What Consumers Should Know About the Various Coffee Roast Types

Coffee is known to be one of the most commonly consumed beverages in the world. It is said that there are around 2 billion cups consumed every day. Some wake up in the morning and brew their favorite Keurig cup, some make an espresso at home before running out the door to work, and some drive to their favorite coffee shop on their daily commute. While it is universally loved, not all coffee is the same. The way coffee beans are roasted can have a significant impact on the taste and aroma.

Have you ever tried a new brand of coffee, or had a cup at a friend's house and been shocked at the new flavor you had just discovered? This can be the result of multiple things, such as the brewing method, quality of water, or how old the beans are. However, the roast of the beans has the most impact on the flavoring of the coffee.

How Coffee Roasting Works 

Chemical changes take place as the beans are brought to extremely high temperatures very quickly, causing the flavors to be brought out. What is known as "green coffee" or unroasted coffee beans generally have an earthy flavor to them. Raw coffee beans are a bright green color, and they dry with no oil coating them. They also have a split that is sealed tightly. When the beans get roasted, the water that is inside them starts to boil and becomes steam. This creates pressure that softens the outside of the coffee bean. The pressure will eventually reach to a point that causes the walls to explode, causing a cracking sound to be present. For anyone who has ever seen coffee beans being roasted, this sound should be familiar to you.

The longer the beans are roasted, the acids and sugars inside the coffee beans begin to go through chemical reactions, and the flavor starts to transform. In general, there are four different categories of coffee roasts: light, medium, medium-dark, and dark. However, these roasts can be broken down even further into more categories, which is great for anyone looking to widen their coffee palate. Below is your guide to all the various coffee types out there.

The Four Types of Coffee Roasts:

Light Roast Coffee 

Light roast coffee is roasted for the shortest amount of time, generally reaching an internal temperature of 356°F- 401°F right after the crack happens. Coffee beans roasted for this short amount of time typically do not have the oils on them, because they have not been roasted at a high enough temperature.

The longer the duration a coffee bean is roasted, the more the heat pulls out the acidity and caffeine. So, this means that light roasts have the highest caffeine content and most acidity since it has been roasted for the shortest amount of time. The original flavors of the bean are more prominent in light roasts since the flavors that would come from the roasting process are not always there. Since light-roasted coffee contains high acidity, there may often be a lemon or citrus tone that some people love on their palate.

Medium Coffee Roasts 

Medium roast coffee is roasted for slightly longer than light roast coffee, reaching a general internal temperature of 410°F-428°F occurring right after the first crack of the bean happens, and right before the second one happens. These beans have a bit more body and less acidity than a light roast coffee.

According to Coffee Affection, medium coffee roasts are what the average American coffee drinker is familiar with. Medium roasts are known to have well-balanced flavors, as the body and acidity can differ. They are typically somewhere in the middle. Some names of medium roasts you may be familiar with are Breakfast Roast, House Blend, and American Roast.

Medium-Dark Coffee Roasts

Medium-dark beans reach an internal temperature of 437°F – 446°F right as the second crack of the bean is happening, or right after it occurs. They are roasted until they reach a dark brown color. The oils on the beans surface will begin to show, because it has reached a high enough temperature.

These roasts have a richer flavor, less acidity, and more body. Some examples of the medium-dark roast coffee blend are Vienna Roast and Full-City Roast. Medium-dark roasts contain natural sweetness with notes of chocolate, nuts, and caramel. A medium-dark roast is a great option for someone who wants a rich flavor, but is not as heavy as a dark roast.

Dark Coffee Roasts 

Dark roast coffees tend to have sweeter flavors since the sugars in coffee beans have time to caramelize. The temperature for dark roast beans is between 464°F – 482°F. You are able to visibly see the oil on dark roast beans. Typically, you are not able to taste any of the original flavors of the bean in a dark roast, only the effects of the roasting process on the bean.

The longer duration process helps the bean to make a rich flavor and full body roast, which leads it to have a buttery finish. Dark roast is the least acidic of all coffee roast types. They are the lowest caffeine level among the different roasts since they are roasted for the longest amount of time.

While those are the four main categories, they can be broken down further into other roast types. Let's explore some names of roasts you may be familiar with and what they are like.

Breakfast Roast 

Breakfast roast, or also known as breakfast blend is very popular among coffee lovers. Some think it is a light roast and others say it is more medium, but the reality is that the breakfast roast is somewhere in between the two. It is a blend of coffee beans from different farms, countries, or regions and is typically used for breakfast. The reasoning is that it is appealing to many coffee drinkers. It is likely the type of coffee you would see at a diner or breakfast place. Breakfast roast is also one of the easiest roasts to find in your grocery store.

Blonde Roast 

Blonde roast has been around for quite some time, but gained much of its popularity when Starbucks came out with their blonde espresso. The blonde roast brings out special flavors and aromas of the beans. Blonde roasts are typically roasted for shorter duration than medium roasts. They are roasted to temperatures coming between about 355-400°F right before, or slightly after the beans begin to crack. They tend to have a light brown color to them. There is a higher acidity, which can make for a slightly tart taste with notes of citrus. There are many fans of blonde roast, but if you are someone who particularly likes a sweeter bean with a caramelized taste, you may not love a blonde roast.

Espresso Roast 

A lot of people think that espresso comes from a different bean, but it is actually just a normal coffee bean that is roasted longer, ground finer, and brewed in an espresso machine. Espresso is a shot of concentrated coffee. Very hot water is used at an intense pressure through finely ground coffee beans. Espresso beans are roasted a much longer time than other roasts and become darker, resulting in a unique flavor. When people say that it tastes "stronger" they mean that it has a rich and bold coffee flavor.

We could go on and on about more coffee roasts such as the cinnamon roast, french roast, high roast, continental roast and more, just to name a few. There are so many different types of roasts out there for you to try! Stop by Honeybee Coffee and Brewery in Knoxville, Tennessee or order your favorite coffee online.