Coffee has three main enemies: air, moisture and light.  If you want your whole bean coffee to stay fresh longer you will take extra care to protect your precious beans from these three things.  Follow the suggestions below and you will ensure a "fresh" coffee experience.

• First store your coffee in an opaque (that means it should not allow in light - ceramic is a good choice) air tight container.  Of course, if you're using our coffee you can leave it in the bag since our bags have a zip loc seal and don't allow in light.
  

• Store your container in a cool dry place.  The pantry is a good spot.  Do not store in the refrigerator.  It's too humid and the coffee is going to absorb other odors.  Only freeze coffee if you will not consume it within a month.  While freezing slows oxidation, the extreme temperature change reduces the flavor of the beans.
  

• Only grind enough for one pot of coffee.  DO NOT STORE GROUND COFFEE.  If you don't have a grinder… get one.  They're relatively cheap and will improve your coffee experience many times over.   Ground coffee will be stale within a day or so of being exposed to air.  Whole beans (stored properly) will stay fresh for weeks!.
  

• Brewing Tip - Stop using the warmer on your coffee maker.  Instead, get an insulated carafe and pour your coffee in the carafe immediately after brewing.  Leaving coffee on a warmer will cook the coffee.  A carafe keeps the coffee hot without adding heat to the brew.  You'll notice the difference!  And if you're ready for a new coffee maker, consider getting one that brews right into an insulated carafe.
  

• Brewing ratios - The Specialty Coffee Association of America recommends 7.5 grams of coffee per 6 oz of water (or one standard coffee scoop).  This might be too strong for your taste.  My recommendation is to use between 1 and 1.5 tablespoons of coffee per 6 oz of water. You may need to adjust that amount based on the coarseness of your grind and the speed at which your coffee maker brews coffee.  The faster the brew time, the more coffee you'll need.  For very slow brewers, you'll want to use less coffee.
  

• Grinding Tip - If you use a propeller blade grinder you'll achieve a more consistent grind if you shake up the contents of the bean reservoir mid-way through grinding.  Also, grinding times will vary by model but we recommend between 10 and 15 seconds for a drip grind and slightly longer for a fine grind.