Starter coffee blend suggestions?

[philee]

hey guys.
after reading tons of posts on hb, coffeekid, coffeegeek etc., i've finally bought my own espresso machine
i just bought a saeco aroma, and to be honest, im an espresso-newbie.

i made two cups of coffee: one cup of some old lavazza pre-ground i had running around in my fridge, and another of some freshly ground coffee from my local roasters. the problem is that i didn't like either of them.

first of all, the lavazza was ridiculously sour (probably because ive had it lying around in the fridge for like 3 weeks or so)
second, the blend i bought from my local roasters was pretty bad too. the lady at the store doesn't really know much about coffee...

so, on to the question: do you recommend a certain blend of coffee that i should buy for starters?
having read past posts, it seemed as though most people recommended getting coffee from local roasters. but my local roaster is terrible..
so i was thinking of getting beans online..? is this a good idea?

also, about the beans, on average, how long should it take for me to finish them off? a week? two weeks?
or can i leave them for longer if i havent ground them?

thanks everyone.

[cafeIKE]

First thing you need is a decent grinder.
Rocky, Cunhill Tranquillo or Gaggia MDF as a minimum.

IMO, espresso is best on days 4-8

See the Freezing thread if you want to buy more and store it.

[HB]

so, on to the question: do you recommend a certain blend of coffee that i should buy for starters?
having read past posts, it seemed as though most people recommended getting coffee from local roasters. but my local roaster is terrible..
so i was thinking of getting beans online..? is this a good idea?

Buying locally only makes sense if you have a good local roaster... Three good beginner espressos and What espresso blend to start with offer lots of online suggestions. Among the sponsors, Intelligentsia Black Cat, Counter Culture Toscano, Caffe Fresco Ambrosia, and Rocket Coffee Roasters Darkstar are frequently cited as forgiving blends.

also, about the beans, on average, how long should it take for me to finish them off? a week? two weeks? or can i leave them for longer if i havent ground them?

Stored in a tightly sealed jar outside of light, most blends are drinkable for two weeks, though they usually peak 4-8 days post roast as Ian said.