Honestly, I don't know what the "never freeze coffee" thing is about. I've frozen coffee and I've had non-frozen coffee, and I just don't taste a difference when I make it. Does it have something to do with the fact that I use whole beans? Maybe you can freeze whole beans without affecting them as much as grounds?

Basically, freezing and thawing the beans continually adds more water, breaking down the oils. The oils are where the fabulous flavor comes from.

(My opinion? You're living in a humid climate, so your beans are already in an unfriendly environment. :) Freezing them would be like adding insult to injury.)

But, honestly? If you can't taste a difference? Then it doesn't matter, does it?

Well, Kansas isn't as bad as Hilo for humidity, and we have central air now, too!

It's not like I have no opinions about coffee, but I've never really understood the intensity of people's feelings about the freezer thing, given how much more important things like depth of roast, quantity and freshness of grind are.

The best coffee in town, bar none, comes from a classic short-order joint downtown. Didn't make sense (not that the joint is bad: it's also our favorite place for egg-and-pancake breakfasts, biscuits and gravy, pie, that sort of thing) until I noticed last time that they actually grind their own beans. That, plus the fact that they use a decidedly non-Starbucks medium roast, puts them so far ahead of everyplace else that it's just not funny.

Yep, it's amazing the difference fresh grinding can make, isn't it? Some days, I fantasize about having one of those pots that grinds the beans fresh for you each morning. (But not often. Let's face it, as a smoker, my taste buds are handicapped so it wouldn't be worth it.)