How much coffee should I buy for a month?

Buying coffee for a month requires balancing your consumption habits with the reality of coffee freshness. Coffee is at its peak flavor for a relatively short window—usually within the first four weeks after roasting. If you buy a massive amount of coffee at once, the beans you drink at the end of the month will likely be stale, lacking the vibrant acidity and sweetness they had when you first opened the bag.

To calculate your needs, start by measuring your daily dose. If you use a standard 1:16 coffee-to-water ratio, a 10-ounce cup of coffee requires about 18 grams of beans. If you drink one cup every morning, that is 540 grams of coffee per month. If you have a partner who also drinks coffee, or if you enjoy multiple cups, you should adjust your math accordingly. It is always better to slightly underestimate and need to pick up a fresh bag than to overestimate and end up with a month's worth of stale beans.

Storage is the final piece of the puzzle. Once you have your monthly supply, keep it in an airtight, opaque container away from heat, light, and moisture. If you find that you are buying more than you can consume while it is fresh, consider a coffee subscription service. Many roasters offer flexible subscriptions that allow you to receive smaller, fresher batches of coffee on a schedule that matches your actual consumption, ensuring you never have to settle for old beans.

In practice, treat your coffee like fresh produce. By buying only what you can consume within two to three weeks, you guarantee that every cup you brew is as delicious as possible. If you find yourself with extra coffee, you can store it in a cool, dark place, but avoid the freezer unless you are vacuum-sealing the beans to prevent moisture and freezer burn, which can ruin the delicate flavors of specialty coffee.