Roasted Coffee Bean: Different roasting levels and how to tell

Which level of roasted coffee bean would you like? If you're just buying coffee beans for the first time, you'll likely be confused by the different coffee roasts available on the market.

In general, you can break the levels of roasted coffee beans into into four broad categories: light roast, medium roast, dark roast, and double roasts.

Each of the roasts provides both a different color of coffee bean, a different flavor, and a different kind of coffee in your cup. It's important that you know both how to roast coffee and what kind of roasted coffee bean you prefer when you make coffee. Why?

Because if you buy a roast that you don't like, such as the recent Rwandan Coffee that I loved, but my colleagues didn't... you'll have a whole bag of coffee to deal with. - DON'T tell me you threw it away!

Light Roasted Coffee Beans

Though there are four different basic roasts, it's quite likely you're most familiar with the light roast such as cinnamon roast, half city roast which larger coffee retailers usually use. You may also see the words 'city roast'  or 'New England' roast. In fact, this is a very popular roasting grade in the US marketplace, so popular coffee brands tend to roast to this level.

If you look at the roasted coffee bean, you will see that the surface looks dry not oily, and the flavor will be lighter with more of the flavor of the actual coffee beans themselves. Without the roast flavor, it may not be suitable for drinks with lots of milk, such as lattes.

Acidity levels tend to be higher, too. This roast level also suits beans Kona or Java or even Blue Mountain beans because it retains the character flavors of the beans themselves. Lighter roasts also tend to be more popular in America. Roast to this level generally only takes a very short time.

The Medium Roasted Coffee Bean

A medium roast means that the beans have been roasted a little longer and at a higher temperature than light roast. This offers drinkers much more of a body and can be found in blends like your morning breakfast blend or American-style or even some regular coffees.

You'll also see terms used like 'Full City', 'American', 'regular', 'breakfast' or even 'brown roast'. This is a level of roasting that many specialty sellers seem to use more, so you'll see many brands that pronounce themselves as 'medium roast'. There is a range of tolerance for this, so you may find that some coffee beans are a different shade, perhaps darker or lighter than you're used to.

The surface of the bean will still look dry, though the flavor may seem 'sweeter' with a more noticeable body and complexity in the cup. I have used the term 'smooth' to describe some of my favorite medium roast Colombian coffee, such as Millstone Coffee.

The Dark Roasted Coffee Bean

A dark roast takes the roasting a further stage as oils rise up, drinkers will notice more body and a stronger aroma from the roasting process rather than the beans.

This is typically roasted to the 'second cracking', and provides a much heavier body and feel. You may characterise it as 'strong' (though that has nothing to do with the amount of caffeine) or even spicy.

Other terms used to describe this include 'full roast', and you will find that it is typically associated with roasts like Italian or Espresso Roast, Viennese or Continental Roast.

In the roasting process, the surface of the roasted coffee bean will begin to show a lightly shiny or oily surface. It has a pronounced 'sheen'. These are the oils being released from the coffee bean which help to flavor the coffee.

The Final Stage: The Double Roast

The French Roast is the final stage of roasting and is often referred to as a double roast. You'll notice it by its smoky flavor and intense flavor. The original flavor of the beans may be absent totally. Perhaps this roast is used in blends where inferior beans are combined with better quality beans.

In the roasting process, you may even see smoke from the beans because the sugars in the beans are beginning to turn to carbon. The surface of the bean becomes very oily; and flavors tend to be intense, even overpowering to some coffee drinkers. Even experienced coffee experts may have difficulty isolating the properties of the original beans in these roasts.

Tips After Roasting

After the roasting process is stopped, the beans are typically cooled gently and many machines allow for the agitation of the beans to prevent heat building up inside and continuing the roasting process.

Once cooled, the roasted coffee bean will emit a significant amount of carbon dioxide, and its best flavors aren't immediately available. You will need a little patience if you are roasting at home.

For those purchasing coffee in the stores, make sure that your buying coffee beans that have been properly packed (either in unripped vacuum packs or with pressure relief valves in the bag).

One final point to note: ...

...if you want to buy freshly roasted coffee, the flavor will deteriorate so you'll need to buy beans that have been roasted not too long ago or too far away to get the best flavors. Good coffee bean storage will help, but it doesn't stop the rapid deterioration of flavors once peak quality has been reached.

And finally...

Wherever you are, remember "Only Coffee Beans Make Great Coffee"! And enjoy that cup of coffee!

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