Coffee 101: Everything to know about your cup of joe

CYPRESS, TX (KTRK) -- Since it's National Coffee Day, ABC-13 made it a mission to check out all things coffee. We asked the experts how to save money, keep it fresher longer, and choose the best coffee to drink.

To really get down to the nitty gritty of coffee, we went to the Coffee Icon Superstore in Cypress, a store devoted to all things coffee.

The store specializes in their selection of fresh, unroasted coffee beans that their coffee experts roast on demand. What start as green coffee beans roast at more than 400 degrees for 5 to 7 minutes.

"Basically the coffee last for 3 years green. When you roast it, it starts to stale. When you grind it, it stales faster," said Coffee Icon co-owner Paul Endres. "When you come to us, it is roasted fresh and it's the freshest coffee you can get."

Prices for fresh coffee beans range from $39.99 a pound for the top of the line Kona Coffee to $10.99 a pound for other types.

The difference in price is because coffee has five grades. Every coffee is given a number one through five, with number one being the best you can buy.

There are also two different beans - Arabica and Robusta. Robusta is sold in most grocery shelves because it is a much cheaper bean. The highest quality coffee is Arabica.

If you are shopping at the store, something to pay attention to is that many companies mix beans and call them Kona Blend or Jamaica Blend. In fact, experts say they have very little of the better beans in the mix.

To keep coffee fresher longer, the coffee pros say not to store it in the freezer. Coffee generally soaks up the other smells there, so it is best to keep it in an airtight container.

While buying in bulk might be a better deal, coffee experts say unless you keep it sealed, it might not stay as fresh as you'd like.