Is it safe to keep coffee in the fridge for a few days? If so, for how long?
by Melissa
(NY NY)
Left over coffee stored in the fridge.
QUESTION:
I live alone, like to make a big pot of coffee at the weekend, keep it in the fridge and then reheat it a cup at a time during the week.
Is this OK? I had a friend come over and she was horrified, saying that keeping coffee for that long is unsafe. Now I’m freaking out a bit.
I have been doing this for years, with no bad effects.
Is keeping the coffee in the fridge for a whole week safe?
ANSWER:
Melissa, hi
I think you’re safe.
In the summer I like to drink iced coffee. I make a couple of liters of concentrate at a time and store it in the fridge. Sometimes it sits there for up to two weeks before it is finished.
I have also read about chefs in restaurants who prepare coffee for use in flavoring deserts. They’ll keep it in the fridge for two weeks or more before brewing some more and replacing it.
A few things though...
What I’m talking about applies to black coffee. If you have already added cream and sugar, I think I would dump it at the end of the day.
Second, always store it in the fridge and not on the counter.
Third, make sure to seal the container. I wouldn’t feel nearly as comfortable if the coffee were in the fridge with an open top.
In the photo above you can see how I put some cling film between the lid and the carafe, just to create a good seal against other tastes finding their way into my coffee. (Onion coffee, anyone?)
I’m not a food scientist, but I have a feeling coffee is pretty safe and isn’t a very attractive growth medium for bacteria or molds.
Heck, there have been times when I have sipped from a travel mug in my car a day after I brewed the coffee. I know, that’s pretty gross. But it never made me sick!
I hope this helps to reassure you.
Nick
