There are four primary roasts of coffee i-e light, medium, medium-dark, and dark roast. Each brings out different flavors, acids, and aromas from the coffee beans.
Key Takeaways
- Roasting is the process that brings out the flavors and aroma of coffee beans
- Light Roasts are admired for the delicate and complex origin flavors of the beans
- Medium Roast has balanced flavors and is perfect for every brewing method
- Medium-dark roast has a Rich and full-bodied with low acidity
- Dark roast coffee has intense flavors and aromas that is perfect for espresso
Whether you want to improve your home brewing skills or upgrade your coffee shopping skills, it’s important to understand the different coffee roasts.
In this article, I will guide you through different types of coffee roasts, covering everything from their flavor profiles to their appearance, their different names, and ideal brewing methods for each roast.
What is coffee roasting?
Coffee roasting is a complex process that involves heating green coffee beans to a specific temperature for a specific period of time. This process causes chemical changes in the beans that bring out the unique flavor and aroma of coffee.
Typically, roasting is done at a very high temperature between 300 and 450 degrees Fahrenheit. The roaster has to keep a close eye (and ear) on the process, monitoring heat levels and listening for cues like the “second crack”.
The longer the roast goes on past that second crack, the darker the roast will be. Light roasts are pulled out just after the first crack, while dark roasts can push past that second crack into the land of intense and smoky notes.
Coffee beans can be roasted at home using a variety of methods, including a frying pan, an air popper, or a popcorn maker.
The best way to roast coffee beans is with a professional roaster, which can control the temperature and airflow more precisely.
Read a guide on coffee processing techniques
Green Coffee beans
Coffee beans are grown on trees in the form of red cherry, and you cannot simply use them as it is to brew your cup of coffee, for sure!
Green coffee beans are found inside red cherries. The beans are removed from the cherries, washed with water, and dried in the sun. Once the beans are dry, they are roasted to bring them into the familiar shape we see them in.
These are the raw beans that are just taken out of the cherries and are not suitable for brewing a cup of coffee.
However, some coffee enthusiasts buy raw green coffee and roast these beans by themselves in home roasting machines.
4 types of Coffee roasts
Let’s discuss each coffee roast type in detail!
1. Light roast Coffee beans
Light-roasted coffee beans are light brown in color and have a high acidity. These beans are roasted for a shorter period and at lower temperatures.
Light roasts have the highest caffeine content compared to darker roasts but the difference is very minimal.
These beans have earthy and fruity flavor notes, which are similar to those of raw green coffee beans.
Always get the lighter roasts when buying speciality single-origin coffee beans. Light roasting lets you taste the unique flavors of that origin. Darker roasts can overpower those regional flavor notes.
Some Common Names for Light Roast
Light roasted beans are often packaged and marketed under the following names.
- Light City
- Half City
- Blonde Roast
- Cinnamon Roast
- New England
What Brewing Method is perfect for Light roast coffee beans
Light roast beans have delicate floral, fruity, and earthy notes that are best brought out through pour-over brewing. This manual method gives you the chance to experiment and dial in variables like water temperature and flow rate. Finding the right balance is key to coaxing subtle flavors from light roasts.
Light roasts are best for enjoying simple black coffee without any milk or sweeteners as they make a sweet, tea-like notes, and less bitter drink.
Avoid methods like the French press which do not filter out coffee oils and sediments. These methods can make light roasts taste muddled.
Features of light roast
| Taste profile | Delicate, Vibrant, and fruity notes |
| Color | Light brown |
| Body | Light and crisp body |
| Aroma | Pronounced floral and fruity scents |
| Best Brewing Methods | Pour-over, Chemex, Hario V60; methods that allow for precise control. |
2. Medium roast Coffee beans
Medium roast beans have a brown color and deliver moderately intense flavor with smooth acidity. They sit in the sweet spot between light and dark roasts.
Medium roast is the most popular coffee roast, as it strikes a balance between preserving the coffee bean’s inherent flavors and also introducing the roasty characteristics.
Medium roasts hit that sweet spot for folks who find light roasts a bit too bright and acidic but think dark roasts taste a little burnt or ashy. The smooth, well-rounded profile of a medium roast can be an easy-drinking everyday brew.
Some Common Names for Medium Roast
Medium roasted beans are often packaged and marketed under the following names.
- American Roast
- City
- Regular Roast
- Breakfast Roast
- Balanced Roast
What Brewing Method is perfect for Medium roast coffee beans
Medium roast coffee beans are highly versatile as they have moderate levels of acidity, sweetness, and body. This allows them to brew well under a wide range of conditions and with any brew methods.
In general, Medium roasted beans are the perfect choice for Drip coffee machines, Siphon brewers, and Aeropress coffee maker
Features of Medium roast
| Taste profile | Balanced and versatile |
| Color | Medium brown in color |
| Body | Medium body without being too heavy or too light. |
| Aroma | Includes both the bean’s inherent scents and subtle roasting aromas |
| Best Brewing Methods | Suitable for any brewing method |
3. Medium-Dark roast coffee beans
Medium-dark roast coffee beans are roasted for a longer period of time than light or medium roast beans, which gives them a dark brown color and a rich, oily flavor. They have very low acidity and have an intense and full-bodied taste.
Medium-dark reveals richer notes like chocolate, caramel, and toasted nuts.
Some Common Names for Medium Dark Roast
Medium Dark roasted beans are often packaged and marketed under the following names.
- Full City
- Viennese Roast
- After dinner Roast
- Continental Roast
- Classic Roast
What Brewing Method is perfect for Medium Dark roast coffee beans
Medium-dark roast coffee beans pair nicely with brewing methods that can extract the deeper, richer flavors in the beans.
The full immersion of a French press draws out the heavy body and robust roasty flavors of medium-dark beans, while the high pressure used in espresso concentrates the coffee’s oils and solids into a potent, syrupy shot that complements these bolder roasts.
Other strong coffee brewing methods like Moka Pot, Cold Brew, and Aeropress also work well with Medium Dark roast.
Features of Medium Dark roast
| Taste profile | Bold flavors with a bittersweet aftertaste |
| Color | Dark Brown |
| Body | Full-bodied flavor, providing a satisfying mouthfeel |
| Aroma | Rich, toasty, and smoky scents |
| Best Brewing Methods | French press, Espresso, cold brew, and Moka Pot |
4. Dark-roasted coffee beans
Dark roasts are roasted to a point where the beans become very dark brown or black and develop a thin layer of oil on their surface. This high temperature and prolonged roasting process masks the acidity and origin flavors of beans.
Dark roasts make the strongest coffee drink with a rich and full-bodied texture and an intense roasty aroma.
Dark roast coffee is most popular in European coffee cultures due to its bold flavor profile. The deep, often bitter, and ashy tones of dark roasted beans suit the strong brewing methods common in Europe, like the French Press, Moka Pot, and Espresso.
Some Common Names for Dark Roast
Dark roasted beans are often packaged and marketed under the following names.
- French Roast
- Italian Roast
- Espresso Roast
- New Orleans
- European Roast
What Brewing Method is perfect for Dark roast coffee beans
Dark roast coffee beans are known for their bold and intense flavors, often with smoky and roasted notes.
That’s why Dark roasted is considered best for Espresso as the quick, high-pressure extraction concentrates the sweeter crema while mitigating bitter overtones in dark roast espresso shots.
Dark roastes are the also most preferable beans for milk-based coffee drinks. Milk nicely complements the bitterness and full-bodied taste of dark roasts and tames the harshness.
Features of Dark roast
| Taste profile | Intense and bold with prominent bitterness; dominated by roast-derived flavors |
| Color | Nearly Black in Color |
| Body | Full and heavy body with creamy mouthfeel |
| Aroma | Intensely smoky and toasty, with hints of dark chocolate and spices |
| Best Brewing Methods | Espresso, French Press |
Read a Guide on Light vs Dark roast Coffee
FAQs
Which roast of coffee is best?
The “best” roast of coffee is highly subjective and depends on personal taste preferences. However, the Medium roast is the most popular coffee roast because of its rich and delicate flavor profiles.
I suggest you try every coffee roast and select the one that suits you the best.
What is the strongest roast of coffee?
Dark roast is the strongest and boldest roast of coffee. The extended roasting process produces intense flavors along with a very dense body.
Which coffee roast is bitter?
Dark roast coffee is generally associated with a more pronounced bitterness compared to lighter roast levels.
Dark roasts are pushed past the second crack to very high temperatures, breaking down more sugars and amplifying bitter compounds. This can impart a burnt, charred taste while also enhancing the sweetness.
However, dark roasts are not universally bitter. Roasters can reduce bitterness by sourcing less acidic beans, controlling temperature, and stopping before burning.
Which coffee roast is sweeter?
Medium roast coffee beans have sweeter and more balanced flavor profiles.
The shorter roasting times in medium styles preserve more of the bean’s inherent sugars and fruity acids, both of which we perceive as sweetness.
Which coffee roast is healthier?
Light and medium roasts are considered healthier than dark roasts, however, the overall nutritional differences between roast styles are quite small.
The shorter roasting times for light and medium roasts better preserve many of coffee’s beneficial antioxidants, polyphenols, vitamins, and caffeine content.
