Coffee can also be extremely confusing.

To simplify things a bit for you to brew that great cup of coffee at home, remember these four principles of brewing great coffee, from a coffee master.

Proportion, water, grind and freshness are the four fundamentals to great coffee.

Proportion – the right ratio of coffee to water.  Depending on how you are brewing your coffee, whether French press or pour over, follow the machines recommendations as closely as possible.

Water – use fresh drinking water that has been filtered, using a brita water filter works well.

Grind – Grinding your coffee to the correct coarseness, and right grind level for the brewing style.

Freshness – The freshe the coffee, the better.  Keep reading for more tips to keep it fresh!

Here’s what you need to know about keeping coffee fresher for longer, according to experts.

Leave the Coffee in the Bag

Oxygen is the ultimate enemy of coffee beans.  Most coffee bags now are sold with a small valve.  This one-way valve is for allowing de-gassing of the coffee, while keeping air out.  It allows carbon dioxide to escape (so the bag doesn’t inflate and explode), and doesn’t allow oxygen into the bag.  This means that the bag is primarily filled with carbon dioxide making its way out of the bag, and very, very little oxygen.

The carbon dioxide envelopes the beans and believes to protect the beans from air.  The less you open the bag, and the less oxygen you expose these beans too, the fresher it will remain for longer.  So do not remove the coffee from the bag and keep in a cool, dry place.

Coffee Stays Fresh for up to Three weeks

The ideal time to drink coffee is within 2-3 weeks of it being roasted.  Coffee quality and freshness degrades very quickly after that.  The packaging material and where you keep your coffee can extend the life and quality of your brew.  Grind it as close to brewing as possible for the best freshness.