For those of you new to the coffee scene or perhaps deepening your relationship with coffee

• What are the different Roasts?
• What flavor profiles do each have to offer?
• Health benefits?
• And miscellaneous factoids

Roasting Coffee:

This process is essential to the coffee drinking experience we know today.If you were to just drink the green or red fruit without roasting it it will not give us the flavor or experience we desire in a good cup of coffee. Roasting the beans lowers the acidity and makes the aroma pop.

Common Roasts

an introduction

Light Roast:

finds caffeine the most As the name indicates, this cooking process has the least amount of time with the coffee bean. If you don’t like the roasted taste of coffee this is your choice. Also, roasting beans will deteriorate the caffeine levels, flavonoids and plant constituent profiles. This is just the nature of the process of heat to a fresh plant in general. Therefore, a lighter roast will have more nutrient qualities and those will degrade the deeper the roast gets. Light roast is also referred to as a cinnamon roast. If you have a sensitive stomach, be cautious with a light roast as it has higher acidity levels, but you are not totally out of luck. Cold brew light roast is a great option as it keeps the nutrient levels and cuts the acidity. A cold brewers favorite choice.

Medium Roast:

A good option for the midway point between the fresh fruit and highly roasted bean. It’s also called the “American roast” as it’s the preferred type in the United States. A darker brown color and a less glossy or oiled surface to a dark roast. This is a preferred roast for many due to the chocolate and nutty profiles it brings into the cup.

Medium-Dark Roast:

This roast will have a richer flavor, a bolder body and some bitter notes in the aftertaste. A medium dark roast will give you a higher gloss and oil content. You will also experience some chocolate flavors here as well as a hint of dark roasted almonds. If you like using a french press, stick to a coarse grind of coffee to ward off heavy bitter flavor profiles.

Dark Roast:

Espresso fan? Dark roast is your friend.  A quick extract like espresso is recommended with a dark roast to keep the bitter quality to a minimum, a longer extract will increase that quality. This is a yummy dark chocolate look with a high sheen, the high oil content aids in that bitter stronger taste. This is a favorite among Europeans  (also called French and Italian roasts) and offers an extra full body flavor.