There is no absolute that applies to all coffees. The roasts from Caffe Fresco, for example, start to come into their own on day 5 or 6 and with reasonable handling are good out to day 15. Other roasts seem better after only a day or two post-roast and have a shorter period of time when they are good.

godlyone wrote:From what I have read, most people on this forum and many other roasters recommend a min 48hr rest for espresso roasts, but there is a general consensus that the prime time to taste is 6 days post-roast.

It is interesting that with pro roasted beans - I do not find the same to be true. If I buy from a roaster, I prefer the coffee to be about 2 days old, and at day 6 the taste is significantly weaker.

Why is there such a difference?

What is the roast-depth on the beans you prefer at 2 days post-roast?

A coffee can have several stages. One of my current favorites is Rocky Roaster Organic Espresso Blend. It's very nice on days ~6-8 low dosed and a tad hotter, kinda flat on ~9-12 at any and truly fantastic on days ~13-16 slightly updosed and a tad cooler.

<rant>
People often do not explore the extraction space.
They get locked into Gg @ D° for Ts instead of finding the sweet spots.

Buy enough coffee so you can explore its extraction space over at least two weeks.
</rant>

cafeIKE wrote:<rant>
People often do not explore the extraction space.
They get locked into Gg @ D° for Ts instead of finding the sweet spots.

Buy enough coffee so you can explore its extraction space over at least two weeks.
</rant>

Here's something that I'm learning in all my newbie eagerness: One of the keys to being to explore the extraction space is to develop consistency in your technique and results and then have faith in your own consistency. If you're not sure whether the change from yesterday's cup to today's is from your own inability to pull a shot the same way twice or from the natural aging process of the roast, you won't know what you need to adjust to find those sweet spots. Once you can trust yourself to get repeatable results, you can start to play with the variables, but until then, exceptional shots will be acts of providence, not anything you have control over.