A Cup of Goodness: Different Types of Coffee Roasts
From robust and dark to mild and smooth, no two roasts of coffee are the same. Discover the difference between every cup of goodness.
64 percent of Americans consume coffee every day. And, the average American drinks a little more than three cups of coffee each day.
Clearly, we live in a country that loves coffee. But, just because you’re a coffee-lover, doesn’t mean you know a lot about coffee.
One thing every coffee lover should know is about the different types of coffee roasts.
What are the roasts you should know about?
Check out this guide to learn about the different types of coffee roasts.
What Does Roast Mean?
First things first, what exactly do we mean when we say roast?
Unlike fruits and vegetables, a coffee bean can’t just be plucked and consumed. In order to get the tasty goodness of coffee from plant to cup, the bean first needs to be roasted. In fact, when a coffee bean is first plucked, it’s green rather brown.
The methods of roasting coffee vary greatly, from using a frying pan over an open fire to using an expensive air roaster like a coffee shop does.
Roasting coffee causes a chemical change in the beans so that the flavor and the smell enhances.
Once the beans are roasted, they should be used as quickly as possible, as the longer you wait, the more the flavor will diminish.
Different Types of Roasts
While coffee comes in over 800 different flavors, there are only four main types of roasts. These include light roast, medium roast, medium-dark roast, and dark roast.
Many coffee drinkers assume that the rich, strong flavor of dark roasts equates to higher caffeine content. However, light roasts actually have a slightly higher concentration of caffeine.
The “perfect roast” actually comes down to personal preference, which is often influenced by your geographical location. Here’s what you need to know about each type of roast:
Light Roast
As the name suggests, lightly roasted beans absorb heat for the shortest period of time and are light brown in appearance.
For a coffee to be considered light roast, the beans need to pop and expand between 350 and 400 degrees Fahrenheit. This phenomenon is known as the “first crack”. Typically, light roasts are not roasted beyond the first crack.
They’re also not roasted long enough for the oils to break through the surface.
When you drink a light roast coffee, you will notice that it has a little less body and no traces of the roasting process. However, light roast coffees tend to have a more varied flavor profile. Typically, their flavor is described as grainy, earthy, and acidic.
It’s also important to note that the roasting process for lightly roasted beans actually burns off the caffeine, which is why this type of coffee can give you a bit more of a jolt than the other types.
Some common names for light roast are half-city roast or cinnamon roast.
Medium Roasted
Medium roasts include breakfast roasts, American roasts, and regular roasts.
This type of roast is a medium-brown color that comes with a strong flavor and a non-oily surface.
Medium roasts are heated between 410 and 430 degrees Fahrenheit, which is just before the second crack. Medium roasts are more full-bodied than light roasts, and their flavor is less acidic and more balanced.
They also contain less caffeine than light roasts, but more caffeine than dark roasts.
As we mentioned earlier, this coffee is generally referred to as the American roast, and that’s because it’s the preferred roast of the United States.
Medium-Dark Roast
The average coffee drinker may not be able to tell the difference between a medium roast and a medium-dark roast, but a true coffee aficionado will certainly be able to spot the difference.
Medium-dark roasts are both richer and darker in color than medium roasts. And, some oil appears on the surface of the beans.
The beans are heated until the beginning or middle of the second crack, and they’re heated between 435 and 445 degrees Fahrenheit.
Heating the beans until the second crack helps for the flavors to become more apparent, and this results in the taste being somewhat spicy or bittersweet.
Some common names for medium-dark roasts are Vienna roast, after dinner roast, and full-city roast.
Dark Roast
Dark roasted coffee beans are dark brown in color and shiny and oily on the surface.
In order for a bean to be considered dark roast, it needs to be heated between 465 and 485 degrees Fahrenheit. It also needs to reach the second crack or beyond.
Dark roasted beans are known for their light acidity and pronounced bitterness. Their flavor can also be smoky and sometimes burnt. Typically, dark roasts are used for making espresso blends.
Dark roasts are also commonly referred to as French roasts, Italian espresso, Continental espresso, Viennese roasts, New Orleans roasts, and Spanish roasts.
Espresso
We should also take a minute to talk about espresso, as many people mistakenly consider this a type of roast when in reality, it’s in a category of its own.
In order to make espresso, you need an espresso machine.
However, due to the high temperatures and pressures of an espresso machine, darker roasts are usually better suited for it.
When making espresso, you’ll likely see your local coffee shop using a French roast, Vienna roast, or full-city roast.
However, you can also make your own espresso at home, using a coffee espresso combo machine. But, you may find that you prefer to use different beans for your espresso than you do for your regular cup of coffee.
Coffee Roasts: Are You Ready to Rock and Roast?
Now that you know about the different types of coffee roasts, it’s time to figure out which one agrees most with your palette.
Once you do, be sure to check back in with our blog for more coffee-related news.
