Can You Drink Expired Coffee?

Many people have curiosity with the expired coffee. There have lots of people say that after drinking old coffee they were physically ill. On the other hand, there are many who think that coffee is never expired.

Due to two different opinions, many people are curious about the expired coffee. So, we think some important things can be discussed to overcome the misunderstanding on this issue.

Let’s know the real mystery of expired coffee

Most coffee does not have expiration date. If any brand has no expiration date, I will suggest to skip the brand & find out world famous coffee brands. However, buying a packaged coffee from the store there is an expiration date.

This expiration date is meant to good to use before. It is meant to be used if you use it before the given time. But you can use it over time. If you drink coffee after a long time, you will not get the sweet flavor. Due to this, drinking expired coffee can cause bad taste and many feel ill.

What Can Cause Coffee to go Bad?

Coffee can go bad because of light, moisture & heat. If you keep coffee in the open for long time, coffee can go bad.

• Light: Coffee must be kept away from light for lasting for longer time. Therefore, coffee in a glass jar is more likely to come in contact with light. Therefore, if the coffee bean or coffee ground is kept in a glass jar, it must be kept in a dark place in the kitchen pantry box.
• Heat: If the coffee gets heat before the coffee brew, it makes the coffee worse. Therefore, coffee should not be kept in a heated place in the kitchen or in a place where there is direct sunlight. Excessive warm temperatures cause the coffee flavor to fade.
• Oxygen: Oxygen and coffee cannot mix together properly. Coffee actually becomes stale when exposed to oxygen. Therefore, coffee should never be left in the open condition.
• Moisture: Even in humid conditions, coffee can be spoiled. So, try to keep the roasted coffee beans in a cool and dry place always.

Make sure that any kind of bad bugs are not available in your kitchen. Moreover, if you keep coffee with unhygienic foods, bacteria can cause coffee to go bad.

Can Expired Coffee Make You Sick?

It depends on the condition of coffee. Everyone’s digestive power is not the same. Therefore, the problem of sickness is different from man to man.

If the coffee is kept open, it may be affected by mold. So in this situation, coffee will lose its freshness and changes in the flavor of coffee.

If you do not store coffee correctly, it may be unsuitable to use even before expiration date. So we think that you should not only rely on the expiration date but also should ensure that the coffee is properly stored.

What happens if you drink expired coffee?

Coffee contains thousands of ingredients such as carbohydrates, amino acids, and lipids. Due to various chemical reactions, it deteriorates in aroma and taste over time. Coffee does not usually expire but it becomes stale. Coffee ingredients are oxidized after opening the coffee packet with air exposure. Therefore, just before drinking coffee, you should grind coffee and brew it immediately for drinking.

Does old coffee drop its caffeine content?

The quality of Caffeine does not change easily. It is not degrade due to temperature. It is a type of dry chemical that is used in the manufacture of various medicines. Therefore, it is good enough for at least 1 year.

How to Know If Coffee Has Expired and Gone Bad?

• Color: If the coffee is old, the color of the coffee can be changed. So, before drinking coffee, you should notice the color of the coffee. However, there are some types of coffee which become old but the color does not change.
• Smell: If coffee is old, its smell changes. Because of this, you will miss fresh coffee flavors while drinking coffee. So, before making coffee, check its smell. Otherwise, the time of coffee making and effort will be useless. You will get a fresh smell immediately after you take fresh coffee.
• Taste: Drinking fresh coffee will give you a taste of it. On the other hand, the old coffee will not have good taste. You must want to drink tasty coffee.

You can also read: List of Plastic Free Coffee Makers

How Long Does Coffee Last?

Whole Coffee Beans: It usually lasts for 8 to 12 months after roasting. However, if you want to get perfect aroma and test, then it is better to use Whole Bean Coffee within 2 to 4 weeks of roasting.

Ground Coffee: If it can be stored well, it can be used effortlessly for 3 months. If you have purchased fresh pre-ground coffee, use it within 2 weeks of opening the packet. If you have a grinder machine in your house, it would be better to brew coffee just after grinding.

Brewed Coffee: Oxidation is a type of natural chemical reaction that destroys the flavor of coffee. After 60 minutes of brewing the coffee, the effect of oxidation starts to affect the coffee. Therefore, it is best to drink the coffee within 30 minutes of brewing.

Do K Cups expire?

If you look at each K Cup, you will see that a “best by” date is given lightly. Do K-Cups go bad after the best by date? No, the coffee does not go bad after this date. It is best to use it before this date. After this date, it is not possible to fully confirm the flavor, quality but it remains usable.

The packaging of K-Cups is good enough with foil lid so you can use it effortlessly till 1 year after the date.
If you can preserve your K-Cups or Keurig K-Carafe pods properly, you can use them even after the date, and its shelf life can be extended.

How to Store Coffee fresh for long time?

The proper preservation system of coffee is to keep it in a dry cold place and keep it away from the light if possible. Coffee should also be kept in airtight bottles. In this case, instead of using plastic bottles, it is better to store coffee in glass bottles.

You can also read: Frappuccino vs Cappuccino

Coffee Storage Containers

There have different airtight Coffee Storage Containers in the market. Look for one-way valve that stops air and light entrance. Below some Coffee Storage Containers brands are mentioned:

• OXO Good Grips POP Container: It has an airtight seal with the push of a button. No matter if you buy more than one pound because it is size friendly. Since it has UV-blocking system, it can easily block light entrance.
• Coffee Gator Stainless Steel Container: The specialty of this product is that it can vent away carbon dioxide.
• Airscape Coffee & Food Storage Canister: It is a stainless steel product which is good for coffee & easy to clean.
• Oggi 4-Piece Acrylic Canister Set: If you want different coffee roasts and grinds to be stored in one place, this multiple containers for multiple coffee storage is a great solution.

So, from my point of view it is better drinking fresh coffee rather than old or expired coffee. Do you have any experience with drinking coffee? Feel free to share your expired coffee drinking experience.