Why do espresso shots expire

I'd also suggest stirring your espresso before drinking to mix the different layers and get a more homogenous drink. For me, it is not bitterness or flavor, but temperature. When a shot gets cold, it is not good. So, I would say it could last a couple of minutes, but it is not a sipping drink anyhow. Pull it and drink it. This is correct that coffee flavour alters depended on temperature. However this argument of better is hard to say as its a matter of preference.

For coffee tastings you should try the coffee had a range of temperatures as the flavours alter you may taste something different. Sign up to join this community. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top. Stack Overflow for Teams — Collaborate and share knowledge with a private group. Create a free Team What is Teams? Learn more. How long is the life of a shot of espresso? Ask Question. Asked 8 years, 10 months ago.

Active 4 years, 9 months ago. Viewed 70k times. When pulling a shot of espresso, how long is its life before it is too bitter? I know this might change by the bean, but what is a rough estimate?

I noticed that below it was the Nespresso machine you had in Germany. How fabulous that they set you up with an espresso machine?! I was a shift manager at Starbucks up until about 2 months ago when I resigned to spend more time at home with my 2 year old.

I have an espresso machine at home and have become quite particular about my espresso. Making Coffee is a true art form.

I personally find a lot of comfort in making coffee for others and drinking coffee myself. I never get sick of it. Then enjoy! One of the most common questions we get is how to make your coffee and espresso grounds last longer. Luckily there are actually many different ways to make your espresso and coffee grounds last longer. This is probably the easiest way to make your espresso and coffee beans not expire as fast. When you grind the beans up, the flavor is unleashed and only exposed to the air for a very limited amount of time.

Granted it takes longer to grind your own beans, but we do believe this makes a big difference. It also requires you to get a coffee bean grinder we recommend getting a burr grinder , which also costs more. But you can usually make up the difference price by buying whole beans in bulk from Costco or other large format suppliers.

The opposite is actually true — whole beans are on average more expensive than grounds. You can check out our in-depth article for a detailed explanation, but the short answer is that whole beans are on average a higher quality product which costs more.

The first thing we recommend to people trying to extend the life of their espresso beans and grounds is to put them in an air-tight container. This can be with the handy wire most bags come with or with tape. Keeping the least amount of air in the bag is your goal. Any way that you can reduce the amount of coffee that is exposed will prolong its life.

Another super-easy way to extend the life of your espresso beans and grinds is to store them in your freezer. The ice-cold air in your freezer slows down the oxidation process and prolongs the time it takes for your espresso to expire. Make sure you tightly close the bag of grounds or beans to prevent excess air from hitting the grounds or beans. As espresso sits, some important chemical reactions take place. All of the lovely oils and lipids that give coffee their rich body and long aftertaste will oxidize.

This results in funky, off flavors of rancid fats think musty or acrid. In addition, the mostly unperceived chlorogenic acids will continue to degrade into bitter and metallic quinic acids think quinine in tonic water. Still, this process takes a fair amount of time to really have an effect on the beverage flavor.

Take Away. Like most coffee stories, the science falls somewhat short of dogma or tradition. While your espresso will not die seconds after its pulled, the flavors will change over time.

Should you use the espresso you made in the morning to make a latte in the afternoon? Probably not. But is it going to ruin your cappuccino if the espresso sits for a few minutes while you steam milk? If the coffee is quality and the shot well prepared, absolutely not. Now, are you wondering whether your coffee is too fresh?