From Scandinavian to American and Viennese to Italian, coffee roasting was traditionally named after its place of popularity. Unfortunately, these titles alone did not provide any indication as to the level of roast involved.
The antiquated distinctions between light, medium, and dark roasts are rapidly becoming a thing of the past. In this article, we will delve deep into why this shift is occurring and explain what is supplanting these terms in modern coffee culture.
From light to dark: simple and clear roast names
The art of coffee roasting has sprouted up in many countries around the world, each providing its unique takes on flavor and preparation. This is why you can find a variety of names attached to different types of roasts today.
The global coffee trade has seen remarkable growth, and the industry's language has been simplified in tandem. This is how the concept of differentiating roasts by color came to be — a system that is still popular today.
Coffee roast color is one of its most memorable components. It can be analyzed and replicated as needed. Before, it was the coffee bean's shade that gave insight into its flavor profile. Presently, modern technology has taken this practice to a whole new level!
Light roast.
If you're looking for an invigorating cup of coffee with a lighter body, lower sweetness, and brighter notes, light-roasted coffees are a perfect choice!
With complex flavors such as berry, floral and fruity elements - all without the oils which you'd find in darker roasts - these beans usually require alternative brewing techniques to get that ideal flavor. Brownish in color with no oil present on their surface, light roast coffees make for a truly unique experience!
If the names Cinnamon, New England, Light, and Half-city are on the coffee packaging, the bean roast is most likely light.
The visual difference between color of roasted coffee. But not everything is so simple
Medium roast.
'Medium roast' isn't a term that you hear often in the coffee industry, but it's an essential process. The color and taste of medium-roast beans lie somewhere between light and dark roasts, however, they carry less pronounced acidity than their lighter counterparts. These coffee beans are grown without any oils on the surface and have both enzymatic descriptors as well as caramelization groups on the palate - making them ideal for espresso production!
The names American, Medium, Brown, Medium Brown, City, Full-City, Viennesse, Light French, and Light Espresso on a pack of coffee inform that medium roast beans are inside.
Dark roast.
Dark-roasted coffees are renowned for their deep, robust flavor profiles. Instead of being acidic and tart-like lighter roasts, dark-roasted beans provide more complex palates that include hints of tobacco, ash, and burnt caramel - all while maintaining a balanced sweetness and bitterness. Dark coffee beans have shades of brown to black on the surface which can be sheathed by an oily coating; they're ideal for brewing espresso!
Italian, French, Dark French, Spanish, Continental, Neapolitan, Turkish, Espresso - all these names on the package indicate that you have dark roasted coffee in front of you.
Classification by varieties and processing
Roast names categorized by color are an uncomplicated and easy to comprehend system that has become the norm for all of coffee culture. However, this way of categorizing is no longer suitable. Nowadays, it's time to center more on the hue of each roast instead of simply relying on its name-based classification.
With the appearance of new varieties and processing experiments, it is no longer possible to accurately determine the level of coffee roasting by color alone.
Through hot or drawn-out fermentation, coffee beans with a modified cellulose structure and high sugar composition are produced. Compared to regular processing, the experimental coffee when roasted yields an espresso roast-like color. Even so, it has a light body and bright acidity that facilitates alternative brewing methods perfectly.
If today we take roasted beans from different lots for comparison, their color may differ markedly. And they can all be the same level of roast.
Same level of coffee roast
Additionally, the hue of your beans will differ depending on which specialty roaster you use. For instance, conduction roasters, tend to be darker in tone compared to convection ones. Still after grinding coffee roasted this way, it reveals a much lighter shade as due contact between the metal drum and beans generates uneven coloration – a dark brown outer layer while keeping lightness inside.
In the past, a coffee's roast color was an excellent indicator of how it should be prepared - espresso from dark coffee beans while filter coffee was brewed with light roasts. As green coffee beans have become more variable, however, this method is no longer foolproof. Consequently, classifying coffees by their hue alone is no longer effective - making such names outdated and irrelevant.
Espresso or alternative brewing methods: the method of preparation becomes the most important
Specialty coffee roasters are now carefully crafting roast profiles based on the way a beverage will be prepared. This requires taking into account how long it takes to roast, the development time of coffee beans, loading, and unloading temperatures and weights, as well as several other relevant factors.
Color is still a significant factor in the roasting process, as it helps to ensure that each roast meets its desired level and remains consistent. When trial-roasting coffee beans, experienced professionals usually rely on expectations from the lot to guide them along; they will decide which profile best amplifies their coffee's variety and production method before cupping takes place. Through tasting, one can then make adjustments to maximize the bean's potential even further.
Once you have the desired flavor, use a colorimeter to measure the shade of your beans. Keep track of this indicator during subsequent roastings so that when a new coffee bean arrives and requires roasting, you can adjust its profile until it matches your preset hue. The names given to each roast typically reflect how they should be prepared for brewing - elegantly simple descriptors like "for espresso" or "for filter coffee". This makes it easier for both specialty coffee roasters and drinkers alike in deciding which one is the best choice for them!
Nowadays, the packaging is increasingly indicating the method of brewing and not the color of the roast. It's convenient and informative.
Conclusion
The names of the roasts have gone through an interesting path: from the country of origin to the color of the roasted coffee beans, from the color to the way the drink is prepared.
The practice of categorizing coffees based on their "roast name color" is still used today; however, this distinction is becoming increasingly outdated in the specialty coffee industry. This is due to the emergence of new varieties and processing experiments, which can cause lots that have been roasted to identical levels not only look different but also taste drastically different from one another. Hence, using the color of a coffee bean as an objective indicator has become ineffective for gauging its roast level.
If a coffee package has the label "for espresso" or "for filter coffee," but no roast color is specified, you can rest assured that the roaster picked out both the optimal brewing method and most suitable roast profile to ensure your cup of coffee reaches its optimum flavor potential.