Even small changes can have a significant impact on the taste of your coffee. ... Stored this way, ground coffee can be used for a few months past its expiration date, whole bean for up to nine months, and instant coffee for up to twenty years.

How can you tell if coffee grounds are bad?

How do you know if coffee beans are bad: smell them. Stale coffee beans have a dull, lifeless, and even rancid or musty aroma. If the beans smell musty, the brewed coffee will taste that way.

Can old coffee grounds make you sick?

ANSWER: For the most part, old coffee beans, or even old ground coffee will not make you sick. The brew that old coffee produces, however, will not taste as good as fresh coffee will, and might even taste stale, or unappealing.