Light, Medium, Dark | The Roast Spectrum

When it comes to roast types, there’s often times confusion over what it means to be a light versus dark roast. But, knowing your roasts can be the difference between enjoying coffee and “It’s not for me”. So without further ado, here is your guide on what each roast offers!

Let’s start with the roasting process. Roasters begin with raw beans that have been dried and cleaned, known as “green” coffee beans. These beans have been prepped for the roasting process, but can be stored for long periods of time without worry of expiration. Locked inside these spongey beans is the magical aroma and flavor (and caffeine!) of coffee. In order to extract these ingredients, the beans must be quickly brought to high temperatures and then quickly cooled back down, at just the right time. At this point, the beans transform into a form that us non-roasters are much more familiar with, crunchy and aromatic. The countdown begins, as roasted beans begin losing their flavor relatively quickly. Do it right and you get coffee, do it wrong and you get dirt. Roasters spend years perfecting their process, always experimenting with new tricks and strategies. The length of roasting that occurs will dictate which type of roast the beans will come out as. 

Acidity: High
Bitterness: Low

Light roasts are characterized by shorter roasting times, the product of which is a bean that maintains its original light color and is dry, since the oil remains trapped inside. These beans are also denser, since less of their mass has been lost during the roasting process, leading them to be heavier. So if you measure your coffee by scoops, light roasts will have more caffeine, because they are denser and contain more caffeine per bean. Light roasts also leave a much more prominent natural bean flavor, meaning the origin of the beans is going to be more important and distinct. 

Acidity: Low
Bitterness: High

On the other hand, you have dark roasts, which are the beans that have been roasted the longest. These beans are shiny because the oils have now been extracted and coat their surface. Living up to their name, they are dark in color. Since these beans are less dense, if you measure your coffee by weight, dark roasts will have more caffeine, because there will be more beans per unit of weight. In fact, there is about a 90 bean difference between a pound of dark and light roast coffee. The origin flavor is mostly stripped away now and what you’re tasting is largely dictated by the roasting method. 

Acidity: High-Moderate
Bitterness: Low-Moderate

Medium roasts are medium brown in color. These beans have essentially gone to Florida and come back with a nice tan. They are slightly sweeter than light roasts and balance the flavor of the origin with the roasting method. Medium roasts tend to be the most popular bean choice in the US. 

Acidity: Low-Moderate
Bitterness: High-Moderate

Lastly, medium-dark roasts. These beans have some oil on the surface and begin to give a slightly bittersweet aftertaste. This roast is for someone looking the darker flavor profile, but trying to avoid the high level of bitterness that a purely dark roast has to offer.

So there you have it! Although these are the four main coffee roasts, there is still a varying degree of flavor and traits between and within these roasts depending on the species of coffee and the origin, but this serves as a great general guideline. More info to come!