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I read the article "Coffee: To Freeze or Not to Freeze" and I possibly missed the part on the proper method to defrost the beans.
I would like to defrost small amounts ... only one or two "scoops" at a time ... the beans have been stored in glass jars. How long should they be left at room temperature before grinding? I read that frozen beans can be ground but I presume then you would still have to wait for the coffee to reach an appropriate temperature ...
Any hints or suggestions would be most welcome ...

The only issue, as far as I know, is keeping condensing moisture away from the beans. Always seal and unseal them at room temperature: seal --> freeze --> defrost --> unseal

Thank you for your reply Jim ... do you have any idea how long it takes the small quantity of beans to reach room temp ?

Not exactly. I take 1/3 pound lots out of the freezer three to four hours before I use them. They are always ready by that point.

I usually just take it out the night before or in the morning if I plan to use it in the afternoon.

The roasted beans don't hold the cold long so it depends how you are packing the beans. I've checked 80gr vacuum bags of roasted beans with a Raytek MT6 temp gun & it took approximately 10 minutes for the beans to reach room temp after removal from the freezer. If you've got them in a glass jar you'll be waiting much longer as the glass & metal lid need to come up to temp.

I once took a 250g bag out of the freezer and opened it after 3 hours - the beans were still cool. Since then I take the bag out one night (12 hours) before planned use.

Am I missing something? If you freeze the beans as soon as you get them (maybe 3 days past roast), don't you still want to let them rest for a day or two anyway?

Thanks all you coffee geeks !

mitch236 wrote:Am I missing something? If you freeze the beans as soon as you get them (maybe 3 days past roast), don't you still want to let them rest for a day or two anyway?

That depends on what beans you are freezing and how long you anticipate them being in the freezer. Ideal usage for some beans is 3 - 4 days post roast. Others may peak after a week. Also, coffee will still age in the freezer, just at a lot slower rate.

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