‘Perhaps it's been roasted badly,’ you think, ‘but it tasted so good at the coffee shop, so maybe it’s got to do with my grinder or something?’

While the technical elements of brewing coffee are important, sometimes the solution is a little more simple (and cheap). Let your new coffee rest. 

What do we mean by that? 

It used to be common and perhaps one point of differentiation for smaller batch roasters that the coffee one would receive was freshly roasted because, as the mantra goes, fresh is best. Yet, experience has shown this not to be the case, especially with lighter roasted coffees. 

During and after roasting, coffee emits gases, carbon dioxide being the most notable one. Freshly roasted coffee contains the most amount of CO₂, and this can interfere with how the coffee brews and, ultimately, it can accentuate unpleasant flavors in the cup. 

Letting the coffee degas in a bag with a one-way valve allows the CO₂ to escape while protecting it from oxygen, which can cause the coffee to rapidly lose its flavors. The process of ‘degassing’ typically requires about two weeks. Yet, depending on the roast profile, degassing is just the first step. Resting the coffee for a few more weeks in the bag really makes the magic happen. 

Generally speaking, the lighter the roast (like our hard cover and Special Editions) benefit from a total rest time of at least 4-5 weeks after roasting. Coffees at this stage taste much more balanced, often with flavors that are much more pronounced and complex. 

So, with a little patience, coffee truly is one of those good things that come to those who wait.