Did you know that coffee is the second most popular drink worldwide? In the UK, the average person will drink about 2 cups per day.
I know I’ve been trying new things and experimenting more while being stuck inside over the last few years. There has also been an increase in the number of small-batch roasters, so there are many more types of coffee to try!
If you are new to this world, it can be difficult to know what you are buying. It can be especially confusing when there is so much new jargon to learn.
We’ve written this blog post to explain the difference between light roast and dark roast coffee beans.
The main difference between light and dark roast coffee beans is the taste. Light roast coffee beans tend to be bright, delicate, and fruity, while dark roast coffee beans tend to be deep, dark, and intense.
The Barista & Co Regulars is a coffee subscription service that offers 15% off fresh coffee beans. You can choose from a variety of different coffees, including a lighter roast, darker roast, single-origin decaf, or seasonal guest.
The different tastes in coffee come from more than just the coffee beans themselves. The roasting process also helps to bring out or get rid of certain flavors in the beans.
Once you understand the main difference between light and dark roast coffee beans, you will be able to predict the taste.
Light roast
A light roast coffee bean is one that has been roasted for a shorter period of time at lower temperatures. This coffee is usually lighter in color, more acidic, and has more delicate flavors.
Light roast coffee beans
One difference between light roast coffee beans and dark roast coffee beans is the color. Lighter roasts are lighter in color than darker roasts.
A light roast coffee is achieved by allowing the beans to reach a temperature of 350 – 410 degrees. The temperature is not the only factor when you’re talking about light roast coffee.
What you’re waiting for is the ‘first crack’.
The popping sound indicates that the beans have expanded and released their water vapor and additional CO2. Your coffee is light roasted as soon as you hear that sound.
Bean characteristics
The next thing to look at when choosing coffee beans is the roast. A light roast should not appear shiny and will not feel oily.
Light roast beans are a light brown color and will not have any oil on their surface. This is because they have not been roasted for long enough, and the oils have not had a chance to reach the surface.
Beans that are medium roast will turn medium brown and will have a sweeter taste. The flavors of their origin will be more distinct and they’ll have a fruity, grassy smell.
The coffee beans will begin to pop or crack as they heat up and expand in size. This will happen when they reach between 350 and 400 degrees Fahrenheit, and they will need to start releasing the heat.
The beans crack for the first time, allowing them to absorb more heat. They continue to roast until the second crack occurs, at which point the light roast is finished.
Light roast beans can be used in any type of coffee drink.
Many cafes use light roasts for pour-over and drip brews because these brewing processes highlight more flavors in the beans.
What we’re trying to say is that there is no wrong way to make coffee.
If you want a light beverage with delicate flavors, light roast coffee is for you.
We suggest that coffee fanatics learn about the Coffee Taster’s Flavor Wheel and the World Coffee Research Sensory Lexicon in order to taste the many distinct flavors of coffee.
The resources will help you to describe the flavor and aroma of each cup in great detail.
The edges of the leaves will be slightly rough to the touch and they will be very dense.
To see if your beans are roasted to perfection, try breaking them between your thumb and finger. If they’re a light roast, they should be very difficult to break. This is because they’re less brittle than dark roast coffee beans. Use your best coffee grinder to get the perfect roast.
So the key characteristics of a light roast bean are:
- Much lighter in color
- Not shiny/reflecting light
- Not oily to the touch
- Textured surface
- Less brittle – will be difficult to break between 2 fingers
Light roast flavors
We like light roast coffee because it is delicate and has a sweet taste.
The more beans are roasted, the more oils are lost. These oils hold the caffeine, but also a lot of the flavors of your coffee. That’s why a light roast, which isn’t roasted past the first crack, will often have more noticeable flavors.
We personally love these light roast arabica coffee beans from Uganda because they have a rich flavor of dark chocolate, blackberry and cherry. It’s like having a warm black forest cake in a mug, plus the added bonus of caffeine!
Flavor characteristics
When you grind a light roast coffee, you’ll notice that it’s highly aromatic. Just like wine, you should be able to identify key flavors and taste profiles when you smell and taste it.
If you are used to dark roasted coffees, you may notice that a light roast has a higher level of acidity. However, you will also find that the coffee has a lower level of bitterness overall. The body or mouthfeel of light roasted coffees is also lighter than that of dark roasted coffees.
The key flavor characteristics of a light roast bean are:
- Higher levels of acidity
- More delicate flavors including fruits, teas, chocolates etc.
- Highly aromatic
- Low levels of bitterness
- Low levels of body (or mouthfeel)
Is light roast coffee less bitter
Light roast coffee has less of a bitter taste than medium or dark roast, because the beans are removed from the roaster after the first crack.
As coffee beans are roasted for longer periods of time, they lose their oils and flavors, resulting in the bitter taste typically associated with dark roast coffee.
Is light roast coffee better for you
Some medical evidence suggests that light roast coffee is healthier for you than dark roast coffee. A 2017 study published in the Journal of Medical Food found that light roast coffee had more antioxidants than dark roast coffee.
The coffee beans used in this coffee have higher concentrations of chlorogenic acid. Chlorogenic acid is something that our bodies use to prevent cell damage and inflammation. This coffee sounds like it would be good for us!
Dark roast coffee
The difference between light roast and dark roast coffee is that dark roast is roasted for longer, resulting in a less acidic coffee.
Some people prefer a medium roast because it gives you the best of both worlds.
The coffee is roasted lighter because the beans were hand-selected by experts.
Our favorite dark roast coffee beans come from Colombia. They’re not as dark as you might expect from Italian coffee.
Dark roast coffee beans
Dark roast coffee beans are significantly darker and more intense in color than light roast coffee beans.
The darker the color of the beans, the longer they have been roasted. Roasted beans can range in color from dark brown to black. Italian coffee is often dark and is a popular choice for espresso.
The texture of dark roast beans is smooth and shiny. The darker roasted they are, the shinier they’ll be. As they’ve spent more time roasting, they’ve had more time to release their oils so you can expect your beans to be somewhat oily as well.
Dark roast coffee will be more brittle because the oils and moisture have been removed. You should be able to break the bean between your two fingers.
Dark roast coffee features
The darkness of the roast will be determined by how long the beans were cooked. The longer the beans are roasted, the darker the color will be.Oily, black, and bitter are the three adjectives that describe a dark roast coffee bean. The darkness is a result of the beans being roasted for a longer period of time, and the bitterness is characteristic of this type of bean.
The reason dark roast coffee beans are not as flavorful as beans from the bean’s original location is because the roasting process eliminates many of the bean’s natural flavors. Medium-dark roast beans will be rich and dark in appearance, but will not have the same level of flavor as the original beans.
The difference between light roasted and dark roasted coffee beans is the temperature at which they are roasted. Light roasted beans are heated to a temperature around 400 degrees Fahrenheit, while dark roasted beans are heated to a temperature between 460 and 480 degrees Fahrenheit.
The beans will finish roasting after the second crack.
The beans are usually heated to levels between 437 and 446 degrees Fahrenheit, around the time when the second crack is starting to form.
The two main types of roasts are medium and dark. Medium roasts are also known as City or Full City roasts, while dark roasts are called French or Italian roasts.
We suggest using dark roast coffee beans more often in drink preparation.
If you go to a coffee shop, you will probably see the baristas making coffee with dark roast beans.
The rich flavor of dark roast coffee beans pairs well with milk or cream-based drinks. Of course, you can also enjoy a cup of dark roast coffee made with pour-over or drip brewing.
If you want a full-bodied beverage with bold and straightforward flavor profiles, you might want to try dark roast coffee.
One method we suggest for expanding your interest in light roast vs. dark roast is to try dark roast coffee in different beverages, then compare it to the taste of light roast beverages. This will help you develop a more nuanced understanding of the flavors at play in each type of coffee.
What is your favorite type of dark roast coffee?
Light roast vs. Dark roast caffeine
Many people believe that dark roast coffee contains more caffeine than light roast. However, this is not necessarily the case. It is true that dark roast beans have a higher caffeine content than light roast beans. However, the difference in caffeine content is not as great as many people think. In general, dark roast coffee contains about 10% less caffeine than light roast coffee.
Caffeine levels can be influenced by the roasting process.
The amount of caffeine in coffee beans can vary depending on the type of bean. For example, Arabica and Robusta beans contain 1.5 percent and 2.4 percent caffeine respectively.
The amount of caffeine in your coffee depends largely on how the beans are measured during the roasting process.
This statement is saying that if you compare the weight of two different types of coffee, the coffee with the darker roast will have more caffeine.
A cup of light beans would have more caffeine when measured by volume than a cup of dark beans because there are more smaller light beans than in the cup with dark beans.
The size of the grind affects the caffeine content, with a grinding time of 42 seconds being ideal.
Grinding coffee beans for 42 seconds produces the optimal amount of caffeine.
Real good light roast and dark roast coffee
After roasting, light and dark coffees both have attributes that can make them taste great. It’s ultimately up to your preference which you like better. At Real Good Coffee Co., our coffee beans are roasted in Seattle and then shipped to your door.
Our Breakfast Blend Light Roast and our Dark French Roast or Organic Dark Roast are both available in smooth and easy to brew coffee pods and Nespresso pods. Discover which roast is right for you by trying both!