Great question...
I just picked up a can of ground coffee and looked for a date.
The only marking on the can that resembled a date was 110324
As I had just recently bought this can I assume that this is a canning date (March 24, 2011).
Coffee beans are roasted (cooked) and then ground before canning, so I see no reason why they would go bad.
I have found cans of coffee on the back of shelves or in odd places before and used them with no noticeable problems.
I am not really a coffee snob and buy whatever comes on sale...Max, Folgers, store brands, what ever so the freshest, best possible product is not really an issue for me. Just so long as the cup-O-joe is there in the morning.

Good question.

Found this article just now, good timing, eh? I can't drink more than one cup of regular coffee a day, usually have to go for the decaf. (oh, the horror, says paintergirl. 😮 lol.)

Article title: Green coffee beans for long term storage. Very interesting description of the roasting process.

http://modernsurvivalblog.com/survival-skills/green-coffee-beans-for-long-term-storage/

Interesting Article Vanislemom, thank you 🙂

I'm still not sure why they say "ground coffee or your typical coffee beans won’t store all that long." If its dried and fully cooked before being vacuum dealed, all pathogens and bad things should be gone and it should be good almost forever...

This will be an interesting learning experience while I figure this one out 🙂

Hi DaScribbler

Roasted or ground coffee will go rancid because of the oil in the beans. Before the beans are roasted (green coffee beans) the oils are protected by the shell, when they are roasted the shell cracks and the oil is exposed.

Foxglove

Thanks for the reply Foxglove 🙂

Thats certainly sounds reasonable.

I don't think I've ever seen Freeze Dried or Dehyderated Coffee ground coffee... I guess I'll have to do some poking around and see if I can find something similiar 🙂

Good question.

Found this article just now, good timing, eh? I can't drink more than one cup of regular coffee a day, usually have to go for the decaf. (oh, the horror, says paintergirl. 😮 lol.)

One cup a day? And decaf?? Novice! 😉 lol

Foxglove and Dascribbler : Rancid, I hadn't thought of that ... but I will see what I can find on this. I wonder if there would be any difference if kept in a unopened can versus vacuum packed bags or plastic ... expiry date or not?

I'm sure you have seen dehydrated coffee... generally it's referred to as "Instant Coffee" and is widely available. Unfortunately.

True enough... I so dislike instant that I had forgotten all about it , but it would taste grand in a pinch!... 😉

I'm sure you have seen dehydrated coffee... generally it's referred to as "Instant Coffee" and is widely available. Unfortunately.

Very True... Thank You.

I totally forgot about Instant Coffee... (Must be old age 😆 )

Shame it tastes like crap. I'll keep hunting around for an alternative.

A range of characteristic of coffee products are studied over time. For example the chemical stability of the active ingredients is determined and then the effect of temperature. However it is very advisable not to coffee or any coffee product beyond the expiry date.

I am not a coffee drinker however isn't this where coffee beans and a coffee grinder come in? I know you can buy green coffee beans and roast them yourself and then grind. I've read elsewhere that the storage capabilities are much longer that way.

I think y'all have to be addicted to go through that much trouble for a drink 🙂

If anyone is a heavy coffee drinker like me (5 cups a day or more) be sure to prep with 2 weeks worth of coffee. If SHTF, you will need that long to slowly reduce your caffeine intake to avoid a terrible headache/malaise/crankyness that won't go away even with other drugs. Don't kid yourself caffeine has rough withdrawal effects. It is no big deal if you wean yourself with a small amount and less each day for a week or two, but cold turkey kills man. You don't want to do it.

I don't want to imagine what happens if SHTF and you had to go cold turkey overnight.

I am not a coffee drinker however isn't this where coffee beans and a coffee grinder come in? I know you can buy green coffee beans and roast them yourself and then grind. I've read elsewhere that the storage capabilities are much longer that way.

I think y'all have to be addicted to go through that much trouble for a drink 🙂

Mmm... love my coffee!
The question is ......... how can anyone NOT love coffee?? 😉

Mr Momo, I stored some drip and instant. I will stretch out what I have and am reading up on some substitutes that are like home-made postum ( not as tasty but a reasonable substitute in a pinch) I have been very fortunate, never have headaches and if I go without I can drink a cup shortly before bed and still go to sleep... freaky immunity or I am so caffeine saturated that it is now part of my DNA? lol I like tea as well though and have put some away to alternate with coffee.

If anyone is a heavy coffee drinker like me (5 cups a day or more) be sure to prep with 2 weeks worth of coffee. If SHTF, you will need that long to slowly reduce your caffeine intake to avoid a terrible headache/malaise/crankyness that won't go away even with other drugs. Don't kid yourself caffeine has rough withdrawal effects. It is no big deal if you wean yourself with a small amount and less each day for a week or two, but cold turkey kills man. You don't want to do it.

I don't want to imagine what happens if SHTF and you had to go cold turkey overnight.

Why would you want to wait until what could be one of the most stressful times of your life and add caffeine withdrawal with all of it's nastiness to the problem? A coffee addiction is society's "cutesy" addiction - it's just as addictive and the withdrawals as nasty as many other less acceptable addicitons(for everyone but Paintergirl :)!) but we laughingly say it's OK and kid ourselves into thinking that we "could quit anytime" - except we don't.

I think weaning yourself off of 5 cups a day isn't going to be any picnic in the two weeks you've suggested - why not start reducing your intake today. (I couldn't help myself - I'm a mom!)