Light Roast

• Light roast coffee, as the name implies, is the palest in color and used for milder varieties of coffee. A light-roasted bean will be light brown and have no oil on its surface. This is because the beans will not be roasted longer than several minutes, which is not enough times for the oils in the bean to escape. The taste of a coffee used with light-roasted beans will be acidic and grainy, There is no burnt or smoky taste present.

Medium Roast

• Medium roasts will be a chocolate brown color and have a slightly more bold flavor than light roasts. They will have a slightly oily surface and often possess a nice balance or acidity and aroma. Medium roasts often taste sweet and spicy, not grainy, such as in light roasts. This type of roast is most popular in the United States. Varieties of medium roasts may be called American for this reason.

Medium-Dark Roast

• Medium-dark roasts possess a dark, rich color with a moderate level of surface oil. These beans are roasted twice, meaning the beans will pop twice before the heating process is completed. Flavor notes include bittersweet, chocolate, spicy, smoky and caramel. Medium-dark roasts are lower in acidity but are more heavy bodied in flavor than light or medium roasts.

Dark Roast

• Dark roasts create the darkest and boldest coffee beans. The beans and coffee made from the beans will be dark brown or even black. The beans will appear almost shiny because of the high oil content on the surface. Flavors include notes of bittersweet, burnt and smoky. This type of roast is also the least acidic. Dark roasts are most popular in European Countries and are often used to make the strong coffee drink espresso.