Coffee tastes great and may be considered an elixir for
some, but there is quite the process that coffee beans go through before it
reaches the mugs of the consumer. From the post on coffee beans, we know that
they are harvested from the coffee plant and shipped around the world “green,”
yet magically are roasted and ready to go by the time we order a cup of coffee
in a café or buy coffee grounds in the store. You can eat the green coffee beans;
they just wouldn’t taste anything like coffee. Before roasting, coffee beans
are green or grey in color and are soft and spongy, with a grassy smell. The
roasting process—wherein the beans are cooked with a dry heat and constant
agitation for even heating—brings about a chemical change in the beans which
brings out the flavors and aromas that we associate with coffee.
At this time there is no industry standard for roast names
or descriptions but there are four generally agreed upon main categories: light
roast, medium roast, medium-dark roast, and dark roast.
Light Roast
Light roast coffee beans are generally a light brown color
and have no oil on the surface of the bean. Preferred for milder coffees, light
roast beans have a pronounced acidity and a toasted, grainy taste. Beans in
this roast category get their name because they generally not roasted beyond what
is called the first crack. There is a temperature threshold (around 300-350°)
in the roasting process where coffee beans pop and expand, usually referred to
as “cracking.” There is a first crack and a second crack. Light roast coffee
beans are not roasted beyond the first crack.
Coffee made from lightly roasted beans also retain the most
caffeine. If you are in desperate need of a wake-up in the morning, look for
light roast coffee. Common light roast names include: Light City Roast, Half
City Roast, Cinnamon Roast, and New England Roast.
Medium Roast
Medium roast beans are, not surprisingly, a medium brown
color. They also have no oil on the surface of the bean but lack the grainy
taste typical of light roasts. Instead, medium roasts tend to have more of a
balance between flavor, acidity, and aroma. Medium roasts have less caffeine
than light roasts but retain more caffeine than dark roasts. Contrary to
popular belief, the darker the roast the less
caffeine it contains. Medium roast coffee beans are roasted through the end of
the first crack and just before the beginning of the second crack.
Studies have found that medium roasts are not only the most
popular in the mass commercial market but are also generally preferred by those
in the United States (hence, the American Roast name). Common medium roast
names include: City Roast, Breakfast Roast, American Roast, and Regular Roast.
Medium-Dark Roast
Following logic, medium-dark roasts contain beans with a
rich, chocolate color. They also have some oil on the surface of the bean as
the internal temperatures at this point are enough to bring that to the
surface. Medium-dark roasts may have a bitter aftertaste, and some might find
the coffee to be a bit spicy as the flavors and aromas of the roasting process
are becoming more prominent.
Common medium-dark roast names include: Full City Roast,
Vienna Roast, and After Dinner Roast.
Dark Roast
Dark roast coffee beans are a very dark brown, almost black
color and shiny, as the oils in the bean are fully on the surface. This oil can
usually be seen in your coffee cup when drinking a cup of dark roast coffee. As
mentioned above, dark roasts have the least amount of caffeine because these
beans have been heated the longest. Although low in acidity, dark roasts tend
to taste bitter, smoky, and can have a burnt quality generally characterized by
flavors of charcoal or tar. Because coffee beans are heated the longest to make
dark roasts, low quality beans are often used as the roasted flavor completely
overtakes the original flavor of the beans.
If you are a fan of dark roasts, you may want to pay
attention the next time you purchase them in store as the names of dark roasts
in particular, appear to be used interchangeably. Common dark roast names include:
Espresso Roast, French Roast, Italian Roast, Continental Roast, and New Orleans
Roast.
Blends
Blends are just what you’d expect them to be—combinations of
the different roasts to make other, unique flavor profiles not achievable with
just one roast type. Typically, blends are created using two or more roast
types.
