[germantown rob]

I have always heard it as the rule of 15s

15 days past roast and coffee is stale
15 minutes past grind and coffee is stale
15 months for greens and it goes stale

I take these as a rule of thumb and there is always exceptions. I have many examples of beans that are only getting good for espresso 5-7 days past roast and I won't touch them before this. Robusta beans for blending almost always need far more resting time, sometimes 15-30 days before they mellow enough to use.

Sweet Marias is full of good roasting info plus a great source for beans, Tom's description are very nice for making decisions on what beans you may like to try and what is good for espresso.

As stated the grinder is an equal part of the equation of machine, beans, and barista skills...the 4Ms. I second the recommendation of a Baratza Vario, it ranks in grind quality of grinders that cost double or triple the cost.

When roasting for espresso I like 4-5min before finishing the roast after 1st crack has started and for drip I like 2.5-3.5 min. I rarely roast into 2nd crack anymore, I believe that many prefer darker roasts for espresso is because they can not achieve a long enough time after first crack to mellow out the acidity of the roast with out going into 2nd crack. Anything beyond a few snaps of 2nd crack is taking on roast flavor and roasting out the origins flavor the darker you go. However your taste is all that is important and that is what makes home roasting so great.