Can You Refrigerate Coffee And Reheat It?
Typically speaking, yes, you can refrigerate your coffee and reheat it but it will not taste as what you wanted it to be. When you let your coffee sits in your fridge it will oxidize. Oxygen molecules present in the air interact with the compounds found in coffee beans causing it to slowly lose flavor. You may notice a stale feel at around 30 day mark or even 10-15 days depending on the coffee bean and roasting method it went through.
But if you want to slow down this process, you can use an airtight container. You will also notice that the oils in your coffee will turn rancid after a week of brewing. You can smell it, and it taste sour and gross.
The best way to reheat your coffee is through heating it up on the stove on a low temperature. It is very simple as you can use any pot in your kitchen cabinet. You have to constantly stir it with a spoon while keeping a low temperature. This is very important to not to fry your coffee’s flavor. When you reheat your coffee in the microwave it can cause breakdown of any aroma your coffee has after it is brewed. Not only the smell is affected but everything that gives your flavor of your coffee. It will taste salt, bitter, sweet and even sour. If the aroma of your coffee breaks down it will ruin its flavor and make your coffee taste stale. So you may consider brewing another one.
Though a stale taste coffee doesn’t have a health threat but it is not pleasant to drink. After brewing it, its flavor starts deteriorating and affecting its aroma. So, if you brew it and let it sit it will quickly goes bad. Its oil is prone to bacteria and molds.
You may also store your coffee in the freezer where it can extend its shelf life up to one to three years for the whole bean and ground coffee. You can freeze your coffee in ice cube trays and use them for cooking. But coffee experts choose to use home ground coffee where the grind should be made the day of use. However, the downside in preserving coffee through freezing, it destroys its flavor, more of its interesting parts vanish and will taste dull.
If you store your bag of unopen beans in your fridge, it can last up to 2 to 3 years and if stored opened it can last for 1-2 years. You can still taste its good flavor if you store it in your fridge for 3 to 4 days. You can even add ice cube for an iced coffee. Your coffee goes bad because it is being contaminated by bugs’ or rodents’ moisture and heat causing problems.
However, others don’t recommend storing coffee in the fridge because its temperature can affect its flavor and taste, losing its freshness. Your brewed coffee has its beast taste between 2-10 days and will stay fresh 30 days after roasting.
So, it’s all up to you what kind of coffee you want since you can refrigerate coffee and reheat it. Just make sure to take note of some of those reminders to keep your coffee without compromising its aroma.