Coffee Roasting: A short Guide to Roast Levels, Water, and Flavour

If you brew coffee at home, you’ve probably heard of terms like “dark”, “light” or “Italian roast”; heck, you’ve probably even asked for a particular type of roast. In this article, we'll explore some different coffee roasting philosophies and how they impact the taste of your coffee. We'll also discuss the importance of water in coffee brewing and how different water types can impact the flavour of your coffee and even the way coffee roasters might decide to roast their coffee. It’s not just about the roaster’s flavour preferences mind you…

Basic Concepts of Roast Levels

Roast levels refer to the temperature that the coffee is roasted at and are typically classified as light, medium, or dark. As a rule of thumb, the higher the temperature of the beans in the roaster…the darker the roast. Light roast coffee means that the coffee ends its journey in the roaster at a lower temperature and presents a more pronounced acidity and brighter flavours. Medium roast coffee ends at a higher temperature/ darker colour than light roast, assuming it’s the same coffee, you’d expect a balanced flavour profile that includes acidity, body, and sweetness. Dark roast coffee is roasted…the darkest and ends at the highest temperature with the goals of  producing a bold and robust flavour with less acidity.

Those tend to be the general differences for ease of putting the message across; often things get more complicated; for example, when you take into account that roast levels fall into a spectrum of temperature and can be more difficult to describe in general terms. 

The differences in origins, processing, density and humidity will also affect the flavour of the coffee. So through roasting, what we’re actually trying to do is take as many of these factors into account and produce something, unique or generic (depending on the goal). Neither is a wrong approach and every coffee is different. Some coffees shine more when roasted darker and some present amazing complexity when roasted lighter. 

Why do we roast our coffees (mostly) to medium roast? 

While some coffee lovers prefer light or dark roasts, we tend to keep our roasts within the spectrum of medium. We find that medium roast coffee presents the best balance of acidity, body, and sweetness for the green coffee that we buy. It allows the coffee to be more versatile for more brewing methods while also generic enough for most drinkers to enjoy. Darker roasted coffee can sometimes come across as bitter (as the rate of extraction is higher), burnt and smoky (because at higher temperatures the coffee will marinade in its own smoke). We roast with the intention of being user-friendly and consistent as many of our customers are businesses, consistency is key; thus far medium roasts have given us the best results!

Why is water such a large influence on coffee and roasting?

Water is a key component in coffee brewing and can have a significant impact on the flavour of your coffee. Hard water, which contains high levels of calcium and magnesium, can make coffee taste bitter and dry. Soft water, which contains lower levels of minerals, can produce a coffee that tastes flat or lacking in flavour. Ideally, the best water for coffee should have a balanced mineral content to create the perfect balance of acidity, sweetness, and mouthfeel. 

So how does all this affect roasting? Simple, coffee is roasted and sampled to the water of a certain locality. For example, calcium tends to neutralize acidity, so roasters might end up roasting lighter to allow for more acidity to be tasted through the hard water. 

Different Roasting Philosophies

There are many different coffee roasting philosophies, each with their own approach to roasting and flavour profiles. One of the most popular is the Nordic roast style, which typically produces light or medium-light roasts. This style emphasizes acidity and sweetness, with a focus on preserving the delicate flavours of the beans.

Other popular roasting philosophies include the italian roast which is characterized by really dark and oily beans; roasted with the goal of being brewed on espresso. 

You might hear the term omni-roast alot. It basically means it wasn’t designed for a brewing style like espresso or drip coffee but with the intention of being versatile. Unlike our coffee, where we roast with espresso in mind (cafe wholesale); however it just so happens that our coffee also tastes good on other brewing methods. 

Coffee can be brewed in all sorts of ways, but what’s most important is that you enjoy it. 

So to finish up, different coffee roasting styles offer unique flavour profiles that can enhance your coffee brewing experience. Whether you prefer light, medium, or dark roasts, it's important to use good quality filtered water and not RO or distilled water. By exploring different roasters, origins and brewing methods, you can discover the perfect coffee flavour that suits your taste. With a little experimentation and a willingness to try something new, you might be amazed at what you might find.