There are five roast levels when it comes to coffee:
- Light
- Medium
- Full medium
- Medium-dark
- Dark.
The roast level of coffee can be visually defined by the colour of the beans.
During the process they absorb the heat and the colour changes and depending on how long they are roasted for they will vary in shade from almond to a dark chocolate colour. Each roast level offers variable degrees.
Why Does Roast Level Matter?
Depending on your palette you may or may not appreciate certain roast levels we have on offer. For example, the darkest roast approaches flavours of smoked spices and dark cocoa. With a lighter coffees you can find more subtle flavours of fruit, honey and nut.
So if you’re into the bold and biting then aim for a higher roast and if you’re into the subtle and sweet then try letting a little more light into your morning brew.
What does the roast level mean for Coffee?
For the varying levels comes different flavour profiles and depending on where the coffee is sourced from the end result will always produce different flavours. i.e. A light roast Kenyan will taste completely different to a light Peruvian.
The roast level also has a dramatic effect on the extraction time, where a lighter roasted coffee will require a longer brew time to extract all the flavour, a higher roasted coffee will require much less time, which is why we recommend higher roast for espresso but always feel free to experiment to find your perfect brew!
A selection of our Coffees from light to dark
Light roast:
Light Roast Ethiopian Yirgacheffe – A natural process that offers a sweet chocolate flavour with a hint of plum that are all revealed when brewed in a V60.
Brazil Santos Light – Flavours of Vanilla, chocolate and peanut shine through when brewed with the aeropress.
Medium Roast:
Honduras Finca La Fortuna – The flavours of chocolate and butterscotch are both prominent when brewed in a cafetiere
El Salvador Finca Portozuelo – Brew this coffee with a chemex for a hit of sweet caramel with a hint of orange
Full Medium Roast
Myanmar She Ywar Ngan Myazedi – Treacle toffee and a light cinnamon spice will trickle down into your cup when brewed in a drip filter.
Fairtrade Bolivia Union ProAgro Cafe Femenino – Baked apples and muscovado sugar give this coffee its place as the stove top ruler.
Dark Roast
African Dark Roast Espresso – A bold body with a seriously intense flavour experience of smoked spices. As the name would suggest, this one is recommended for espresso.
Java – Dark Cocoa and earthy spice flavours give this coffee it’s infamous reputation. More versatile than one might think, give it a try in aeropress or cafetiere.
