If you’ve ever stumbled across an ad for “mold-free coffee,” you might’ve paused before your morning brew and wondered, wait, is there mold in my coffee?
The short answer: there’s no mold in your coffee if you’re drinking high-quality, specialty coffee.
While the idea sounds alarming, the truth is that mold is rarely, if ever, a concern in the world of specialty coffee. Let’s break down what mold in coffee really means, how professional roasters prevent it, and why “mold-free” marketing might be more hype than help.
What makes coffee “specialty”?
“Specialty coffee” isn’t just a buzzword; it’s an internationally recognized standard that measures quality from farm to cup. Every lot of green (unroasted) coffee is carefully inspected before it’s ever roasted.
To earn a specialty grade, coffee must:
- Contain zero defects, including mold, insect damage, or foreign matter
- Score 80 points or higher on the Specialty Coffee Association’s 100-point scale
- Be evaluated by trained Q-graders who assess aroma, taste, and appearance
At Evans Brothers, we go even further, we only buy coffees that score 84 points or higher. That means every bean we roast has already passed multiple quality and cleanliness checks long before it reaches your cup.
Can coffee really grow mold?
Technically, yes, but only under poor conditions. Mold or mycotoxins can develop when beans are:
- Dried or stored in damp, humid environments
- Processed too quickly or without proper air circulation
- Stored in bulk for long periods with minimal quality control
This tends to happen with low-grade or commodity coffee, where the focus is on volume rather than care.
Specialty coffee, however, follows a much stricter process. Farmers hand-sort their cherries, exporters monitor moisture levels, and roasters cup (taste-test) each batch. If any mold is detected, that lot is immediately rejected.
The truth about “mold-free” coffee marketing
Recently, some brands have started promoting “mold-free coffee” as though it’s a new health innovation. But here’s the reality:
- Specialty coffee has always been mold-free. It’s built into the grading system.
- These claims often rely on fear-based marketing rather than real science.
- It’s a way to imply that other coffees are unsafe, which simply isn’t true for specialty roasters.
It’s a bit like labeling your bottled water as gluten-free; technically accurate, but unnecessary. Specialty coffee producers have been protecting quality this way for decades.
How Evans Brothers Coffee keeps coffee clean
We take quality control seriously, from the farm all the way to your cup.
Here’s how we make sure mold never stands a chance:
- Ethical sourcing: We partner only with trusted producers who follow strict processing and drying practices.
- High-bar purchasing: All coffees must meet or exceed specialty grade (84+ points).
- Careful storage: Beans are kept in climate-controlled conditions to prevent moisture buildup.
By sourcing from the top 1-2% of coffee produced worldwide, we maintain consistency, integrity, and transparency in every roast.
What you can do at home
Even though mold isn’t a concern with quality coffee, a few good habits can keep your beans tasting fresh and clean:
- Store beans in an airtight container in a cool, dry place; avoid the fridge or freezer.
- Buy fresh and small. Choose coffee roasted within the past few weeks and purchase in manageable quantities.
- Grind before brewing. Pre-ground coffee goes stale faster and can absorb moisture.
- Stick with trusted roasters who publish sourcing info and roast dates.
The bottom line
Mold in coffee isn’t the hidden danger that some brands want you to believe. In the world of specialty coffee, it’s already eliminated through careful sourcing, grading, and handling.
At Evans Brothers Coffee, we don’t need to advertise “mold-free” coffee, because quality, integrity, and freshness have been our standard from day one.
So the next time you see that label on a bag, remember: good coffee doesn’t need a gimmick. It just needs care.