Drinking expired coffee is generally ok. Depending on how old the coffee is, the most noticeable issue will be the flavor. As the beans age, the flavor changes and will become stale in taste. Should the coffee beans be stored improperly, the oils can go rancid. And you will be able to tell via the smell long before you drink it.

Using Expired Coffee BeansUsing expired coffee beans

Personally, I still use coffee beans past the expiration date and have found no issue with flavor. With that said, the flavor is the only thing you have to worry about. I have done a bit of searching and have not found a case where someone has gotten sick from expired beans. Really though, you’ll want to smell the coffee if it is something you found in the back of a cabinet or something from years ago.

For my wedding, our friend got us a 6-month coffee subscription that sends us a small bag of coffee every week for the duration. That is 24 bags of coffee. Sure they were smaller, but we were still getting settled in a new state and took us about another 6 months to move into our new place. So some of the coffee was a year old. It still had great flavor for both drip coffee as well as espresso.

There was one coffee shop I used to work at that has a ridiculously short shelf life for it Coffee. It was so the customer could get the most ‘time’ out of the coffee. We only has the beans in the store for 10 days. Then we either donated it to events or took it home. So techniquily, I drank expired coffee often durring that time. Debatibly, I turned out fine.

This is assuming you have found expired whole bean coffee. Whole bean coffee holds its flavor longer. With ground coffee, there is much more surface area for air to interact with. With that, it does go stale faster. For an unopened bag of ground coffee, I would say maybe 6 months until the flavor is too stale for me. And for an opened bag, maybe 6 weeks.  

How to Increase the Shelf-Life of Coffee Beans

The best way to store coffee beans is to keep them whole bean and in an airtight container. Even better than that would be a container designed for coffee, one with a pump or one-way escape valve for the CO2 that the roasted beans will produce. In addition to this, you will want to keep your beans away from sunlight and heat. This will speed up the degradation process. So basically, a cabinet or even the counter, away from a window or stove.

Can you refrigerate or freeze your beans? Sure but I wouldn’t. Coffee is great at absorbing moisture and flavors. It’s the moisture part that will lead to freezer burn. The absorbing flavor part will lead to bad tasting coffee faster worse than keeping them past expiration. Not only that, the beans will take up valuable space in your freezer for leftovers or even pie. I would much rather save room for pie… or cake. If you were to freeze them you really need an airtight container to prevent freezer burn.

A recomendation to longer coffee shelf life would be to buy less if you do not drink coffee that fast. I know it’s not really storing it, but your tastebuds will thank you. Once you figure out how much you need for say a week or two, you can buy just that amount. It will become part of your routine. You can buy coffee by weight at most grocrey stores. I would urdge you to try buying beans from a coffee shop that sells them. They might have a punch card or other perks for repeat customers. Not only that, you might make a new friend or have a hang out on a day off where you feel welcomed. And some places might even give you a free cup of drip coffee when you buy beans, so you wouldn’t evenn have to make any coffee that day.  

What to do With Expired Coffee Beans

Let’ say you have coffee beans you are unsure about but cannot bring yourself to throw them away. What can you do with them? Lots actually. Like I said above, coffee is great as absorbing flavors and such. So gound the coffee right up and put it in a bowl in a place where you need to absorb some odor.  Then you can use the beans to fertilize your garden after. That’s two uses in one. More on that in a moment.

As a treat, you can melt some chocolate in a double boiler and coat some coffee beans in it. Once it cools you have yourself a nice batch of chocolate-covered coffee beans. They not only taste great but also have a very satisfying crunch. Or even use the beans to make coffee and make a tiramisu.

Another thing you can use ground coffee for, is an abrasive. It works great for cleaning stuck-on food off a counter or dishes. Just be sure not to let any fall into cracks where it may stain. In addition to this, Your skin will absorb a small amount of caffeine, if you don’t use dish gloves. You’ll get a boost of energy from dishes. And who doesn’t want that?

If you are more of the crafty type, the coffee can be made into soap.  I have read that coffee soaps are great for sensitive skin. As well as providing a small amount of caffeine. And who doesn’t want to pregame their coffee with an energetic shower or bath? Besides, the antioxidants in the coffee are great for helping clean out your pores.

Not too crafty but still want the energy and benefits of coffee soap? Make a coffee scrub. Just use some warm water and a natural oil like coconut. Mix in some ground coffee and scrub away. This will exfoliate all that dead skin with ease.

Gardening and composting are another use for old coffee beans. Adding coffee grounds to a garden will go a long way in fertilizing your plants. Coffee is rich in nitrogen and plants love that stuff. You do have to watch out though as adding coffee grounds too often can turn the soil around your plant acidic. And some plants will suffer should the P.H. of the soil changes too much too fast.
Final Thoughts

Final Thoughts

There is no reason to toss an old bag of coffee, whole bean or ground. Just smell it and if it still smells like something you would drink, then by alll means go for it. You won’t get sick from this. Also it saves you a trip to the store. If you are worried the flavor is not as good as it could be, use the coffee for a number of other things. Just remember to store it correctly in an air tight container away from heat and sunlight and you’ll have long lasting coffee no matter how slow you drink it.