Coffee doesn’t stand still. Once roasted, it starts a natural evolution as flavours mellow, aromas shift, and texture changes. It’s a living, breathing product, and understanding how it behaves over time is key to creating consistently great shots. With a little know-how, you can tweak your espresso recipe to suit your coffee’s age—keeping every cup balanced, sweet, and full of character.

Why Coffee Age Matters

Freshly roasted coffee is bursting with CO₂ and aromatic compounds. In those early days, that trapped gas can make your shots taste sharp, bubbly, and a bit wild. Give it time, and those gases slowly escape, allowing the coffee to open up and show off its best flavours.
But leave it too long, and you’ll start to lose the good stuff like sweet aromatics, depth, and structure. Leaving you with a flatter, duller brew. We find the sweet spot is between 14–28 days after roast. That’s when the coffee settles into balance with sweet, rounded, and expressive. Of course, real life doesn’t always line up perfectly, so here’s how to adjust your espresso recipe as your coffee ages.

Adjusting Your Espresso Recipe Over Time

There are lots of ways to fine-tune your espresso such as grind size, water temp and pressure. But one of the simplest and most effective is adjusting your dose and yield. Here’s our guide to keeping your shots on point, no matter how old your coffee is:
 
 
0–7 DAYS: Fresh off the roast
Super fresh coffee is full of CO₂ and can lead to gassy, uneven shots. Try opening things up:
  • Reduce dose by 2g from your base recipe
  • Increase yield by 4g
→ This helps vent excess gas and brings out cleaner, sweeter flavours.
Example: 20g in / 42g out
 
 
7–14 DAYS: Settling in
Still fresh, but a little calmer. There’s plenty of brightness and aromatics, it just needs balance.
  • Reduce dose by 1g
→ You’ll highlight sweetness and clarity without the gassy edge.
Example: 21g in / 40g out
14–28 DAYS: Peak performance
This is the golden window. CO₂ has stabilised, aromatics are in harmony, and flavour is at its best.
Our go-to base recipe:
  • Dose: 22g
  • Yield: 38g
→ Expect a full-bodied, balanced shot that’s ready to shine in black or milk coffees.
 
 
28–45 DAYS: Maturing gracefully
Some soluble compounds have started to fade, so focus on body and sweetness.
→ This brings back richness and weight while avoiding flat notes.
Example: 23g in / 36g out
45+ DAYS: Past its prime, but not done yet
At this stage, you’re chasing what’s left of the coffee’s sweetness and structure.
→ A tighter ratio intensifies flavour and keeps your espresso tasting full.
Example: 24g in / 34g out

Keep Experimenting

Every coffee behaves differently. Your job as a barista is to taste, test, and adjust. Small recipe tweaks can make a big difference in the cup. At Zando, our blends are designed for consistency, but the best flavour always comes from understanding how your coffee evolves. If you need a hand fine-tuning your recipes, give us a call on 1300 926 362 to book a barista training session.