Freshly Roasted Coffee Beans - Coffee Roast Guide

Date Posted:15 February 2022 

Roasting brings out the flavour of the original green coffee bean. Coffee beans are stored whilst still green as this has no impact on their quality or taste. As well as starting off green, the beans are spongy to bite and smell like grass. To begin the roasting process, a chemical change is done to the green beans at a high temperature. When the beans reach a point of perfection, they are quickly cooled down. Once this is complete, the roasted coffee beans have transformed into crunchy dark brown beans that are ready to be ground and brewed for you to enjoy. 

Freshly roasted coffee beans should be used as quickly as possible. This is to reduce any risk of the delicious coffee flavour diminishing. 

Roasting a coffee bean has a mixture of both art and science. Being able to decide when a bean has completed its roasting process takes years of experience. There is an extremely fine line between perfectly roasted coffee beans and a destroyed batch. With the difference of the two only being a matter of seconds between the roasters ability to read the beans correctly. 

In general, roasted coffee beans fall into four categories. These are light, medium, medium-dark and dark. Most coffee drinkers would assume that the darker the roast is, the stronger and richer the coffee. Although, this is not always the case. In fact, lighter roasted coffee beans have a slightly higher concentration. 

Deciding what a “perfect” roasted coffee bean is coming down to simple personal choice. However, deciding what the perfect roast is can be influenced by national preference or geographical location. There can be a world of difference between roasts that many people aren’t aware of, so it is always a good idea to ask questions before buying your roasted coffee beans. We have the four categories of roasted coffee beans and their characteristics listed below. 

1. Light Roasts 

Light roasted coffee beans tend to be preferred by milder coffee drinkers. These roasted coffee beans are a light brown colour and no oil is found on the surface of this roast. This is because light roasts are not roasted long enough to bring any oils to the surface. Other common names for a light roast are light city, half city and cinnamon. 

2. Medium Roasts 

Just like light roasts, medium roasted coffee beans also have a non-oily surface. They are a medium brown colour and known as an American Roast. This is because it is widely preferred in the United States. Medium roasted coffee beans are also called city, American and breakfast. 

3. Medium Dark Roasts 

Also known as a full city, medium-dark roasted coffee beans have a dark brown colour. Unlike light and medium roasts, some oil is found on the bean’s surfaces. Medium dark roasts also have a bittersweet aftertaste. 

4. Dark Roasts

Dark roasts are usually shiny black beans, although they can range from a slightly dark colour to a charred appearance. Dark roasted coffee beans are quite bitter in taste and have less acidity than other coffee beverages. There are also many different names to look out for if you are wanting to purchase a dark roast. These are – 

• High
• Continental
• New Orleans
• European 
• Espresso
• Viennese
• Italian
• French

We have a passion to create good quality roasts that are perfect for every coffee drinker.

Try out our freshly roasted coffee beans so you can decide which roast is the most delicious for your taste. You won’t be disappointed!