Even after coffee beans are collected from the trees they grow on, they still have a long journey before they’re packaged and ready to consume. These beans are stable but not yet ready for coffee drinkers to enjoy. Coffee beans must go through a roasting process that completely transforms the flavor of your final cup of coffee.
“Coffee roasts” refers to the different methods of roasting coffee to develop its flavor. The coffee roasting process brings out the flavor and aroma of the beans, yielding coffee roasts that differ based on the time and heat at which beans are roasted. This is where the classic coffee roasts you know and love, such as dark roast coffee, come into play. Even beyond the classics, such as light or dark roast coffee, you may stumble upon other less-familiar coffee roast types that leave you questioning what makes them unique. Here’s your guide to classifying coffee roasts,
Light roast coffee
Also known as blonde roast coffee, light roast coffee is roasted at a lower temperature and for a shorter time than other coffee roasts. Visibly, light-roasted coffee beans have a lighter color than other coffee beans and do not have the oil found on other types of roasted beans.
Generally, light roast coffee is lightly toasted at 350 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. As a result, its flavor is quite acidic, with a light and fruity taste. Typically, coffee roasters will pull these beans out of the roaster at the first “popping” or crack noise, whereas other beans are roasted much longer than this.
Light roast variations
Some brands may refer to their “light roast” coffee as a light city roast, half city roast, or even New England roast. These all fall into the light roast category, cooked to about 375 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. While these can vary a bit depending on the roastery, each coffee roast has a bright, delicate, fruity, and floral taste. If you like a mild and light cup of coffee, any of these coffee roasts will appeal to you.
The cinnamon roast is also part of the light roast coffee family. This is the lightest of the light roast coffee, barely at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cinnamon roast coffee is very acidic, producing a citrusy and sour flavor. You may not have heard of this roast, even if you’re an avid coffee connoisseur. This is because cinnamon roast is not very popular in retail environments, as it is acidic. Most coffee drinkers find traditional light roast coffee more enjoyable.
Medium coffee roasts
Medium-roasted coffees are perfectly balanced, not too dark yet also not too mild. They are medium-brown in color and have a slightly sheened texture. A medium roast is roasted at about 400 to 440 degrees Fahrenheit until just before the second crack (usually about 10 to 15 minutes). The longer roasting time compared to light roast coffee gives it a more balanced flavor, with chocolate, fruit, and brown sugar notes.
You’ll likely find other variations and names for medium roast coffee when shopping, such as American roast or breakfast roast. However, breakfast roast, as some roasteries use it, can mean light roast or a mix of light and medium roasts. American roast is usually roasted at 410 degrees Fahrenheit.
Medium-dark coffee roasts
When you want something slightly bolder than medium roast coffee, yet not quite dark roast coffee, there are medium-dark roasts. Medium-roast coffees fall somewhere between the two roasts and have a fuller body and lower acidity compared to light and medium-roast coffees. The beans appear slightly darker than medium roast coffee bean, with a dark brown color and a slightly oil sheen on the beans.
Medium-dark coffee, known as city roast, is roasted at around 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Some coffee lovers classify it as a medium roast, but others classify it as a medium-dark roast. Alternatively, a full city roast coffee is roasted at 435 to 440 degrees Fahrenheit. Full city coffee stops just before the second crack but has a darker color and more oil than traditional city roast coffee.
Dark roast coffee
Dark roasts are roasted at much higher temperatures and for longer than light and medium roasts. The long roasting time turns the beans a very dark brown or almost black color and leaves them with a shiny, oily surface. Dark roast coffees have a very bold, rich, and smoky flavor with notes of warm spices and dark chocolate. Due to their rich flavor, dark roast coffees are most commonly used to make espresso drinks.
Dark roast coffee beans are roasted at 430 and 450 degrees Fahrenheit. The long roasting process causes coffee beans to lose moisture and absorb heat, leaving them with their dark color. Other names for dark roast coffees include high roast, continental roast, espresso roast, Italian roast, french roast, or Viennese roast. Each of these dark roasts may be roasted at slightly different times or at varying temperatures, but all will have a robust flavor.
