Each type of coffee roast promises a different experience. While light roast shines with pleasant acidity and the medium roast presents a delightful balance of bitterness and sweetness. As for dark roasts, they take you through robust and bold flavours.
Curious about distinguishing these varieties and learning about coffee roast types? Keep reading for more insights.
5 Different Coffee Roast Types
Light Roast
Light roasts are roasted for a shorter time at lower temperatures. They have a light brown colour and often retain more of the bean's natural flavours. They're known for their bright acidity and floral or fruity notes.
Flavour Profile: Light roast beans also have more recognizable origin flavours since they are roasted for a shorter time. Picture a crisp and lively taste, like biting into a fresh apple or sipping on a tangy lemonade.
Medium Light Roast
This is a slightly darker version of a light roast. It still maintains some of the bean's original characteristics. However, it has more body and depth than a light roast coffee.
Flavour Profile: This roast type also retains most of the coffee's original flavours. You might taste hints of caramel or toasted grains along with the brightness of a light roast.
Medium Roast
With a balanced acidity, aroma and flavour medium roast coffee has more fullness to it. It is a versatile roast type since it tastes excellent in several different brewing methods. Plus, medium roasts are quite beginner friendly.
Flavour Profile: Medium-roast coffee has a richer, fuller body. It contains chocolaty notes with hints of spice, caramel and smokiness at times. It also has a slightly bitter aftertaste. You might notice flavours like milk chocolate, nuts, or a touch of sweetness.
Medium Dark Roast
Moving towards the darker end of the spectrum, medium-dark roasts have a richer flavour and a slightly darker colour. They have less acidity and more pronounced caramelization, giving them a fuller body and a hint of bitter-sweetness.
Flavour Profile: Medium-roast coffee has a richer, fuller mouthful feel called the body. It contains chocolaty notes with hints of spice, toasted nuts and smokiness at times. It also has a slightly bitter aftertaste.
Dark Roast
Dark roasts are roasted for a longer time at higher temperatures, resulting in a deep brown or even black colour. They have a bold and intense flavour profile, with very little acidity.
Flavour Profile: Dark roast coffee has bitter, smoky and burnt flavours. Sometimes, they have chocolate-like bitterness. They are not very acidic or have any fruity tone. They provide a consistent full-bodied cup every time you brew.
Why Should You Explore Coffee Roast Types?
Exploring different coffee roast types allows you to experience a diverse range of flavours. Plus, you can expand your palate, understand your brews better and more.
- Expand your palate: Each roast type offers unique flavours, aromas, and complexities. This provides an opportunity to broaden your appreciation for coffee.
- Find your perfect cup: By experimenting with different roast levels, you can identify the roast that best suits your taste preferences, whether you prefer bright and acidic or rich and bold flavours.
- Enhance your coffee knowledge: Exploring different roast types deepens your understanding of coffee and the roasting process. This way, you can become more informed and make better choices when purchasing your bag of beans.
- Appreciate coffee diversity: Coffee beans from different regions and with different roast levels offer a wide range of flavour profiles. This allows you to enjoy the diversity and complexity of the coffee world.
- Enjoy variety: Trying different roast types keeps your coffee routine interesting and exciting. It will also prevent monotony and allow you to enjoy a variety of flavours and experiences.
If you are wondering how to choose a roast profile for your brewer, click here for a guide.
Additionally, you will learn to appreciate the art and science of coffee roasting as you discover the nuances of each roast type.
How is Coffee Roasted?
Coffee roasting is the careful application of heat to raw coffee beans. This will result in the beans developing complex flavours while still preserving their inherent qualities. Roasters meticulously navigate the temperature, airflow and roasting period to bring out the nuanced profiles hidden within each bean.
Coffee roasting is a multi-step process. Here are the general steps involved in coffee roasting:
- Pre-Heating: roaster preheats the roasting chamber to the desired temperature, typically ranging from 180°C to 240°C, depending on the roast profile.
- Loading: Green coffee beans are loaded into the preheated roasting chamber. The amount of coffee loaded depends on the capacity of the roaster and the desired batch size.
- Roasting: The roasting process begins as heat is applied to the green coffee beans. The temperature is gradually increased to initiate chemical reactions, including Maillard browning and caramelization, which develop the beans' flavour and aroma.
- Development: As the beans roast, they undergo various physical and chemical changes. The roaster monitors the colour, aroma, and audible cues such as "first crack," the point at which the beans audibly expand and release moisture.
- Cooling: Once the desired roast level is reached, the roasted beans are rapidly cooled to stop the roasting process and prevent over-roasting.
- Resting: Some roasters allow the beans to rest for a period after roasting to stabilise and degas. This resting period typically ranges from a few hours to several days, depending on the roast level and desired flavour profile.
- Packaging: Finally, the freshly roasted beans are packaged in airtight containers or bags to preserve their freshness and flavour until they are brewed.
Throughout each step, the roaster carefully monitors and adjusts the parameters. The art of coffee roasting lies in the roaster's ability to balance these variables to create a flavorful and aromatic bag of beans for you to brew fresh.
Closing Lines
Whether you prefer the bright acidity of a light roast or the bold intensity of a dark roast, there's a world of flavours waiting to be discovered in every cup of freshly brewed coffee.
So go ahead, indulge your curiosity, and savour the diverse tastes each coffee roast type has to offer!
