Oil on the surface of coffee beans is normal, especially in beans that are darkly roasted. But some people might not. enjoy the texture created by oily coffee beans, and high levels of oil can even cause mechanical issues in bean-to- cup coffee machines. Beans that are too oily will not taste good in coffee, either.
When coffee beans are roasted, oils within the beans are released. This results in coffee beans with an oily surface.. The longer beans are roasted for, the more oils come to the surface and the oilier the beans will be. The roasting process also causes coffee beans to lose carbon dioxide, which reacts with oxygen in the air and forms oil on the. surface of the bean.
Even lightly roasted beans can become oily if mistakes are made during the roasting process. Oil migration is usually the result of moisture changes that occur during roasting to the outer and inner layers of the bean. Common. mistakes include not heating the roasting drum enough or overheating it.
Roasters trying to avoid oily coffee beans can opt for a lower roast level. Medium roast coffee beans are usually significantly less oily than dark roast coffee beans, although it's also possible to roast darker beans without creating too much oiliness.
Other factors that can cause oily beans include storage methods, humidity, and temperature. Beans that are stored. for a long time, especially beans stored in humid or warm conditions, will become oily. It's important to store coffee beans in a cool, dark environment where they will stay dry and fresh