Most roasters have a favorite roast level.
While there aren’t any real industry standards as to naming of roast levels, for most of us home roasters, roasts fall into one of four general color categories; light, medium, medium-dark and dark.
The perfect roast is a personal choice. Within the four color categories, you are likely to find the common roast names listed below. So when you are discussing with friends or see a recommendation on our blog or shop pages, you will have a good frame of reference for what they mean. The recommendations below are general and you may find the coffee we recommend for a light roast is your favorite at a medium-dark roast.
Light Roasts
Light brown in color, this roast is generally preferred for mild coffee varieties. There will be no oil on the surface since they are not roasted long enough for the oils to come to the surface. These roasts typically have a crisp acidity, a mellow body, and bright flavors. They highlight the unique characteristics of a coffee’s origin more than any other roast. Light roasts also retain more caffeine than darker roasts. This roast is stopped during the first crack.
- Light City
- Half City
- Cinnamon
Recommendations from our shop: Ethiopia Sidamo and Yirgacheffe, Costa Rica Tarrazu
Medium Roasts
This roast is medium brown in color with a stronger flavor and a non-oily surface. It’s often referred to as the American roast because it is generally preferred in the United States. These roasts have a stronger, fuller flavor than the lighter roast beans. Less acidic than the light roast with a stronger aftertaste. This roast is stopped very close to the end of the first crack as the popping subsides.
- City
- American
- Breakfast
Recommendations from our shop: Brazil Cerrado, Colombia Tolima, Nicaragua SHB EP, Indian Monsoon Malabar
Medium Dark Roasts
Rich, dark color, this roast has some oil on the surface and with a slight bittersweet aftertaste. These roasts are stopped early in the second crack.
- Full City
Recommendations from our shop: Brazil Cerrado, Peru Villa Rica, Indian Monsoon Malabar
Dark Roasts
This roast results in shiny black beans with an oily surface and increased bitterness. The darker the roast, the less acidity will be found in the coffee. Dark roast coffees run from slightly to very dark. Charred beans are not a roast level, they are an unfortunate mistake! These roasts are stopped toward the end of the second crack or sometimes even later.
- Espresso
- Italian
- French
Recommendations from our shop: Brazil Cerrado, El Salvador Café Pacas, Honduras