Roasting

Light, medium or dark roast? Learn what's behind coffee roasting and how it can help you to choose the coffee beans with the right roast for your palate.

dark roast vs light roast

In short...

  • Typical roasting temperatures used for specialty coffees do not affect caffeine content.
  • The physical changes of the coffee bean (volume and weight) define the concentration of caffeine in the bean.
  • Caffeine content also depends on the variety, the species and the brewing technique.

freshly roasted coffee beans

In short...

  • Physically, coffee beans do not expire and thus it can have an extended shelf life, especially if stored appropiately.
  • However, the intensity of coffee flavors decline with the time.
  • To get a good brew, coffee needs to rest for a couple of days so that coffee flavor compounds can be properly extracted.
  • The rest time of coffee after roasting can be as long as 4 to 12 days. It is not recommended to prepare coffee directly after it had been roasted.
  • Knowing the roasting date allows you to assess the days it need to rest to get a better extraction.

coffee_roasting_degree

In short...

  • Light Roast Coffee: pronounced acidity, clear and mild cup, more origin flavors.
  • Medium Roast Coffee: balance between acidity, sweetness and aromas.
  • Medium-Dark Roast Coffee: lower acidity, more chocalate-like notes, heavier mouthfeel.
  • Dark Roast Coffee: notes of dark chocolate, heavy mouthfeel.
  • This is only a guideline as coffee flavors depend also on roast profiles, varieties and processes.