We tend to think that the fresher the roast, the better the coffee tastes. That's only partly true. A coffee that left the roaster a day or two ago isn't ready yet: in the cup it's usually harsh, with unbalanced acidity and little flavour. It needs to rest.
Roasting is only half the job. The other half happens inside the bag, over the following days.
What happens inside the bean after roasting
During roasting, heat transforms the sugars and other compounds in the green bean. Some of those reactions produce gases, mainly carbon dioxide (CO₂), which stay trapped inside the bean. From then on, the coffee slowly releases them. This is what we call degassing.
If you brew the coffee while it's still full of gas, the CO₂ gets in the way: the water doesn't wet the coffee evenly, the extraction is uneven and the cup doesn't show what the coffee really has to offer. The fruit, chocolate or caramel notes we look for in every lot take a few days to come through.
Espresso and filter don't need the same
Resting time depends on the bean, its process and the roast, but above all on the method you'll use to brew it.
- Espresso: the method most sensitive to gas. The coffee is extracted under pressure in a closed space and the CO₂ has nowhere to go. The result is unstable shots, lots of foamy crema and a sour or bitter cup. As a guide, let your coffee rest 7 to 14 days from the roast date.
- Filter (V60, Kalita, Moccamaster, AeroPress, French press): here the gas has more room to escape, especially during the bloom, when you see the coffee swell and bubble. Even so, a few days of rest gives a clearer cup. Allow 5 to 10 days.
- Moka pot: somewhere in between. About a week of rest usually works well.
Lighter roasts, like the ones we use for filter, usually need a little longer than more developed ones. These aren't fixed rules: they're a starting point.
How to tell if your coffee needs more rest (or has had too much)
You don't need a lab. The cup will tell you.
It needs more rest if:
- During the bloom the coffee swells a lot and keeps bubbling.
- Your espresso has lots of pale, foamy crema and shot times vary from one to the next.
- The cup tastes harsh, with acidity that stings instead of feeling fresh.
It has rested too long if:
- During the bloom it barely rises or bubbles.
- Your espresso has hardly any crema.
- The cup is flat, with little aroma and body.
Between the two there's a window of several weeks when the coffee is at its best. Kept as whole bean and stored well, that window lasts longer.
How to store it while it rests
- Keep it in its bag. The valve lets the CO₂ out and keeps air from getting in. Close it tightly after each use.
- A cool, dry, dark place. A cupboard is perfect. Avoid the fridge: moisture and smells don't do it any good.
- Whole bean is best. Ground coffee loses gas and aroma much faster. If you have a grinder, grind just before brewing. If not, we'll send it ground for your method.
What to do when your coffee arrives
Check the roast date on the label and count the days for your method. If it arrives only a few days after roasting, that's fine: try it, note how it tastes and try it again a week later. It's the best way to understand what resting does to each coffee.
If you drink coffee every day, plan ahead so you don't run out: order your next bag when you have about a third of the current one left. That way the new one has time to rest while you finish the old one. It's exactly what the Sakona subscription does: your coffee arrives every 2 weeks or once a month, so you always have one bag ready and another resting.
Resting isn't an exact number, it's a window. We roast with the moment you open the bag in mind, not the day it leaves the roaster.