What happens after coffee is roasted

Roasting fills the bean with carbon dioxide and volatile aromatic compounds. Over the first few days the coffee “degasses,” releasing CO₂ — which is why very fresh coffee can taste slightly sharp or brew unevenly. After that it settles into its best flavour, then slowly loses aromatics as it oxidises. Freshness isn’t a gimmick; it’s the single biggest factor in how good your cup tastes.

The peak flavour window

Most coffee is at its best from roughly four days to three weeks after roasting, and still very good up to about six weeks. Past that, it’s drinkable but flatter — the brightness and aroma fade first. This is why buying little and often beats stocking up on a big bag you’ll take months to finish.

Roast date vs “best before”

A best-before date months away tells you almost nothing about how a coffee will taste. A roast date tells you everything. We stamp the roast date on every bag so you can judge freshness for yourself, rather than trusting a vague expiry.

How we keep it fresh

Because we roast to order, your coffee is roasted after you buy, not before. It ships in sealed bags fitted with one-way degassing valves, which let CO₂ escape while keeping oxygen out — so it arrives inside its best window, not past it.

Keeping it fresh at home

Store beans airtight, cool, dark, and dry, and grind just before brewing — ground coffee stales far faster than whole beans. Avoid the fridge and freezer once the bag is open. Do that, and every cup from the bag tastes close to the first.