Let’s face it – America has embraced a newfound passion for coffee. From stopping off at the local coffee shop for a morning cup to investing in equipment and beans to make that perfect cup of coffee at home, Americans are passionate about their coffee. And a lot of things can influence the overall taste and desirability of their coffee.
One thing that is often overlooked is the process of keeping coffee fresh during shipment. Sure, every bag has a ‘fresh-by’ date, but the reality is that plenty of coffee is past its prime before it ever arrives on the shelves. To help ensure that this isn’t as much of an issue, considering thermal protection for coffee during shipment is important. With that in mind, here are a few things to keep in mind.
- As with any other consumable, fluctuations in temperature can have a major impact on the taste of coffee. Too hot or too cold will mean bad news, despite many people’s assumption that coffee can be frozen. Even fridge temperatures are too cold, while the heat of a summer day can damage the taste as well. Cool temps in the low to mid-sixties is much better. For long shipments, freezing is okay – just be sure that the temps get below freezing and stay there.
- Moisture is an even bigger thing to consider. Thermal protection is important, but it should block out moisture as well. Moisture can have various influences on the flavor of your beans, and when shipping it you’ll need to be sure that you use a solution that blocks out moisture while also keeping the coffee at the right temperature.
- Light matters too, and if you ship coffee in clear packaging you’ll need to use something like our cargo blanket or a container liner to block out light as well as moisture while also keeping temperatures from fluctuating.
In short, shipping coffee for maximum freshness means keeping control of moisture, light, and temperature. If you can do this, you’ll be able to build up your reputation for offering fresh, amazing tasting coffee. It’s something that customers will appreciate no matter if they’re end-users or restaurants that rely on your coffee to serve to their patrons, so be sure that you improve your reputation through the use of the right shipping solution.
