Brewing guide
Light, Medium and Dark Coffee Roasts: Which Suits Your Taste?
Light, medium and dark describe how coffee was roasted. Brands may use these labels for different ranges of color and flavor. Read the roast level alongside the tasting notes and suggested brewing method.
What can a light roast offer?
A light roast can make some characteristics of origin and processing easier to notice. It can be a good place to look for fruit or floral notes. Light roasts vary in intensity, acidity and ease of brewing.
A light color gives you limited information about how well the coffee developed during roasting. If a cup tastes green, woody or hollow, consider the specific coffee and your recipe together.
Is medium roast a good middle ground?
Roasters may aim for a balance between origin character and flavors developed in the roast. Medium can be a practical starting point if you like chocolate or caramel notes. Sweetness and acidity still vary from coffee to coffee.
Why can a dark roast taste stronger?
As roasting progresses, color and aroma change and toasted notes can become more pronounced. The Specialty Coffee Association’s explanation of roast color describes how color relates to those changes. Cup quality and caffeine content call for other information as well. [7]
Where should you start?
Think about the flavors you like and dislike. You might look for bright fruit, familiar chocolate notes or a pronounced toasted flavor. Then consider your equipment and whether you add milk.
Try two roast levels side by side using the same water and brewing method. Keep in mind that the coffees may differ in other ways too, so treat this as a tasting for your own preferences.
Read the flavor description beside the roast level on Ahanda’s product pages. It gives you a more specific idea of what to try.