Whether you are an avid coffee drinker, aficionado or even a savant, it’s highly likely you have your morning coffee roasting routine nailed down by now.
However, for tyros entering the coffee industry for the first time, deciphering which coffee roast(s) best suits your taste is important; and can even affect the rest of your day.
For some of the more seasoned coffee enthusiasts, this is a seamless task. But for those who find themselves in the latter scenario, we wanted to provide you a guide to expedite this task for you.
Here is an outline for choosing what coffee roast best fits your acquired taste.
Dark roasts
If you typically prefer adding substantial amounts of cream or milk to your coffee, then a dark roast can act as a binary alternative for you. For one, the pungent, punching taste of this type of roast can be mitigated by the previously mentioned choice(s) of dairy.
Once you buy your beans, if they appear oily at first glance, don’t be alarmed. This is typically an indication that they’re fresh. If the beans are virtually bereft of a visual oily glaze, however, this could likely indicate they’re long past their prime roasting date.
Italian dark roast coffee beans by Dan Bollinger via Wikimedia Commons.
Other variations of dark roasts come in Italian and French beans—both of which are some of the more popular sub-alternatives to this roast type.
However, if you find yourself in the throngs of an intrepid search for the most authentic dark roast type, you should seek out Central American coffee. This type of coffee bean is grown at high altitudes and has a callous shell that leaves it impenetrable to high heat temperatures.
Medium roasts
Again, your personal preference is ultimately up to you. But as you begin to cultivate your own acquired, niche tastes, you may begin to appreciate the specificity and balance that accompanies a medium roast.
This is generally seen as the safest route, especially if you have to account for a wide variety of tastes in your household.
Black coffee beans by user via Pixabay.
With this variation, this is colloquially known as when the beans barely reach the crack phase threshold during the roasting process.
To find the best beans for this, we recommend browsing coffee from Central and South America—both famously known for producing quality beans en masse.
Light roasts
These types of roasts are somewhat analogous to the frequent steak eater who prefers their fair share of medium rare. But for many of the more avid coffee drinkers, this can be discomforting, as it may lack that pungent punch they desire in the early mornings.
Ethiopian coffee beans (cropped) by John-i via Pixabay.
To keep its mild acidity and original taste, we recommend abstaining from using creamer or milk entirely for this roast variation.
For the bean source, we recommend browsing beans from Kenya and Ethiopia, which consistently have proven to be beneficiaries of high blind taste test ratings.