Understanding the difference between different roasts
CONFUSED BY THE DIFFERENCE IN ROASTING LEVELS?
LET US CLEAR IT UP.
The way the world thinks of light, medium, and dark roasts is changing quickly. If you've been confused by roast levels recently, it's not just you.
Before a couple years ago, dark roast coffee reigned king. Drinking “strong” dark roast coffee was the sign of a seasoned, hardened palette. Light roast coffee was usually considered a lower version for the weak tongued. Misinformation was rampant - along with terrible coffee.
In the new world of specialty coffee, things are very different.
WHY ARE COFFEE ROAST LEVELS CHANGING?
WHY ARE COFFEE ROAST LEVELS CHANGING?
There’s very little standardization when it comes to coffee roast naming. If you go to the grocery store and grab a light roast off the shelf, those beans will probably be darker than the beans sold by most specialty coffee roasters.
One roaster’s dark is another’s light which can be quite confusing.
Here's why it's happening...
Coffee bean quality is on the rise. Farmers are getting better and better, which means coffee beans with exceptional flavors are easier to find.
WANT TO TRY SOME LIGHT, MEDIUM AND DARK ROAST BEANS TO COMPARE FOR YOURSELF?
We're offering a TRIO Bundle that comes with a FREE burr-coffee grinder and allows you to taste the difference (and not just read about it).
LET'S TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE DIFFERENT ROASTS
LIGHT ROAST COFFEE
Our JavaPresse light roast, ‘Extra Mile’, has notes of baker’s chocolate, stonefruit, and a smooth mouthfeel.
These coffees are roasted in order to preserve the unique characteristics of the bean. As long as the beans were well grown, processed, and roasted, they can produce a very wide variety of flavors, aromas, aftertastes and beyond.
Light roasting is beloved in the specialty coffee industry for its ability to bring more vibrant, unique flavors out of coffees. They highlight the unique characteristics of a coffee’s origin more than any other roast style.
MEDIUM ROAST COFFEE
Medium roast coffee is a brown color and rarely has an oily surface. These coffees have a medium acidity and body, as well as a rounded flavor profile.
Roasting to this level also preserves many of the unique flavors of the coffee’s origin, but it also begins to reach into the deep caramel sweetness of a longer roast. As a result, these coffees are balanced, well rounded, and are slightly darker and sweeter.
Some of the brightest notes of a light roast may be eliminated, but it’s a trade-off for extra balance.
DARK ROAST COFFEE
Dark roast coffee is a dark brown color and often has an oily surface. These coffees have a low acidity, heavy body, and tend to reveal deeper, darker flavors.
Coffees roasted to this level tend to not have many of their origin characteristics left, but that doesn’t mean that these are bland and boring. Some coffees really lend themselves to a dark roast because they thrive with chocolate-y, nutty, and caramel flavors.
