Should you be one of the billions of people already hooked, or in the process of becoming hooked, on freshly prepared coffee, you may be finding that buying coffee in 12-ounce jars off the supermarket shelf just isn’t the most practical way of keeping you satisfied. So why not consider buying your next coffee in bulk? You will find, in the coffee and tea markets of most grocery stores, an area with whole coffee beans of several varieties and roasts, complete with a grinder and bags for storage.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with blending your own beans, either. Of course, if you are someone who has developed, after hours and hours of sipping Java at your favorite coffee house, a taste for a specific blend, you can simply pick up a bag of the whole or ground beans on your next visit. And there are hundreds, if not thousands, of online coffee outlets. So browse the Internet to your heart’s content, do some price comparisons, and get a fascinating look into the history of coffee along the way. When you’re done you may feel like you are disembarking from a cruise to the tropical Paradises of the world. Should you decide to go the bulk coffee route and purchase whole roasted beans, you’ll either need to grind, or store, them.
If you can use the entire amount of beans within two weeks, just keep them at room temperature in an airtight container, in the dark. Remove what you need for grinding each day, and if you grind too much, store it in the same manner–only be sure to brew and drink it within four or five days, because grinding releases the oils that flavor your coffee, and they will evaporate. If you really overestimated when buying your bulk, freeze any whole coffee beans you can’t finish in two weeks, by layering them in plastic wrap and putting them in a container with as much air possible removed. Buying your coffee in bulk ensures that, whatever the hour, your favorite coffee house blend is as close as your kitchen.
