Which Coffee Roast Level is Best for Me? Coffee Roast Levels Explained.
Coffee bean companies label their products in a way that allows the consumer to get a sneak peak at the flavour and aroma of the coffee inside. You have probably noticed that every coffee label includes roast level scales indicating how dark or light the coffee beans are.
Although it may seem confusing, coffee roasts follow simple rules. They can help you determine the caffeine content, flavour notes, and the best way to brew that particular batch of coffee.
Coffee has five common roast levels: green, light, medium, dark, and Italian.
What Is a Coffee Roast?
A coffee’s roast level refers to how long the coffee beans were exposed to the roasting furnace. After being roasted, the coffee beans are cooled, stored, and later brewed into coffee. The darker the roast, the longer the coffee beans have been exposed to heat.
The roasting process changes raw coffee’s chemical structure. This makes it easier to extract complex flavors once the coffee beans are brewed. Unroasted coffee beans are often referred to as green coffee beans. Green coffee tends to be extremely bitter and can take hours to brew properly.
By roasting coffee beans before brewing them, we are able to extract a more flavorful coffee in a shorter amount of time. The roast level of coffee beans also accentuates certain flavour profiles that are preferable when made with various brewing methods.
How Does the Roasting Process Work?
The roast level of a batch of coffee is directly related to how long it has been roasted. Green coffee has not been roasted at all. Italian roast has been roasted for the longest and often has a charred taste. The darker the coffee roast, the longer the coffee beans have been in the coffee roaster.
The term light roasted coffee may seem like a generic term, but it is actually a specific measurement requiring precision timing. Lightly roasted coffee is used to describe coffee that has been roasted until the beans undergo their first crack.
During the roasting process, coffee beans undergo several distinctive cracks as the fire they are subjected to changes their chemical makeup. Roasting coffee breaks down its cell walls, making it easier to extract flavor when they are later brewed. Coffee beans that are removed from the roaster immediately after their first crack are regarded as lightly roasted.
Medium roast coffee beans are removed from the roaster after the second crack and dark roasted coffee beans are removed after the third crack. Coffee beans do not undergo more than three cracks, but Italian roasts are kept in the roaster for several minutes after the third crack. This gives them a deep charring that is perfect for espresso. Italian roast coffee is often referred to as espresso roast for this reason.
The various roast levels correlate to flavor profiles commonly found in coffee. Each contain unique flavor notes and work best with different brewing methods.
Why Are Coffee Beans Roasted?
Green coffee beans can be stored for long periods of time without any loss of flavor. This is because their flavor is locked deep inside. Roasting green coffee beans brings these flavors to the surface.
Although roasting coffee beans means they are not able to be stored for long periods of time, the newly porous coffee beans are more adept to flavor your morning brew. Each roast level enhances the coffee’s taste with various flavor notes.
Green coffee has a very mild flavor that many people describe as “grassy.” It is often used to caffeinate fruity beverages like the Starbucks refreshers since it does not have the deep, robust flavors often associated with a cup of coffee.
In contrast, Italian roast coffee is the most heavily roasted. It is often described as having a dark and bitter taste. Its burnt and smoky flavor profile makes Italian roast perfect for espresso and other highly pressurized brewing methods.
4 Most Common Roast Profiles
Light Roast
Light roast coffee beans are removed from the coffee roaster immediately after the first crack. They contain a light brown colour with no visible oils on the surface of the coffee bean. Light roast coffee is characterised by its light, fragrant aroma.
The flavour profile of most light roasts can be described as mellow and bright. They are known for having a crisp acidity that coats the tongue. Lightly roasted coffee beans have more varied and delicate flavours than darker roasts, making them popular among coffee lovers who seek unique flavours.
Light roast coffees often contain flavour notes of floral, citrus, and berry. They are sweet with a light citrus aroma and some floral notes. Because of these delicate flavours, the best brewing method for light roast coffee is the manual pour-over or other drip brewing methods.
Medium Roast
Medium roast coffee is the most commonly used because of its delicious blend of rich taste and floral or citrus notes. Medium roast coffee is removed from the roaster immediately after the second crack. It appears much darker in color than light roast coffee.
Although it is closer in color to dark roast coffee, medium roast coffee beans still do not contain any surface oils. Medium roast coffee is characterized by its blended flavor profile and mix of delicate and robust flavors. These flavors often include deep caramel notes rounded out with floral, citrus, and berry flavor notes.
All roast levels can be brewed using any method, but medium roast coffee is the most versatile. As such, no one brewing method works best for medium roast coffee.
Dark Roast
Dark roast coffee is removed from the roaster immediately after the third crack and is characterized by its oily sheen and nearly black color. As the coffee beans are exposed to heat for longer, the oils inside the bean are brought to the surface. The coffee beans of a dark roast “sweat” their oils to the surface and present a sheen.
These oils can easily mix with hot water to create a deep, rich flavor. Unlike the light and delicate notes of the other roasts, dark roasts are distinctly earthy with a robust nature. Chocolate, caramel, and other nutty flavors can all be found in a cup of dark roast coffee. These flavors are best suited for the French press and the Aeropress.
The longer roast time also impacts the caffeine levels of the brewed coffee. Dark roast coffee contains less caffeine than lighter roasts. Although dark roasts contain less caffeine, they tend to bring out the most flavour.
Italian Roast
Italian Roast coffee is not as common as light, medium, and dark roasts.
Italian roast coffee is not removed immediately after the third crack but is left in the coffee roaster for several minutes after. This gives the coffee beans a blackened, oily appearance.
Italian Roast is often described as burnt or charred with rich bittersweet notes. Out of all of the roast levels, Italian roast is the least caffeinated and the least acidic. This makes Italian roast unmatched when it comes to brewing espresso.
Summary
Coffee bean roasting is what allows coffee to have a rich and distinctive taste. It releases the oils and carbon dioxide trapped deep inside the coffee bean, making the brewing method more effective. By changing the chemical structure of the coffee bean during the roasting process, the final brew contains different flavour profiles.
The chemical structure change coffee beans undergo as part of the roasting process makes them better suited for various brewing techniques. This is because different oils are released as the coffee bean is subjected to heat.
The longer a batch of coffee beans is roasted, the less acidic and less caffeinated it is. Lightly roasted coffee beans have delicate flavor notes of florals, citrus, and berries while darker roasts contain caramel, chocolatey and nutty notes.
Ultimately, the choice of coffee roast comes down to personal preference. With such a wide variety of flavours extracted from a single coffee bean, choose the roast that tastes best to you.