Coffee Roasts for Dummies: What’s the Difference Between Light, Medium and Dark?

First of all, let me say this. You aren’t a dummy. I (John) am a dummy. Rob, our head roaster, knows all this stuff. But sometimes, there’s no better way to learn than to read and digest information, think about it, and then write it out in your own words.

So, I asked myself, what the heck is the difference between light, medium and dark coffee roasts?

Let’s start by talking about caffeine. If you’re like me, you love caffeine. It’s a naturally occurring stimulant, OK? I have two kids under 8 at home, and I recently left a 15-year career in PR to help grow a budding coffee company. I need caffeine!

I used to think I was quite clever “knowing” that light roasts actually have more caffeine than dark roasts. You might think it’s the opposite. A bit like referring to Robin Hood’s large friend as Little John – an oxymoron of sorts. But it’s not as simple as that.

During the roasting process, the coffee bean dries out further with a longer application of heat. Light roasts, which are pulled out of the roasting process earlier than a medium or dark roast, therefore tend to retain more moisture and are more dense. However, the caffeine content of a light roast has been found to be minimally higher than that of a dark roast. The biggest factors in caffeine intake are actually your own brewing process, size of cup and frequency of consumption.

Therefore, it stands to reason that your preference for a light, medium or dark roast is likely going to be dependent on your preferences in taste, body and acidity more than anything else. So, let’s talk about that next.

The roasting process is all about applying heat to the raw, or green, coffee beans. When it comes to creating consistent blends in terms of taste, sourcing the beans is imperative – we’ll have more on that in another article. For the roasting process, finding consistency in terms of temperature and timing is a bit of an art and a science, and it’s ultimately up to the roaster. Thankfully, Rob is roasting, and I’m writing the blogs!

At Everette’s Coffee, roasting one batch of coffee takes between 11-14 minutes at a range of temperatures starting at 350 degrees and slowly increasing to 425-450 degrees. The longer the roast time, the darker the roast. Here are some characteristics of light, medium and dark roasts:

• Light (Try our Sunbean blend)

  • Appearance: Light brown, least or no shine

  • Flavor: Light and bright with notes of fruit, flowers and nuts, retaining more of the original bean's characteristics

  • Body: Lighter and less intense

  • Acidity: Higher

• Medium (Try our Cozy Casa blend)

  • Appearance: Medium brown, moderate shine

  • Flavor: Smooth and balanced between the original bean’s flavors and the development of caramelization and sugars, and with notes of caramel, nuts and chocolate

  • Body: Moderate, smooth mouthfeel

  • Acidity: Moderate

• Dark (Try our Sandrolini blend)

  • Appearance: Dark brown, glossy shine

  • Flavor: Bold and robust flavoring, often with the least retention of the bean’s original flavors, sometimes bittersweet

  • Body: Full-bodied, heavier texture

  • Acidity: Low

That’ll be our crash course for today. If you’d like to learn more about everything related to our favorite beverage, including roast types, check out the National Coffee Association website.

So, what’s your coffee roast of choice – light, medium or dark? Let us know!