Just talked to a roaster in Portland who changed how I think about freshness

I was at a local shop yesterday chatting with a guy named Dave who runs a small roastery up in Portland. He told me most bagged coffee from grocery stores is already 3-4 months past its peak, even with those one-way valves. He said the real sweet spot is drinking beans within 14 days of roast, and I never really thought about it like that. Anyone else pay attention to roast dates or just buy whatever looks fresh?

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wells.reese8d ago

That "14 days of roast" thing really hit me too. I used to just grab whatever bag had the best looking label until I accidentally grabbed something from a local roaster once that had the roast date stamped right on the front. It was like a week old and I swear the coffee tasted brighter and had this zing to it that I never got from the grocery store stuff. Now I'm that guy who checks roast dates like some kind of freshness detective and my wife makes fun of me for it.