Types of Coffee Roasts

Feb 16
08:12

2009

JR Lang

JR Lang

  • Share this article on Facebook
  • Share this article on Twitter
  • Share this article on Linkedin

Complete guide to various coffee roasts and the coffee roasting process.

mediaimage
The best cup of coffee consists of the best roasted beans,Types of Coffee Roasts Articles appropriately ground and brewed. So, it all starts with the coffee bean and the roasting method.

Because it will keep for a long time without loss of quality or taste the coffee bean is harvested and stored in its original green state. The original green coffee bean is very different from the roasted dark brown bean because it is soft and spongy to the bite and smells green, with a grassy quality. Roasting effects numerous chemical changes as the beans are rapidly brought to very high temperatures. When they reach the peak of perfection, they are quickly cooled to stop the process.

Roasted coffee beans smell like coffee, and weigh less because the moisture has been roasted out. They are crunchy to the bite, ready to be ground and brewed. The roasting process brings out the rich aroma and flavor of coffee as we know it that is locked in the green bean. And, once the coffee bean is roasted it should be used as quickly as possible before the fresh roast flavor begins to diminish.

While some attempt to roast at home, roasting is actually a very technical process and skill which approaches an art form. It takes a lot of training to become an expert at roasting and the ability to read the beans and make decisions with split second timing.

In reality, there are tons of different roasts based on individual producers and there is virtually no industry standards. However, in general, there are 4 types of roasts categories that mainly describe the characteristics of the various roasts.

The perfect coffee roast is an individual choice, the best thing is to try a variety until you find one that you like since each roast offers a variety of strength, flavor and aroma.

The Coffee Roasts

Light Light roasts yield a very mild cup of coffee because the light roasted bean is not roasted long enough to create oils on the surface of the coffee bean which are responsible for the rich and stronger flavor of coffee. Some light roasts are, Light City, New England and Cinnamon.

Medium Darker in color and with a stronger flavor that the light roasts and a non-oily surface. This roast is also known as the American roast because it is very popular in the States. Some popular roasts in this category include, City, American and Breakfast.

Medium-Dark A pronounced strong flavor and aroma with a bittersweet after taste, this roast is stronger that medium and light and has some oil on the surface.

Dark The dark roast produces beans that are very shiny black and have lots of oil on the surface and the coffee cup with a pronounced bitterness. The strongest of all the roasts, this roast yields a full flavor and the strongest cup of coffee. Dark roasts range from slightly dark beans to charred. Some popular roasts included in this category are, the popular, French and the Continental, Espresso and European.