Articles: Tea Basics; Coffee Roasting; Brewing a better cup; Coffee Q & A

Coffee 101: Coffee Roasting
Written by Sarah McCray
Cinnamon Roast
• Roast color is light brown.
• Bean surface is dry.
• Definite sour tones, little to no body & a grainy flavor.
New England Roast
• Roast color is slightly darker than the cinnamon roast.
• Bean surface is dry.
• No grainy flavor, but still slightly sour.
American/Light Roast
• Roast color is light-medium brown.
• Bean surface is dry.
• Can taste sour or grainy. Used mostly for inexpensive commercial blends.
City/Medium Roast
• Roast color is medium brown (think chocolate).
• Bean surface is dry.
• This roast creates high acidity levels & is bright. Popular East Coast roast.
Viennese/Full City Roast
• Roast color is medium-dark brown.
• Bean starts to show some oily drops on surface.
• Sweeter, rounder, & less acidity. Caramel or chocolate undertones are present.
French/Espresso Roast
• Roast color is starting to get dark brown.
• Bean surface is shiny with oil.
• Less acidity, but with burnt undertones.
Italian/Dark French Roast
• Roast color is very dark brown
• Bean surface is very oily.
• Similar to French/Espresso, but with a stronger burned flavor.
Spanish Roast
• Roast color is very dark (nearly black) brown
• Shiny surface
• Burned or charcoal-like tones dominate. Thin-bodied, flat.

What exactly does the roasting do? The sugars, fats and starches that are within the bean are emulsified, caramelized and released. This creates the delicate coffee oil. This oil is what gives coffee its distinctive aroma and taste.
Coffee roasting is an art and it is the philosophy of many roasters to roast a particular coffee bean to where it wants to be roasted, meaning they will roast the bean to where they think the best flavors are brought out.
In general, lighter roasts are sharper and more acidic. Darker roasts have a fuller flavor. Beans that have been over-roasted will take on a burned, smoky or charcoal flavor. Also, there is less caffeine in the darker roasted coffees. The roast alone does not determine the resulting coffee taste or quality. The origin of the beans makes a big difference where coffee beans from Sumatra naturally take on an earthy flavor and beans from Ethiopia frequently carry floral or fruity undertones.