Hey guys. I read a lot more of the forum than I post but this thread caught my eye.

Have always been a huge coffee guy (My wife calls me a snob... ) and now I roast my own. Not always but it's a "hobby" I enjoy. 0

@op - Some general rules/characteristics I follow, and by all means, mean nothing. Different for everyone.

1) When buying coffee you have to realize that large corporations roast months ahead of time. Look at a timestamp of Starbucks or DD in store and you'll notice it is from months ago. My personal opinion: Coffee goes "bad" after two weeks max after being roasted. I always brew it within a week of roasting. If I don't roast my own I order from a true fresh roaster and get it withing a day or two of roasting-use it within the next 5-6.

2) After buying the beans, keep them stored in a air tight container. Never grind beans the night before, etc. After grinding beans the grounds "go bad" after about 30 seconds. Wait to grind until your water is properly heated and ready to go (Below).

3) If you can, purchase a manual grinder. The heat generated from a mechanical roaster will alter the taste of the beans before even making the coffee. While a mechanical grinder is nice and convenient, the "old fashioned" way is the way to go.

4) When grinding, different grounds for different drinks. For example, an espresso requires an extremely fine grind while a french press requires a very coarse grind.

5) Water temp varies for different recipes but i generally keep it around 182-188. Anything higher or lower doesn't produce the correct result.

6) I personally use a french press or chemex most of the time but if you do purchase or have a coffee maker, do some research on water temp settings. Most coffee makers don't heat enough or burn the coffee.

Just some thoughts. Again, different for everyone but what I have come up with after years. Haha. Enjoy.