Hey coffee friends, and welcome to our January Café Session! We’ve officially made it through the first month of the year—congrats to us. January always feels like it’s about six years long, but here we are at the very end, freezing our way through a Denver winter. Seriously, it’s been cold. The kind of cold that makes you reconsider every life choice that led you to live somewhere where the air hurts your face. At least we’ve had plenty of coffee to keep us warm.
Beyond the weather, there’s been plenty going on. The presidential inauguration happened, and, well… let’s just say the next four years are bound to be interesting. And of course, the Super Bowl is right around the corner—Kansas City Chiefs vs. Philadelphia Eagles, with Kendrick Lamar headlining the halftime show. Whether you’re in it for the football, the commercials, or just the snacks, it should be a good one.
This month, we’re diving into the world of coffee aging—can coffee actually be too fresh? What happens as it ages? And if you’ve ever wondered about the differences between espresso and drip coffee (besides one coming in a tiny cup and the other in a giant mug), we’re breaking it all down. So grab a hot coffee—trust me, you need it—and let’s get into it.
This is a great question! There’s a lot of debate when it comes to the best practices for storing coffee beans. Some swear by freezing them, others leave the bag on the counter, and then there are those who store their beans in vacuum-sealed, airtight containers away from sunlight and moisture—which is, hands down, the best method. Just like any other foods in your kitchen, exposure to light and moisture can speed up the aging process, causing beans to lose their freshness.
Ideally, you’d buy only the amount of coffee you can use within a week and grind the beans just before brewing. But let’s be real—sometimes you come across a great deal and stock up. That’s okay! Just be mindful of storage to avoid issues like mold, which can happen if moisture gets into the bag. Fun fact: here at Rise, I have whole coffee beans as decorations that have never molded—proof that proper storage matters! And if your beans have lost their smell (unless you’re recovering from COVID), that’s a sign they’re no longer fresh.
The ideal storage method also depends on the bean’s lifecycle stage. For example, did you know you can buy green coffee beans? Many people use them to roast their own coffee at home, and some drinks even feature “green coffee extract,” made from unroasted beans. Quick tip: if you’re curious about roasting your own beans, check out First Crack Coffee. It’s like a coworking space but for coffee roasting—you can use their equipment to experiment with roast levels and unlock unique flavors!
While coffee may not be as complex as winemaking, it’s one of the closest comparisons in terms of production. For example, it typically takes 6–12 months for coffee cherries to mature, followed by another 5–12 days to process the cherries (through either washing or drying) and separate the beans. Roasting, on the other hand, is a precise art that can vary down to the minute, depending on the desired roast style.
As for storage, it’s best to use beans within a week of roasting. Here at Rise, our espresso beans are always roasted within a week to ensure peak freshness. That said, I’ve worked at other shops where beans arrived so fresh they were still warm from the roaster. In those cases, we’d let them rest and allow the gases to escape before sealing the bag.
Ahhh, the age-old question! Many people assume espresso is more caffeinated than regular drip coffee, but that’s only true when comparing them by volume. A single shot of espresso has more caffeine per ounce, but an 8-ounce cup of drip coffee contains more caffeine overall. If you were to drink 8 ounces of straight espresso, well… let’s just say it wouldn’t be the most relaxing coffee experience!
Espresso beans are typically a blend of various single-origin coffees, carefully crafted to create a unique flavor profile for each roaster. However, the beans themselves aren’t fundamentally different—you could use the same coffee beans for drip or espresso; it’s all about how they’re prepared. Espresso refers to the brewing method, where hot water is forced through finely ground coffee under high pressure. This quick, concentrated extraction brings out all the coffee goodness (e.g. bold flavors and oils) in a fraction of the time it takes to brew a traditional cup of coffee. But remember the saying: "There’s nothing express about espresso." It may brew faster than a full pot of coffee, but it’s still a delicate, precise process—not instant coffee.
When it comes to caffeine content, a standard cup of drip coffee typically contains around 90–100mg of caffeine, while a single shot of espresso has about 40–50mg. So, ounce for ounce, espresso is stronger, but a full cup of coffee will give you more caffeine overall. Fun fact: black tea has a caffeine content similar to coffee, while green tea is more comparable to a shot of espresso, coming in at 30–40mg per cup. Herbal teas, on the other hand, are the decaf of the tea world—if you’re looking to wind down, a cup of chamomile is your best bet.
Now, in terms of taste, espresso is much more concentrated and often perceived as more bitter than regular drip coffee. That’s actually why the Americano exists—American soldiers stationed in Europe during WWII found espresso too intense and would dilute it with hot water to mimic the coffee they were used to back home.
For the best-tasting coffee experience, I always recommend brewing one cup at a time. Pour-overs, for example, are a fantastic way to highlight the unique flavor notes of different coffee beans. (Need help identifying flavors? Check out our Café Session from last July where we deep dive into how to use the Coffee Taster’s Flavor Wheel!) If you’re drinking espresso straight, it can be too hot to fully appreciate the flavors right away, but letting it cool slightly will help you pick up on the distinct differences between blends.