Seal it up and put it in the freezer.
And..."Coffee grinds" is not a frequently used term, and "coffee grounds" means what's left after you have made a cup...the proper term for what you have is "ground coffee"...which is coffee beans put through a coffee grinder.
Linda C....who didn't have enough coffee this morning!

Once every few weeks?
Freezer. Airtight/vapor-proof bag, squish every bit of the air out. Bury it in the coldest part away from the fan or door.

What they said...freezer. That's about how often I want a coffee, so my ground coffee is kept frozen. A bag lasts me almost a year...

So tupperware won't work?

Just don't be disappointed next year when you dig your coffee out for company. You may not want it yourself. I make coffee every day, minipot, and there's no good way to store it once it's opened. I now just buy a few ounces, grind at the store, store it as airtight as I can and use it up right away. There are individual coffee "bags" sold (like they have at motels) that stay fresher a little longer but coffee brand quality is not the best as far as I know.

This is a tough call. Coffee has two enemy predators, air and moisture, and one should try to avoid both of them to preserve the very best that coffee has to offer.

The best way to avoid enemy air is not to grind beans before you need them. This is a problem for you because you don't drink it at home that often. A 20 dollar blade-style grinder would do the trick for you but storing whole beans for more than a couple weeks causes death by air to whole beans also.

The logial solution is to store your beans airtight in the freezer but then, sigh, you introduce moisture, enemy number two, everytime you take the beans out of the freezer. Think condensation...

So here's something to think about in the order that I would pursue it if i were in your shoes but still wanted great coffee when the urge hits you.

Solution 1- If you have an established frequency of drinking
a> Buy a grinder- there are plenty of discussions and arguments about the perfect grinder, but a blade grinder for 20 bucks, will serve you well and give great results.
b> Find a coffee that you enjoy and buy a small amount of whole beans, a quantity that you will use within two weeks. Store them in an airtight container; for you the bag they came in will probably do best so you can squeeze the air out when putting it away again.
c> When you get the urge, grind the beans to the size and texture that is best for your brewing method- ask and I'll give you my opinions on that. Brew up your bean juice and enjoy!

Solution 2- If your drinking patterns are too hit and miss to use mon-frozen beans within two weeks.
a> Buy the 20 dollar blade grinder.
b> Find the beans you like and buy them whole. Not a very large amount until you establish a frequency of coffee drinking that demands it- but at that point go back to Solution 1. Because we probably won't use the beans within the two week period but want to have them around when we need a cup of bean juice, we must freeze them. BUT, to reduce the moisture/condensation issue each time you open the container for a dose of beans, store them in individually wrapped packets of foli and plastic. Figure out how many you need for your brew method and divide them in that size packets and toss them in the freezer.
c> When you want a cup of brew, take out an individual packet of beans, open it out and do your best to let them sit out for a little time to thaw. Frozen beans even ground don't give up the flavors to the hot water like a room temp bean. I know this sounds like a bit of a hassle but if you want the good stuff, ya need to work out the system.
d> Grind em up, brew the stuff and transport yourself to better place.

Of course, I'm stating al this as I would do it because I want that absolute best i can get out of my expensive coffee beans. If short cuting any of these suggestions works for you and you enjoy the results, don't let any bean head tell you how to drink your coffee!.

Here's an interesting bit of trivia:
Unroasted, (green) coffee beans store for many months- even years in the right conditions. Once roasted, the coffee should be used within 10 to 14 days at most as the delicate flavors are being consumed into the atmosphere. Once ground and exposed to oxygen, minutes count, and this can be tested and proven. A coffee shop or espresso stand that pre grinds the beans in preparation for the morning rush should be avoided.

I re-read my posts like this and realize how ridiculously anal I am but after 30 years of dedicating myself to understanding coffee and its finicky nature, it can't be helped. Enjoy it!

Michaelp

Here is a link that might be useful: Nectar of the gods

Fotostat. After a couple weeks, the coffee isn't going to retain much flavor, so it's not going to make a huge amount of difference. But I would say not tupperware because you want to minimize all air and moisture contact possible.

Is there anyone you could split a bag with so you're not holding onto it so long? I always told people not to buy more than they can drink in 10 days. Obviously, that doesn't work for your coffee-consumption pattern, but I think you're going to be really disappointed in the flavor doing it this way.

i keep it in a jar on the freezer door. i'm a hot tea addict, and coffee is only used infrequently. i've never had the coffee addicts complain that it tasted bitter, old or nasty. maybe because i perk it as opposed to those drip type pots???

maryanne

Fotostat - I'm curious how big a bag of coffee you got. I'm assuming 12 oz since that's usually what they sell at the grocery store.

Since it isn't a huge amount and it's already ground you do not want to store it in the freezer. You need an airtight container in a cool, dark cupboard. You could even put it into a zip-type bag, squeeze all of the air out and then put it into the cupboard. I would suggest only getting a quarter to half pound of coffee at a time and every coffeehouse I can think of will grind it for you so you won't need a grinder. Actually, I think Millstone has the little 2.5 oz bags that would be perfect for you since they are already ground; also since it is the holiday, Starbucks usually has "gift sets" of 4-6 2.5 oz bags of ground coffees. Unopened they will keep up to a year just by keeping them away from heat and light.

If you are storing unopened bags of beans long-term (more than a year), then the freezer is the way to go. The condensation problem mainly occurs if you are storing a large quantity and taking it out of the freezer and putting it back every day. Once you take it out of the freezer it is better to leave it out (again in an airtight container in a dark cupboard), but use it quickly since the quality will deteriorate.

Earthlydelights - Most drip coffeemakers that use paper filters are actually absorbing the true coffee flavor into the filter. The flavor is in the oils that the beans exude when they are roasted (that's why whole bean coffee tastes better) In a percolator, French press or gold filter there is no paper filter to soak up the oils so you get a better and stronger coffee flavor.

Also, "bitterness" in coffee usually comes from the acidity of the coffee. Central American coffees have the most acidity and lighter flavor, African coffees are less acidic and have an equal balance of flavor/acidity, and Indonesian have almost no acidity and a much stronger flavor. Personally, I can't drink any Central American coffee because of the acidity and prefer Indonesian.

Jen

Dafy brings up a good suggestion -- the little small "sample" bags sold in grocery stores. As she mentioned, Milestone makes them but so do several other brands. I've used them for years because I have to drink decaf but every once in awhile, my husband likes to have the "real" thing. So I keep those on hand.

[OT Michaelmaxp: I never got your addy when I was ready to send out jars of my first batch of fig jam - you had asked for one. If you are still interested when next year rolls around...send me an email with your snail mail.]

jessyf, everything about you interests me. I'll do my darndest to remember. If you're planning on making up a batch of persimmon jam anytime soon, count me in.

michaelp

[michael keep an eye on the forum....heh heh]