The Difference Between Roast Types

LIGHT ROAST COFFEE 

Lightly roasted coffee beans have a light brown colour and don’t have oils on their surface because they are not roasted long enough for the oils to reach the surface. They’ll have a fruity aroma and the flavours of their origin will be more distinct. Check out our light roast single-origin beans. The coffee beans are considered medium roast when they turn medium brown.

At this point, they’ll have a sweeter taste and achieve a balance of flavour, aroma, and acidity. When the coffee beans are heated, they’ll begin to pop or crack and grow bigger as they absorb heat. The cracking usually happens between 176 and 204 degrees Celsius when the beans begin to release the heat. This is referred to as the first crack. It allows the beans to continue absorbing the heat till they crack again. Lightly roasted coffee beans are ready after the first crack occurs.

You may be wondering what type of coffee drink uses a light roast. You can use light-roasted coffee for many types of coffee drinks except espresso. Lightly roasted beans can be used in pour-over and drip-brew methods because these methods bring out more flavours in the beans. What you like may be different from another person’s preference so that’s why you should brew your coffee yourself and know what’s perfect for you.

You should choose a light roast if you like a thinner-bodied coffee with delicate flavours.

MEDIUM ROAST COFFEE 

Medium roast coffees are medium brown, with little oil on the beans surface. Medium roast coffee is considered to be sweeter than the light roast, with more body and balanced acidity. This combination gives a smooth flavour. The medium roast style was the first foray into the world of coffee roasting.

By not roasting too dark, we can taste the natural characteristics of the coffee beans without giving them a burnt flavour. Medium roast sometimes acts as a gateway coffee for some dark roast drinkers as it still offers familiar dark roast flavours mixed with exciting notes of nuts, chocolate, and fruits.

In other words, medium roast is the ‘just right’ roast between light and dark. It has flavours that make you say ‘wow, this is really a good cup of coffee’ with an empty cup in your hand. The sweet flavours range from brown sugar to caramel and nougat. The nutty flavours range from almonds to peanut butter and cashew. And the fruity flavours range from berries to citrus. The texture and weight of a medium-roast coffee can range from tea-like to creamy. Acidity can range from delicate to juicy or complex.

This wide range of flavours and acidity depends on the source of coffee and that’s what makes this roast interesting.  Medium roast coffees reach 204- 221 degrees Celsius and are typically roasted a little beyond the first crack but all the way to the second crack.

DARK ROAST COFFEE 

Dark roast coffee has a shiny black colour with an oily face. Unlike the other roast types, it has a bittersweet taste. Dark roasts usually have a substantial bitterness to their taste. This is also because some flavours of the beans are lost in the roasting process. But it doesn’t mean that they are bland.

Dark roasted coffee beans are usually heated between approximately 221- 248 degrees Celsius. The coffee beans conclude the roasting process after the second crack. The reduced acidity of dark roast beans pairs excellently with creams or milk. This roast can be brewed through a pour-over or drip brewing method.

Dark roast coffee long reigned because before now roasters just ‘roast away’ the less desirable flavours of low-grade coffee. This was understandable to combat low-quality coffee but it’s no longer required. Speciality coffee beans are now more available to roasters (those in the speciality coffee industry- like us).

The goal of a speciality roaster isn’t to roast away bad flavours but to bring out the pleasant flavours of high-quality coffee beans You should choose dark roast coffee if you prefer a full-bodied beverage with flavour profiles that are bold and straightforward. You might just find yourself always thinking about the strong cup of coffee dark roast beans produce.

If you want to expand your interest, you can buy the different roast coffee beans and try them. Compare the taste and know what suits you. Compare lattes, cappuccinos, mochas, espressos, and americanos and discover how best you can enjoy dark roast.

Want to taste our speciality dark roast coffee? Try it right here 

* Original post was published here