Reroasting coffee beans after a couple of years - is it worth it? I have some old, roasted coffee beans that have been stored in (mostly) airtight, opaque containers. The coffee beans are of reputable brands and are 2-6 years old, depending on the bag. They do not smell stale, but the flavorful coffee smell is mostly gone or barely there.
I am wondering if I can reroast them myself at home and still use them in my espresso machine or if I should throw them out. The reason I have so much unused coffee that's so old is that I stopped drinking coffee for a while, but now I am back and would like to give it another try.
Thank you!
Honestly, I would discard them. The flavor is developed by roasting, but once it’s gone, it’s gone. We are talking about volatile aromatic compounds, that likely have degraded or evaporated (yes, it may even happen in mostly airtight containers).
Re-roasting may create some more, but assuming that the original roast was “as intended”, you would likely create unwelcome notes, like bitterness or burnt flavors.
There’s also a good chance that the oils have oxidized, i.e. gone rancid.
There’s nothing wrong with giving it a try, but I wouldn’t expect results worth the effort.