Well, I got swamped with beans for Christmas. Any tips for storage? Open the bags or store them in airtight container in the bags? Cold dark place, fridge, freezer?
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Coffee bean's two greatest enemies are air and moisture. Ideally, coffee should be ground, brewed, and consumed quickly to obtain the best flavor.
Coffee beans are at their peak within 24 to 72 hours after roasting and begin to quickly loose their fresh flavor after that (within a week, most of the original flavor will have deteriorated). Most experts recommend grinding your beans as you need them and storing the whole beans in an airtight container at room temp. if they come in a sealed bag keep them in it until you open them and then transfer them to an air tight container.
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What he said - no air, light or moisture.

Airtight (glass jar/sealed lid) fresh coffee can go in the freezer for months - never freeze or refrigerate in anything except glass. Allow to warm back to room temp before reopening, if possible, to avoid condensation.

Otherwise, storage airtight/cool/dark when possible (ziplock baggies in a not-hot cupboard are fine) for not more than 2-3 weeks before using.
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I store my beans in mason jars, in a kitchen cupboard.
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Just increase your coffee consumption :-)
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do NOT put them in the freezer, or the fridge. Store your coffee at the same temps you would store your cigars...
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Huh? Please share links or info on this. Goes against not only other suggestions in the thread, but everything else I've read or heard.

Caveat: I've doubtless not heard or read everything on this topic.
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I own three caffes... this comes from experience, not reading. Also, my coffee roaster happens to be one of my best friends and echos this thinking.

Have you ever seen a coffee house, roaster or retailer keep thier beans in the fridge or freezer?

Moo might disagree with me on this point, but this is my opinion after working in the caffe business for over 25 years and my :-)

Then again, Im also the guy that firmly belives in aging your roasted espresso beans for a wonderfully smooth espresso with a chocolate finish. So take my advice with a grain of salt I guess.
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I often disagree with myself - but I often road test conventional wisdom, too. So! Several years ago, after roasting, cooling, mason-jarring and freezing a couple varieties of beans, I came back to them 3-4 months later. (This after a member of alt.coffee performed and reported on the same activity.) The beans re-warmed to room temp (stopping off in the fridge for a couple of days) in the sealed jars and began outgassing CO2 right where they left off before hitting the ice. A few days later they ground and drank like fresh roast. So, that is that. One test by me duplicated the results of another.

I give this test a big "So what?" As you note above, professionals don't do it... and why should they bother? It's WAY safer to store green beans. I don't do it either. Did it once and never have had a reason to do it again. I guess I could roast a three-month supply of coffee and drink off of it for months but I like to change things around every week or two. No point to storing roasted coffee for me. Also, what if the freezer craps out?

But for someone who is swamped with months worth of beans in weird holiday circumstances? Fill glass jars to the top, seal tight with gasketed lids and freeze it. It'll probably drink the same come July. Hobbiests 2-cents.

Try it. Draw the third conclusion!
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OR! Someone who has a cold ass garage, with weather in the teens or lower for 6 months out of the year who can't get his air popper hot enough could do this too...
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Is that an offer to use your garage for coffee storage??? Good luck trying to heat it this week...:-)
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I use one of those foodsaver bags for mine. works great!
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