Higher caffeine, better taste, or smoother cup of coffee? - RhoadsRoast Coffees & Importers

Higher caffeine, better taste, or smoother cup of coffee?

RhoadsRoast Coffees, we roast coffee beans daily and love the aroma that fills our warehouse early in the mornings and carries through our day during fulfillment of orders. Many people are not familiar with coffee roasting so let us explain... 

Roasting coffee beans is a heat exchange process that turns un-roasted, green beans into a fragrant, dark brown beverage that many of us have come to love and can't do without! With timing and temperature, an expert roaster develops  the ability to “read” the beans and make decisions with split-second timing. The difference between perfectly roasted coffee and a ruined batch can be a matter of seconds.

Most roasters have specialized names for their favored roasts and as there is very little industry standardization, this can cause some confusion when you’re buying. In general, roasts fall into one of five color categories — light, light-medium, medium, medium-dark and dark, with custom roasting options even more specific.

Many consumers assume that the strong, rich flavor of darker roasts indicates a greater level of caffeine, but the truth is that light roasts actually have a slightly higher concentration. Remember, coffee beans are harvested with the caffeine molecule in tact within the bean. As coffee beans are roasted, this molecule breaks down through the roasting process. The lighter the roast, more of the caffeine molecule is still in tact. The darker the coffee bean is roasted, then the caffeine molecule is not as evident within the coffee beans. Essentially, lighter roasts, higher acidic and caffeine content, medium roasts, greater flavor and some caffeine content, darker roasts, richer and greater body and lasting finish in the cup. 

The perfect roast is a personal choice that is sometimes influenced by national preference or geographic location. Within the roasting categories, you are likely to find common roasts as listed below. Since East and West coast roasters do make their roast profiles a bit different, it is a good idea to ask before you purchase as there can be a world of difference between roasts.

Light roasts

Light brown in color, this roast is generally preferred for milder coffee varieties. There will be no oil on the surface of these beans because they are not roasted long enough for the oils to break through to the surface.

  • City to City + with a Cinnamon coloring; best flavor when wanting to taste the "toasty" roast level; higher acidity and greater caffeine content. Excellent roast level flavor!

Medium roasts

This roast is medium brown in color with a stronger flavor and a non-oily surface. It’s often referred to as the American roast because it is generally preferred in the United States.

  • City+ to Full City as American or Americano Roast; usually consumed throughout the day. Best flavor nuances, safest bet when not sure about what roast level to buy. Superb coffee bean flavor nuances!

Medium dark roasts

Rich, dark color, this roast has some oil on the surface and with a slight bittersweet aftertaste.

  • Full City +; still good flavor, some sheen on the beans, greater body coming through the finish of the cup. This is an excellent alternative if you enjoy a darker roast, but not quite espresso roast level, and still great some of the great natural flavors within the beans. Great choice for not quite dark/espresso roast fans!

Dark roasts

This roast produces shiny black beans with an oily surface and a pronounced bitterness, typically an espresso style roast. The darker the roast, the less acidity will be found in the coffee beverage.  Our dark roast beans are NOT charred, but dark with definite pronounced oil on the beans. The body of our dark/espresso roasts is excellent, with a strong, rich aroma emanating from the coffee beans and an oil luster on these as well. Dark/espresso roasts are also known as New Orleans, European, Espresso, Viennese, and Italian roast styles.

RhoadsRoast Coffees is a custom coffee roaster, and we fresh roast daily as EVERY order comes in as requested. We never pre-stock, warehouse, pre-roast or shelve our coffees. We roast to ever order daily. Chat, call, or email for our suggestions & let us hep you find your perfect coffee moment.

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