed from it.

Long lasting doping

Hermetically sealed instant coffee loses its taste very slowly - over 3, and sometimes even 5 years. And even in an opened jar it will remain saturated for several months after depressurization.

The only danger posed by a very old (more than 5 years old) soluble powder, rich not only in useful and aromatic, but also in chemical components, is the unpredictability of the “behavior” of this very “chemistry”.

Shelf life of unroasted beans

Choosing unroasted coffee beans has several benefits:

Price. Raw beans are much cheaper than roasted ones, which is a definite plus for coffee lovers.
Long shelf life. Raw beans can be purchased in large quantities, and they will remain suitable for making coffee drinks for a long time.

How long do coffee beans last? On average, unroasted coffee beans can be stored for one to three years.

Shelf life of coffee beans in vacuum packaging. If unprocessed grains were stored in vacuum packaging, their shelf life can reach five years.

How to determine the packaging date of unroasted coffee:

Usually, when buying beans in large bags, you can find a sticker on them with the exact date of packaging. If the date cannot be determined, you need to pay attention to the appearance of the coffee beans, thanks to which you can determine the shelf life of the product:
Fresh coffee beans have a uniform greenish tint; the characteristic depression should be even. They should be quite dense and the grain should not crumble when bitten. Fresh coffee beans have a light green tea aroma.
You should not buy grains that have different shades and differ in size from each other. This means that this bag contains different types of coffee, coffee from different years of harvest. Garbage may indicate poor quality coffee beans.
Old grains are odorless and appear dry. You should refuse such a purchase, as they lose their taste.

Expired ground coffee

It all depends on the packaging.

If we are talking about sealed factory packaging, then the aromatic and taste properties will remain for up to 12 months. After this they begin to get worse. But you can use ground coffee that has expired.

Vacuum briquettes allow their properties to be preserved even longer – up to 36 months. So, it’s unlikely that the powder will stay with you for that long - you’ll probably use it earlier to make a drink (see the expiration date of ground coffee).

Ground coffee stored in unsealed packaging begins to lose its taste after 1 month. Freshly ground - on the second day.

When the deadline expires

It is, of course, better not to brew expired coffee at all, especially if it has uncharacteristic aromas or an unpleasant aftertaste. And also in the case when mold fungi appear. Even one cup of such a drink will not only not bring pleasure, but will most likely cause poisoning (mild or severe - depending on the strength of your body). In addition, a product made from roasted grains that have expired can also cause harm. It's all about fat, which has the property of spoiling.

By the way, in numerous soluble variations there is practically no fat, and therefore, if the powder was stored according to the rules, it can be dissolved even after a while. Although, undoubtedly, such an expired product is unlikely to produce a drink with characteristic tastes and aromas. So the choice is yours. But it’s easier not to stock up on too much coffee so as not to take risks.