Coffee Preparation FAQs

What’s the best way to store coffee? How long will it stay fresh?

Once roasted, coffee begins to lose its flavor the longer it’s exposed to air and moisture. We recommend that you store it in an airtight container in a cool, dark place and grinding it just before brewing. Coffee in an unopened FlavorLock™ bag will stay fresh for several months.

What is a FlavorLock™ bag?

Our unique FlavorLock™ technology uses a special one-way valve that allows the carbon dioxide released by freshly roasted coffee beans to escape a sealed coffee bag without allowing flavor-robbing oxygen to get in. All Starbucks coffee is sealed in our airtight FlavorLock™ bags within two hours of roasting so that it stays fresh until you’re ready to use it.

What kind of grind should I use?

For the freshest tasting coffee, we continue to recommend starting with whole beans and grinding them fresh for each pot. Or, if you prefer, you can take your whole bean coffee to your local retail store and ask them for a customized grind.

Drip makers perform best with a grind specifically for a flat bottom or cone type filter. All Starbucks stores can grind coffee to this specification. Espresso machines are grind-sensitive and require a very fine grind, 30-35 seconds in a blade grinder. Slow and fast shots are often caused by a grind that is too fine or too coarse, frozen or refrigerated espresso beans and tamping coffee too hard or not firmly enough.