Coffeeorbust com light vs medium vs dark roast by Coffee or Bust

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Light Roast Vs. Medium Roast Dark Roast

When When it it comes comes to to expanding expanding your your co co ee ee horizons, horizons, you you can can make make some some educate educate based based on on two two aspects: aspects: the the origin origin of of the the beans beans and and the the roast. roast. The The origin origin of of the the beans beans obviously obviously aa ects ects the the avor—di avor—di erent erent soils soils and and types types of of change change what what ends ends up up in in your your morning morning mug. mug. The The roasting roasting process process plays plays aa key key ro ro product, product, too, too, and and it’s it’s aa largely largely subjective subjective area area of of co co ee ee drinking. drinking.

Quick Navigation The The Green Green Bean Bean The The Roasting Roasting Processes Processes Light Light Roast Roast Medium Medium Roast Roast Medium-Dark Medium-Dark Roast Roast Dark Dark Roast Roast The The Miscellaneous Miscellaneous In In Conclusion Conclusion

We We all all know know that that Arabica Arabica is is better better than than Robusta Robusta,, that that beans beans from from the the motherlan motherlan Yirgache Yirgache e, e, ultimately ultimately win win out out against against all all others, others, that that single-serve single-serve automatic automatic ma ma can’t can’t replicate replicate the the care care and and precision precision of of more more artistic artistic methods methods such such as as pour pour ove ove press press,, and and that that decaf decaf is is total total blasphemy. blasphemy. These These are are things things we we know. know. Unlike Unlike those those tried-and-true tried-and-true facts, facts, the the debate debate between between light light roast roast vs. vs. medium medium roa roa roast roast isn’t isn’t as as nite. nite. Ultimately, Ultimately, it’ll it’ll come come down down to to aa taste taste test, test, something something you’ll you’ll h h handle handle yourself. yourself. In In the the meantime, meantime, though, though, II can can give give you you aa great great foundation foundation to to w w

The Green Bean Co ee beans aren’t a delightful shade of warm brown as we’re typically accusto before they’ve been roasted, at any rate. On the plant, the beans we know and love are encased in what’s usually simply as ‘the cherry.’ They’re picked, cleaned of the stone fruit, to reveal a “green” bean a lot closer to a pistachio than what we typically grind up for our ca eine x. Un pistachios, they don’t have much taste, though, and won’t get you that cuppa joe to, ya know, well, live.

Before it can make its way into your mug, then ultimately coursing through you bloodstream, the beans have to be roasted rst. Contrary to what some believe, come with a speci c roast type—it’s another one of those instances (much like e where the beans don’t dictate the category, the roaster does. Any picked bean can be roasted any which way: light, medium, or dark. There ar many roasters that o er intermediate steps between those because what is life choices? You can also roast beans yourself in your own home if you opt to buy g unroasted) beans. What’s nice about this is, one, the control you have over roas two, that you can store them without worrying about them going stale or losing Just a random tidbit there. Since we primarily buy our beans pre-roasted (but wh pre-ground) (don’t argue with me on this), let’s chat about what it means to opt f roast versus dark roast, or striking that middle ground with a solid medium roas

The Roasting Processes So, like I said, all beans start out “green,” or raw. Check out the video below to w beans roasting to a beautiful deep brown, and then we’ll talk about some of the involved.

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It’s just kind of cool, right? If you were imaging roasting looking more like an end en of racks with a single layer of beans (ya know, like the way pumpkin seeds are c and I would’ve been on the same page for many years, fellow co ee connoisseu The truth is much closer to a household clothes dryer than anything else. Who’d Also, shameless plug for Apple products in there. If you didn’t notice. I did. Before we delve deeper into the di erence between the roasting types, let’s talk about the lingo and scales. While it’s true that every roaster has a di erent meth

ca einated madness, we can talk about generalities. Roasts are typically determined by what are called “cracks.” As the beans are roa become less dense as they lose water. Like all things being sapped of their hydr beans’ outer shells will begin to sti en, losing the spongy quality. As this happens, the beans will eventually hit a breaking point, typically referred rst crack.” More often than not, light roasts are pulled from the roasters prior t crack. Some are allowed to hit the popping point before cooling, but much after beans are entering a medium roast status. Medium roast, much like the rst roast, is dictated by a crack—the second one. medium roasts are pulled before that second milestone is hit. Dark roasts, on th head, are dictated more by the oily sheen. They’re roasted from the beginning to the second crack. Let’s take a closer look at each roast.

Light Roast These caramelly-colored beans are likely not what you expect—you probably t have less ca eine or have little avor. Neither of those statements particularly about this bean. Roasted to before the rst “crack,” light roasts retain a remarkable amount of t avors and aromas. If a bean is known for its cocoa hints, you’ll taste that coco renowned for its owery notes, this is the bean that’ll highlight those jasmine, or honeysuckle hints. Light roasts are also spun at a lower temperature that its fellow methods, stay

between 350-450 degrees Fahrenheit. And, because brands aren’t all that good at coming up with creative names, the tried-and-true terms co ee sellers slap on their light roast bags: Light City, Half Cinnamon Roast, and New England Roast. I’m not encouraging this habit (there out rules across the industry when it comes to designating roasts), but I suppo help consumers easily spot what they’re looking for.

LIGHT ROAST A brewed cup will have more ca eine that dark if you scoop, less if weigh Retains the origin avor better than darker roasts Less body, but higher acidity (the good kind) No oil on the beans Typical names: Light City, Half City, Cinnamon Roast, New England R

Medium Roast We’re just before the second crack. That’s when most medium roasts are drop cool. While a darker brown, these beauts are still nice and warm in shade. The touted as having a balanced taste, and they’re probably what’s considered the common roast. These beans remain stubbornly non-oily, even after being roasted between tem as high as 410-430 degrees Fahrenheit. They can, however, end up a little on th

side thanks to more caramelization from the longer, higher roasting times and You’ll run across bags labeled with Regular Roast (how original), American Roa Roast, and Breakfast Roast.

MEDIUM ROAST Often retains the origin avor, but on the sweeter side Fuller body with more bitterness Still no oil on the beans Standard names include Regular Roast, American Roast, City Roast, Breakfast Roast

Medium-Dark Roast This is a pretty common intermediary step for roasting levels, so we’ll talk abo The beans are starting to hit that stock photo color—that perfect multi-hued co of tantalizing browns. Chestnut and cocoa, slight dashes of amber or burnt um picture-perfect roast. Medium-dark roast is also where you’ll begin to see a bit of sheen to the beans the higher heat of 435-445 degrees Fahrenheit. Oily beans typically make for a on an espresso shot, which is why co ee makers usually use from this level on The dictator of the medium-dark roast is the beginning-to-middle of the secon Referred to often as a Full-City Roast, After Dinner Roast, or Vienna Roast, this i

the divide between roasts gets larger. Starting from this point, the roaster’s process in uences the beans’ taste much prominently. The super secret tweaks and quirks and whatnots of the roaster p larger role in the more bittersweet, possibly spicy, taste of these beans. I said I would discuss this brie y, but I lied. Deal with it.

MEDIUM DARK ROAST Go back and read this Beans become oilier Roaster’s process in uences taste Thicker mouthfeel Flavor is typically more bittersweet, even spicy Arbitrarily named Full-City Roast, After Dinner Roast, or Vienna Roas

Dark Roast These are the oily beans that can really clog up your single-serve automatic ma the aroma, folks. Dark roasts make for a good 2 ouncer of espresso, and the sm taste is really unmistakable. Roasted between 465-485 degrees Fahrenheit, these pups have long since hit t

crack and beyond. They masquerade under “French Roast,” “Italian Roast,” “Esp Roast,” “Continental Roast,” “Spanish Roast,” and many more. If you want to kno roast-we-do-not-speak-of is crossed out, mosey on over to the espresso guide. record player, okay.

DARK ROAST Thickest body The bulk of the avor comes from the roasting process Bitter, smoky Great for making espresso due to the excess of oil on the beans Often referred to as French Roast, Italian Roast, Continental Roast, t roast-we-do-not-name, Spanish Roast…

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The Miscellaneous We’ve really powered through this topic, so give yourself a high ve. Let’s wrap t neatly, with a pretty bow, by tacking on pure knowledge. There may be a question kicking around in your mind, one that you’re trying to p but can’t quite put into words. I’m guessing it’s a little something like this: what happens in those roasters? What are these roasters adding? Doing? Just what? It is kind of puzzling. I think it becomes a little more miraculous if you chomp on o before asking the question, but the simple answer is this: nothing. It’s called the Maillard Reaction, and you see a similar process when making toa application of heat a ects the amino acids and sugars present, basically like ma

series of chemical reactions, catalyzed by nothing but the increase of air tempe what transforms a limp piece of white bread into golden-brown goodness. Sam much goes for that raw co ee bean — just starting with a palish green. You might also be surprised to hear that, although we’ve been conditioned to ap smokiness and bitterness of a dark roast, light roasts have much more complex pro les, ones that bespoke their origins. I know I stated this earlier, but it’s wort If you’re clutching tightly to your back of black beans, I mean, that’s ne. You do But there’s something really remarkable that can be said about a bag of co ee t holding the nutrients, the uniqueness, of a far away land locked inside its lightly shells. You might even nd you can ditch the sugar and creamer if you opt for a brew. Just sayin’. Also, co ee is a fruit. Those beans are really seeds. No, I won’t start calling them like they say, a smart man knows a tomato is a fruit, a wise man doesn’t add it t salad. Plus, the next time some know-it-all tells you to eat your fruit and veggies, just a up your co ee mug and demand, “Well, what do you think I’m doing?!” Just mak anger is real, dammit.

from: http://www.compoundchem.com

In Conclusion Roasts are all a subjective thing. It’s probably better that way, because compani subjectively roast them. The general guidelines can be a really helpful way of de your preference, but don’t be afraid to branch out—especially if you’re curious a of the options on the lighter end of the brown color spectrum. If you’re looking for suggestions, check out the articles on espresso beans, orga and low acid beans, and just give it a go. Trial and error are your best friends on discovery, so pat them both on the back and nd something likeable or funny a They’re there for the long haul.

Happy sipping!Â

About the Author Rachel Bean Hi! My name is Rachel Bean and I love co ee. Despite what it may seem like, my last name and deep love for a cup of black brew is a total coincidence. While I was informed at the wee age of 18 that majoring in co ee wasn't really an option (at least not the way I wanted to major in co ee) (i.e. drinking it day in and day out), I do have an MA and an MFA in Writing. I type words day in and day out, for both work as well as fun, and co ee is the magic bean juice that lets me do that. And that's pretty much me. Writing and co ee. Oh, and rescue dogs. Writing, co ee, and dogs. You get me.