Medium Roast Coffee Buying Guide (+6 Best Medium Roast Coffees Worth Trying)

Looking for the best medium roast coffee? You’re not alone. The medium roast bean is incredibly popular, striking the perfect balance between light and bright and toasty and rich. 

But with so many different brands of medium roast coffee on the market, how do you choose coffees you love without wasting time on those that fall flat? 

In this guide, you’ll discover why medium roast coffee is so well-loved and how to choose the best beans for you. 

We’ll cover…

• Why medium roast coffee is the perfect middle-ground between light and dark roasts 
• The deliciously nuanced flavors you’ll find in medium roast coffee
• Answers to your biggest medium roast coffee questions (is it acidic?)
• 6 of the best medium roast coffees worth trying in your next brew

By the end, you’ll know exactly what to look for when you’re buying medium roast coffee beans, so you can enjoy the perfect cup every time. 

Medium Roast Coffee in a Jiffy

Medium roast coffees are quiet achievers, often overlooked in favor of their loud dark and light roast siblings. But, the medium roast is becoming incredibly popular, as baristas and coffee lovers alike realize they boast a delicious harmony of exciting flavors and incredible versatility. 

What you need to know: 

• Medium roast beans are roasted for less time than dark roast beans but longer than light roast beans. They fall (you guessed it) somewhere in the middle. 
• They taste sweet, fruity, nutty, and complex and have a balanced acidity and body. 
• A medium roast preserves the flavors of the bean’s origin while smoothing out some of the harsher flavors and adding a little toasty goodness.
• The medium roast bean was the first foray into lighter, brighter styles of coffee: a caffeine trailblazer.

Looking to dip your toes into the ocean of nuanced coffee flavors? Medium roast might be your new favorite thing. 

What is Medium Roast Coffee?

Medium roast coffees have a medium-full body and are sweet and fruity with smooth, toasted nut flavors. Here’s how to spot the perfect medium roast:

• Medium roasted beans are a medium brown color and have a matte appearance. They’ve been roasted more gently than a dark roast, so the oils and moisture stay intact, producing a denser bean with no oily surface. If you don’t see oils on the surface of the beans, no worries! That’s by design.

• Medium roast coffee preserves the character of the bean’s origin region while smoothing out some of the harsher, acidic notes. Medium roast coffee honors the flavor of the bean’s origin country while adding the toasty, rich chocolate flavors that we’ve come to expect from dark roast styles of coffee. It’s a distinct style, and roasters play around with the degree of roasting to tease out different flavors. 

• The beans are roasted until they reach a temperature of 400–430°F. Beans generally pop or ‘crack’ at about 350°F. Medium roast beans are generally roasted past the ‘first crack’, but before the ‘second crack’. The degree of roasting depends on the roaster’s preference and process, and the desired flavor profile.

• Medium roast coffee was the first step towards lighter roasts. Previously, roasters only had the knowledge and equipment to roast beans until they were dark. They didn’t have access to the high-quality, single-origin beans we do now, and consumers were used to the smoky flavor of dark roast. A medium roast led us into the shiny new world of lighter roasts. 

Also Read: The Difference Between Light, Medium, And Dark Roast Coffee

What Does Medium Roast Coffee Taste Like? 

Medium roasts produce a balanced, harmonious cup of coffee. They have nuance and complexity, though they’re smooth and easy to love (like a buttery choc-chip cookie!). 

Medium roast coffee flavor notes to look out for: 

• Fruit — plum, blackberries, cooked apple, citrus 
• Nutty — cashew, peanut butter, toasted almond, candied nuts
• Creamy — smooth milk chocolate, brown butter
• Sugar — caramel, honey, brown sugar, cookies
• Spice — black pepper, cloves, vanilla 

Also Read: What’s The Deal With Fruity Tasting Coffee?

These flavors are woven gently into the cup of medium roast coffee. They’re subtle notes that bring the regular earthiness of your coffee to life. 

What to Look For in Medium Roast Beans

You’re sold on trying a bag of medium roast coffee, but how do you choose the best medium roast beans for you?

• The fresher the roast, the better the beans. The sweet spot for brewing is 2-10 days after roasting.  

• Always purchase whole beans and grind just before brewing. After just 10 minutes post-grinding, your coffee will have lost a noticeable amount of flavor. So, buying whole beans and grinding them fresh is a must. Need a grinder? Try our award-winning burr grinder!

• Look for good flavor notes. The more descriptive the flavor profile listed on the packaging, the higher quality your coffee will be. This means the brand knows their coffee and has taken the time to find the ideal medium roast profile. It also makes it easier to choose flavors that suit your taste buds (and that mesh with your morning blueberry muffin!).

• Bean origin transparency is important. Ask yourself: where did those beans come from? Was it a single farm or multiple farms? Were they grown with care? Were they grown by farmers who are being paid a fair wage? If the brand you’re buying from isn’t transparent with these details, it’s best to look elsewhere to make sure you’re getting high-quality beans. 

Also Read: The Ultimate Guide to Buying Specialty Coffee Beans 

Every brand has its own unique medium roast, so it all comes down to personal flavor preference. 

6 of the Best Medium Roast Coffees to Try 

We’ve rounded up six of the best medium roast coffee beans on offer, so you can stop staring at bags of coffee in the supermarket aisle and start sipping on a smooth cup of medium roast. 

#1: Barista Parlor Golden Sound

Golden Sound from Barista Parlor is a washed and natural medium roast. It has a deliciously smooth and sweet flavor and is a perfect example of medium roast’s easy-to-drink nature. 

• Tastes like: Smooth, sweet, chocolatey
• Origin: Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Brazil

#2: Ceremony Coffee Roasters Mass Appeal

The name of this coffee blend says it all: this medium roast certainly does have mass appeal. It has a soft acidity, a creamy mouthfeel, and notes of milk chocolate and sugar cookie. 

• Tastes like: Milk chocolate, sugar cookie, creamy 
• Origin: Columbia and Peru 

#3: Medici Roasting Clarksville Blend 

Made with a rotating blend of three seasonally fresh coffees, this medium roast offers a ripe cherry acidity, lots of chocolate, and a deep brown sugar sweetness. It’s great with cream and sugar, and also tastes fantastic served black. 

• Tastes like: Chocolate, brown sugar, cherry 
• Origin: Various

#4: Verve Coffee Roasters Sermon 

Fruit forward and full-bodied, the Sermon medium roast is playful and approachable. This easy-drinking blend is crafted with thoughtfully chosen, naturally-processed coffees and is delicious as espresso or brewed as a pour-over. 

• Tastes like: Blueberry pie, cocoa, candied pecans 
• Origin: Columbia, East Africa 

#5: Passion House Coffee Islands In The Stream 

Islands In The Stream is a complex, single-origin medium roast with notes of baking spice and sweet cola. Perfect brewed as a pour over, French Press, or espresso. 

• Tastes like: Apple pie, baking spice, cola 
• Origin: Single origin, not specified 

#6: Seven Coffee Roasters Brazil Carmo De Minas Direct Trade

This direct-trade medium roast is grown with care in the Carmo De Minas region of Brazil. It’s incredibly easy to drink, with a full body, smooth mouthfeel, and notes of cinnamon, almond, and mild lemon zest. 

• Tastes like: Cinnamon, lemon zest, almond, smooth
• Origin: Brazil 

Common Questions About Buying Medium Roast Coffee Beans

We answer all of your medium roast coffee questions!

Is Medium Roast Coffee Acidic?

All coffee is acidic. Coffee has a pH value of 4.85-5.10, which is slightly acidic, though not as acidic as other beverages like beer, orange juice, or soda. 

When we talk about acidity in coffee, though, we aren’t referring to its pH. We’re referring to its perceived acidity or how sour it tastes when it hits your tongue. Acidity in coffee is desirable. It’s a flavor note — more acidity means more complexity and ‘brightness’. 

Also Read: Why You Need To Be Drinking Coffee Black (And How To Start)

So, is medium roast coffee higher in acidic flavor than a dark roast? Yes. And it’s lower in acidic flavor than a light roast. 

• The shorter roasting time leads to more perceived acid and ‘pop’. The roasting process breaks down some of the acidic flavors that are present in green coffee beans, which is why darker beans are lower in perceived acidity, and lighter beans are higher in perceived acidity. 

• Medium roasts retain some of the bright, flavorful acids of the green bean while reducing the harsher acids. The middle-of-the-road roasting time preserves some of the good acids that add bright notes of fruit and citrus but trades some acidity for delicious, toasty flavor. 

• Your brewing method will affect the level of perceived acidity. Hot water reacts with coffee bean oils to release acidity. Lower water temperatures and a shorter extraction time will reduce the amount of acidity in your brew. Your grind size can also be tweaked to change the level of perceived acidity. 

Let your taste buds lead the way; they’re never wrong! Stick with the acidity level you prefer. Medium roasts tend to have a balanced acidity and a harmony of flavors. 

How Much Caffeine Is In Medium Roast Coffee?

You might have heard the myth that medium roast beans have more caffeine because they’re roasted less, or maybe you thought that dark roast would have more caffeine because of its stronger, bolder, more intense flavor.   

This is false. 

The caffeine difference between light, medium, and dark roasts is negligible. 

However, medium roast beans are denser than dark roast beans because they hold more of their water content, and dark roast beans are bigger because they expand in size as they roast. 

How you measure and brew your coffee will determine the caffeine content of your brew:

• If you scoop your beans, you’ll end up with slightly more caffeine per scoop of medium roast beans than dark roast beans because of the higher density and somewhat smaller size. You can fit more medium roast beans in a scoop than a dark roast, hence, more caffeine. 

• If you weigh your beans, you’ll end up with the same mass and thus the same amount of caffeine regardless of whether you use medium roast or dark roast. Weighing your beans is always a more precise and consistent way to measure. 

• More coffee beans per brew equals more caffeine. Espresso-style coffee uses more beans for a condensed, strong, and intense shot. So, your espresso will have you buzzing a little more than say, a French press. 

Also Read: The Golden Ratios of Coffee Brewing

Regardless of your measuring and brewing methods, you’re unlikely to notice the caffeine difference between light, medium, and dark roast beans. 

Dark vs Medium Roast Coffee

Dark roast beans have been the roasting standard for most of coffee’s history. The beans, roasted to 465°F or until the ‘second crack’, end up a dark brown color and have a glossy film of oil coating the surface.  

Quick dark roast facts: 

• The long roasting process produces a coffee with a robust, full-body and plenty of smoky, dark chocolate, and roasted nut flavors. 

• A dark roast can be used to mask the flavor of low-quality beans and make them all taste the same: bitter, earthy, nutty, a little charred, and often flat. 

• Mass coffee producers tend to favor dark roast beans because they can mix and match different beans and cover any variances in flavor. Simply put, it’s easier for roasters to produce dark roasts. 

• If you love the taste of diner coffee, dark roast is for you. That classic, strong, inky cup we imagine when we think ‘coffee’ is typical of a dark roast bean. 

Also Read: Skip The Coffee Aisle, Here's How To Find The World's Best Coffee 

Medium roast coffee tends to have a more interesting and diverse flavor profile. The lighter roast preserves the characteristics of the bean’s origin while adding a touch of that rich, toasted flavor we’ve come to expect from a cup of coffee. If you’re a dark roast lover looking to try something slightly different and a little more nuanced, a medium roast might be just the change you need. 

Medium Roast vs Dark Roast Coffee at a Glance

Light vs Medium Roast Coffee

Light roast coffees are the new kid on the coffee scene. They’re light-bodied and taste fruity and unique, with different blends and roasts creating huge variations in their flavor profiles. The beans are only roasted until they reach a temperature of 350-400°F, or until the first ‘crack’. They’re light brown and have a non-oily appearance.

Light roast beans: 

• Have a crisp acidity and a light, mellow body. The reduced roasting time and lower roasting temperature mean lightly roasted beans taste brighter and fruitier than their darkly roasted counterparts, and they’re higher in perceived acidity. 

• Produce a cup full of nuance. Light roast coffees taste individual and complex, with notes of tropical fruits and stone fruits, citrus, berries, honey, florals, and lightly toasted nuts. 

• Light roast coffee preserves the character of the bean’s origin region. It’s all about honoring and exploring the true flavor of the bean and its growing region.

Some people find light roasts too acidic, so if you love that rich, smooth, chocolatey flavor of a darker roast, you might feel as though you’re drinking a completely different beverage. 

Also Read: How Much Should You Pay For Coffee Beans?

Medium roast beans lose some of their delicate fruitiness to the longer roasting process, though the toasty, buttery richness gained from the extra roasting time can be worth the trade. Medium roasts produce easy-to-love cups that are still complex and interesting. 

Light Roast vs Medium Roast Coffee at a Glance