That might sound like a personal question but the answer could affect the quality and freshness of the coffee you are enjoying in your own home.
The truth is that no matter how good the coffee you drink happens to taste, it will always taste better if you grind the beans yourself just before you actually make the coffee. And luckily it doesn’t have to be as hard as you think.
If you have a coffee machine at home it may well have a grinding facility on it. If it doesn’t make sure your next replacement does! There is nothing quite as nice as grinding the beans, making the coffee and then enjoying the taste all within half an hour or so.
But there are other ways to grind beans. For example if you have a food processor you could use that to grind the beans. Check the manual for instructions on which part of the processor will do the job most efficiently. Some of them have a separate mill attachment for grinding up small quantities of food. This might be ideal for using to grind a small amount of coffee beans.
The thing to remember is only to grind up the beans as and when you need them. As soon as you grind them up the flavours will start to be released, and if you leave those beans sitting around before you use them, you will probably notice the difference. If you find you have ground up too many for your needs, make sure you seal up the remainder in a plastic container that is airtight. If you use it within a couple of days it should still be okay.
The next best thing is to buy your coffee from a shop that provides its beans whole, but offers to grind them for you on the premises. At least then you know that the beans are as fresh as they could be before they were ground down into usable coffee. Just be sure you use it as soon as possible to get the best of the flavour.
It’s good to know though that you can make a good cup of coffee to enjoy at home. It may not be quite the same as the coffee you get from your favourite coffee shop, but it will be far better than simply opting for instant all the time.