Too Much Coffee

What is your opinion on roast for espresso.
It seems that espresso roasts are commonly taken quite dark.
Do you think beans for espresso need this?
Dose it depend on the bean or is it just up to individual taste?
I don't want wars just opinions!

Espresso is not a roast. Old fashioned Italian Espresso Blends used to be and often still are overroasted. IMO to cover up the poor quality beans and the Robusta.

We serve a medium roast blend as our House Espresso.

I prefer to taste the roast in espresso so I do, in fact, roast a bit darker, ie. usually just into second crack. To me it gives a more balanced cup, but as Julie said there is no rule. We have the luxury of being able to try different roasts until we discover what our personal taste is.

My own feeling is that a lot of commercially available beans get over-roasted (though generally not by specialist roasters). My taste is for a lighter roast, like Bruce, just into second crack and no further. But again - there's no right or wrong , it's down to what you like.

Totally agree, it's exactly as each individual likes them best, that is the benefit of home roasting. We like ours just hitting or into second generally, depending on the beans. No oils (for the beans we most often use). Medium to medium/dark.

The only thing I have missing at the moment is an espresso machine.
I have only been able to try my beans brewed in a french press.
I am going to do another roast on Fri and take it to a friends on Saturday to get trying it in espresso .
I do think I will try just another few seconds into 2nd crack this time, I suppose it is only going to be with trial and time that I will develop a feeling for how I like it best!
My only experiences to date with espresso is with the beans roasted way beyond just roasted!

Had a Starbucks flat white in a motorway service station the other night as part of an essential wake up process.

Astonishing how dark their beans are, covered in oil. The coffee was only drinkable under the Emergency Caffeine Requirements Law.

Get a look at the colour of some of the beans that Whittards sell in their shops. You'd never find them on a dark night!

About 10 years ago I did a series of test roasts that I documented carefully (it would have been a lot easier with GreenBean's software): I roasted five 200g batches of a Brazilian Red Bourbon that I liked. They varied from way into rolling second crack (almost French roast) back down to just before second crack began. I took pictures of the roasts and then set them aside for 2 days. Then, cleaning the grinder in between each of the batches I made espresso shots from each, intentionally tasting, feeling, trying to remember them, etc. over a period of 2 days. It quickly became apparent that I didn't like the very light or the very dark roasts, but preferred the ones that were roasted well into second crack. I think Tom of Sweet Marias would call them Full City +.

Doing the above test roasting takes time and patience, but if you do it early in your roasting career it is very enlightening and it helps you get the feel for the different degrees of roasting and it does make a good deal of sense.

You may also wish to try your roast each day from 3 days to 8 or 9 days post roast. You will find that the character changes over this period.

Most people seem to find that they prefer their coffee from 3 to 6 days post roast. I find, with machacamarca and my method of storage, that I prefer it 5 to 8 days post roast.

I have been quite surprised how the beans I roasted 2 days ago (Machacamarca) have changed and developed, at first I thought them very mild an almost bland. They are smelling quite lovely today!
I think I will do that roast for Sat tonight when the power stabilises!
I think I will try the Profile P5- for Hawaiian, Jamaican etc./ Island Coffees- What Sweet Maria's call City/City+. Where the power is ramped up in stages.
I can see where all this is becoming quite addictive.

I too prefer my roast some way into second crack but with no oils showing. Usually I drink Brazilian Daterra and Monsooned Malabar and I feel that these benefit from that degree of roast as does OBJ.

i used to dislike medium roasts, preferring darker beans but that was when i used sugar in my espresso. since i stopped the sugar, i find medium roasts and the fruitiness they can offer much more interesting.

a blend that i'm drinking right now actually contains 3 different coffees, which are all taken to different stages:
250 g yirgacheffe - medium (before 2nd starts)
750 g limoncillo - medium dark (1st pops of 2nd)
250 toraja kalosi - bit darker even (rolling 2nd with a bit of oils showing)