The Coffee Freshness Handbook

The goal of this manual is to provide a practical resource for the specialty coffee community while contributing to the body of scientific evidence on the freshness of roasted coffee.

In the first part of this manual, we explore relevant studies in the field of coffee science and recent research conducted by the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) Coffee Center of Excellence. His pioneering research sheds more light on the identification of physical changes that can be used to quantify freshness.

We then turn to a complementary set of experimental studies on sensory perception of freshness and subsequent aging in roasted coffee over time. In this insightful member-led experiment conducted by the Guild of Roasters, we learn about the sensory impacts of packaged and aged coffee.