What is the difference between a dark-roast coffee and light-roast coffee?

Dark-roast coffee and light-roast coffee differ primarily in their roasting time, flavor characteristics, and caffeine content. Here are the key differences between the two:

1. Roasting Time:

- Dark-roast coffee: Dark-roast coffee beans are roasted longer than light-roast beans, often until they're nearly black.

- Light-roast coffee: Light-roast coffee beans are roasted for a shorter time, preserving their delicate flavor profiles.

2. Flavor Characteristics:

- Dark-roast coffee: Dark-roasting caramelizes the natural sugars in the coffee beans, giving it a strong, bold flavor often described as smoky, bitter, and intense. Dark-roast coffee has lower acidity than light-roast, resulting in a fuller and less bright taste.

- Light-roast coffee: Light-roasting highlights the original characteristics of the coffee beans. Light-roast coffee tastes more acidic and tends to exhibit floral, sweet, fruity, herbal, and complex flavor notes. It has brighter, more delicate flavors with noticeable nuances.

3. Caffeine Content:

- Dark-roast coffee: Dark-roasting reduces the caffeine content in coffee beans to some extent as compared to light roast.

- Light-roast coffee: Light-roasting retains more caffeine in the coffee because the beans are exposed to heat for a shorter duration.