BREWING TECHNIQUE
If you're here you may be new to espresso or overwhelmed by all the information on how to brew delicious Italian espresso at home. The basic foundation begins with knowing what size portafilter basket you have. If you have an 18 gram basket and you read that the proper ratio is 20 grams ground coffee and 40 grams of espresso in your cup you may run into problems because your basket is too small. Stick to the basic 1:2 ratio based on your portafilter basket size. Once you know your basket size, weigh out the appropriate amount of coffee and do your best at achieving an even distribution when grinding into the portafilter. There are countless products that help with this but if you don't want to fill your kitchen with gadgets just be aware that an even distribution before tamping will help water flow more evenly through your ground coffee. Same goes for tamping, there are self leveling tampers available but if you only have a standard tamper then do your best to apply even pressure to the puck. Consistency is more important than the amount of pressure. For those that are interested, 20-30 pounds of pressure is the standard range. This will be discussed more in dialing in your grind.
When it comes to brewing you'd like to reach your target amount of espresso in 25-30 seconds. If your shot is too fast then adjust your grind to a finer setting and if your shot is too slow then a coarser grind is the way to go. This is where consistency in tamping is important. If you're adjusting your grind and applying different amounts of pressure then you won't know which variable is your problem.
If you have control over your brew temperature some general rules to keep in mind are a temperature range of 195-205 degrees. 200 is a good place to start. Cooler for darker roasts and warmer for lighter roasts. If you feel like your espresso is too sour then try a slightly higher temp and if it is bitter then a slightly lower temp.
These are only the fundamentals, there are endless resources for different brew ratios, temperature adjustments for specific coffees, and brew timing. Many coffee companies will actually tell you their suggestions for these categories on their packaging.
Storing Your Coffee
Similar to brewing, there is a lot of information out there on how to store your coffee. The basics are to keep your coffee beans is a stable, cool environment and out of direct sunlight. Most coffee bags are equipped with valves that release gasses produced by freshly roasted coffee. For this reason, manufacturer's packaging is a decent choice for the first week of storing your coffee. After this you will want to consider airtight containers or potentially freezing a portion of your coffee. If you know the amount of coffee you purchased will last more than a couple weeks then it is not a bad idea to keep a week's worth on the coffee bar and the rest in the freezer, then take out in small batches as needed. Again, this is basic information and there are many professional suggestions on the internet that you may have more success with. Do whatever provides you with the best tasting coffee over the life of the bag.