Coffee Roasting

Coffee Roasting is a heat process that turns coffee bean into the fragrant, dark brown beans with which we are most familiar. Roasted coffee bean should be consume as quickly as possible within 1 to 2 weeks before the fresh roast flavor begins to diminish.

Roasting coffee is a very important technical skill, usually it took years training to become an expert roaster with the ability to ‘read’ the beans and make decisions with split second timing. Roasting brings out the aroma and flavor that is locked inside the green coffee beans.

Green Bean / Pre Roasted Bean

• Green coffee bean can be kept longer without loss of quality or taste.
• A green bean has none of the characteristics of a roasted bean.
• It is soft and spongy to the bite and smells green, almost ‘grassy.’

Roasting causes numerous chemical changes to take place as the beans are rapidly brought to very high temperatures. When they reach the peak of perfection, they are quickly cooled to stop the process. Roasted beans smell like coffee, and weigh less because the moisture has been roasted out. They are crunchy to the bite, ready to be ground and brewed.

Usually, roasters will have their own specialized names for their own specialized favored roasts and there is very little industry standardization.

Coffee Roasting Types – For Color Categories

Light Roasts

Light brown in color. This roast is generally preferred for milder coffee varieties. There will be no oil on the surface of these beans, because they are not roasted long enough for the oils to break through to the surface

Medium Roasts

Medium brown in color with a stronger flavor, and a non-oily surface. This roast is often referred to as the American roast because it is generally preferred in the United States.

Medium—Dark Roasts

Rich, dark color with some oil on the surface and with a slight bittersweet aftertaste

Dark Roasts

Shiny black beans with a oily surface and a pronounced bitterness. The darker the roast, the less acidity will be found in the coffee beverage.  Dark roast coffees run from slightly dark to charred and the names are often used interchangeably which can be very confusing.