Those of you who roast your own coffee already know that freshness is everything. Coffee tastes best one or two days after roasting if stored airtight, and remains near that peak for only a few days afterward, so be sure to rotate your fresh coffee supply so that all beans are used within 10-14 days of roasting.

Exception: coffees like Lavazza are vacuum packed and can remain fresh for a year.

Here's how you can assure you're serving fresh coffee, all day every day:

1. Don't fill the hopper just because you can. Store only the beans you'll need within the next half hour.
2. The two biggest killers of coffee freshness are oxygen and light. Store your coffee beans in a dark, airtight container at room temperature.
3. Do not freeze or refrigerate beans. This will bring in unpleasant moisture and odors.
4. Finally, only grind as much espresso into the doser as you need. A full doser is a bad sign unless it is rush hour. Soon after grinding, coffee begins to lose its aroma and starts to become stale soon.