Types of Coffee Roasts

Though the bean itself matters, coffee gets a lot of its aroma and flavor from the
roasting process. The length of the roasting process can affect many things, including
the body, acidity, and flavor of your tasty beans. To help you expand your coffee
knowledge, we’ve put together this handy guide to the four major types of coffee roasts.
The four types of coffee roasts are light roast, medium roast, medium-dark roast, and
dark roast. Each of these roast levels has a different aroma, appearance, and flavor.

The Four Types of Coffee Roasts:

1. Light Coffee Roasts

Light roasts are roasted for the least amount of time. Lightly roasted beans generally
reach an internal temperature of 356°F – 401°F, right after the first crack occurs. These
beans tend to not have the oils on them because they haven’t been roasted at a high
enough temperature.
The longer a bean is roasted the more the heat pulls out the caffeine and the acidity.
This means light roasts have the most caffeine (by volume) and the most acidity. Light
roasts can have a different taste profile because the shortened roasting process
prevents some chemical changes from occurring inside the bean. Origin flavors of the
bean are more recognizable in light roasts since the flavors that come from the roasting
process often aren’t prominent. The acidity in light roasts is often accompanied by a
citrus or lemon tone which some people find pleasing to the palate.

2. Medium Coffee Roasts

Medium roasted coffee reaches internal temperatures of 410°F-428°F. This is after the
first crack and just before the second one occurs. They have a little bit more body than
a light roast and less acidity.
Medium roasts are what the average American coffee drinker is used to. These roasts
are considered to have balanced flavors. The acidity and body of a medium roast can
vary but are usually somewhere in the middle. Some examples of medium roasts are
House blend, Breakfast roast, and American Roast.

3. Medium-Dark Coffee Roasts

Beans roasted to medium-dark reach an internal temperature of 437°F – 446°F. This is
during or just after the second crack. This roast will also start showing the oils on the
beans’ surface because the temperatures are high enough.
These roasts have a richer, fuller flavor, more body, and less acidity. Vienna Roast and
Full-City Roast are some examples of a medium-dark roast coffee blend.

4. Dark Coffee Roasts

The roasting temperature for a dark roast is between 464°F – 482°F. There are visible
oils on dark roast beans. Typically you cannot taste any origin flavors in a dark roast,
just the effects the roasting process has on that type of coffee bean.
Dark roasts have sweeter flavors because the sugars in the coffee beans have time to
caramelize. The longer roasting process helps it to develop a richer flavor and full body,
which often leads to it having a buttery finish. They also have the least acidity of all
coffee roasts. Dark roasts have the least amount of caffeine because they’re roasted
the longest. French roast is considered the darkest roast and has a pronounced smoky
flavor. If coffee beans are roasted longer than a French roast (482°F), the oils and
sugars in the bean will burn. Dark roasts often have European names because of the
popularity of dark roasts in Europe, such as Italian roasts. Ref:eatcultured.com