Coffee Roasts Explained - Which Roast Is For You?

Coffee roasting, can seem like a mysterious process, but it’s a process that determines just how bland or magical your cup of coffee will taste. For those new to the wonders of coffee figuring out which roast is the one for you can be daunting or even intimidating, I sure know it was for me. But once I began to understand the nuances of coffee and the different roasts a whole new world filled with wonderful new tastes opened up to me. So why is the roasting process so important when it comes to coffee? Can’t you just toss a few green coffee beans into a hot pan and wait for them to turn brown?

Well, the degree and care with which coffee beans are roasted plays a very important role in how your cup of coffee ends up tasting. Before roasting, the green coffee beans have little to no taste, basically, it’s bland and doesn’t make a very good cup of coffee, yet. Roasting causes chemical changes to take place as the beans are rapidly bought to a high temperature. These changes unlock the aroma and flavour of the beans. The roasting process isn’t just about heating up a few green coffee beans though. To understand when the beans have been roasted to perfection one needs to comprehend the science behind it as well as have a bit of an artistic side. After, all it’s an art that can take years to learn. The easiest way to describe coffee roast levels is by looking at the colour of the roasted beans. Each roast has its own body, acidity and aroma. In general, roast levels fall into four main categories namely Light, Medium, Medium-Dark and Dark.

Light Roasts

Generally, not seen in the stores very often, light roast coffee beans, as the name implies are pale and light brown in colour. The preferred roast for milder coffee varieties, this roast tends to retain the taste of the original bean to a greater extent than the other types of roasts. The coffee made from these beans will result in a coffee with a bit less body and a toasted grain taste with pronounced acidity.

Medium Roast

One of the more popular roasts, medium roast beans are darker in colour and has a stronger flavour than the light roast. Unlike some of the darker roasts, this roast has not been roasted enough to start releasing oils on the surface of the bean. This roast has a more balanced flavour, with less acidity but can have a more prominent bitterness to it than the light roast.

Medium-Dark Roast

Dark brown in colour, medium roast beans tends to have deeper flavours than the medium roast with a bittersweet aftertaste thanks to the sugars becoming more caramelized due to the longer roasting process. The beans have a semi-oily surface as the roasting has started to release some of the bean’s natural oils.

Dark Roasts

As one would expect, dark roast beans tend to be nearly black in colour and has an oily surface due to the roasting process having helped the beans release a lot more of their oils than with the other roast types. The beans also have less acidity, a stronger flavour and a heavy mouthfeel. Dark roast beans will ensure a fuller bodied cup of coffee.

Now you know

Now that you know a bit more about each type of coffee roast it should make it easier for you to decide which would best suit your individual taste. Always remember that discovering more about this wonderful little bean should never be intimidating.

Why not try Diesel Coffee's Ugandan Medium Roast or 50ppm Medium-Dark Roast. If you are feeling adventurous then maybe try our Colombia Dark Roast. Remember, coffee is something that should always be enjoyed. #likedieselcoffee