Hi from a newbie

[Atheist]

Hi, I am a coffee (bean) newbie and have just found this forum and would like to thank the moderators. I have just bought a delonghi magnifico bean to cup machine. It seems pretty awesome and takes beans or loose ground coffee. Just a couple of questions, how long will whole beans stay fresh? And why would I need to ever buy the loose coffee when I can grind my own. It's amazing how many options you come across once you scratch the surface.
Thanks Rob

 

[CoffeeJunky]

Rob,

Welcome aboard...

First, you should never buy pre-ground coffee...
Always buy freshly roasted coffee beans.

I think once beans are roasted, you have about 2 weeks. I would buy smaller quantity and buy often...

Welcome and let us know if you have anymore questions....

 

[Atheist]

Thank you CoffeeJunky. i have a few packs of ground beans but after they have gone i will do as you suggest and stick to beans

 

[CoffeeJunky]

There are many wonderful local roaster in UK. Try their freshly roasted single origin beans. If you like full flavor, try African origin or Indonesian Sumatra, If you like more sophisticated taste, try some south American... I love Costa Rican and Papau New Guinea....

 

[wargun02]

I second Rob. Once you open the pack of pre-ground coffee, the smell and taste can't even stay as fresh as the first brew for 3 days. It goes pretty tasteless after that. Well, my opinion of freshness of taste might be of individual, but...speaking from experience though.

 

[MassWineGuy]

Good to see you here. After a while, you may even get tired of paying a lot for roasted beans and try roasting them yourself. That's what I've begun doing. Not that I'm great at it or anything, but so far I generally like what I'm drinking.