Roasting turns green coffee into the brown beans you brew. The lighter the roast, the more the coffee's origin character shows through; the darker the roast, the more roast flavor takes over.
The Simple Guide
- Light roast — bright acidity, most origin character, tea-like body, tangy or fruity.
- Medium roast — balanced sweetness and acidity, the most common "everyday" profile.
- Dark roast — bold roast character, lower acidity, heavier body, smoky or chocolatey.
Why It Matters
Roast level changes body, acidity and how much of the origin's natural flavor shows through. Two roasts of the exact same bean can taste like different coffees entirely.
What To Do
If you like bright, fruity, tea-like coffee — go lighter. If you want balanced sweetness — go medium. If you like bold, low-acid, smoky coffee — go darker.
Contrary to popular belief, light roasts actually have slightly more caffeine by volume than dark roasts. Roasting burns off mass, so a scoop of dark roast has fewer beans (and slightly less caffeine) than the same scoop of light roast.