— Michael Baun

This is the best question because a while ago, chef Eric had asked me to, um, to test something that required a very specific bean and I went to a specialty store and when I got home, uh, the beam were not good and I had, they were purchased in bulk. So what I suggest to do is to use a reputable bean or grain company. Uh, right now I'm on a, a kick to get my beans from Rancho Gordo. They have a good expiration date on the bottom of their package. There are other brands that are also just as good, uh, but you wanna check the expiration date is always the most important thing. And if the expiration date is on one of those little stickers that somebody has stuck on there, sometimes that always isn't as reputable. So what I'll do is take a sharpie marker and write down the day that I purchased it and I won't keep it for more than six months. So, uh, it, using fresh beans really does make a difference in the flavor of the food that you eat. And, um, that's my suggestion for that.