One of the most important aspects of coffee flavor is its’ roasted. Green beans are roasted to create the aromatic and tasty coffee that keeps us going throughout the day. Roasting the coffee beans at various levels not only changes the color of the beans but also alters many of the beans’ physical characteristics including their taste, brew texture and oil on the beans surface.
There are various roast levels which are commonly known as light, medium or dark roast. These names basically suggest the time or extent to which the coffee beans are roasted. Let’s go through these roast levels in detail.
- LIGHT ROAST
Green beans when roasted at around 350-410oC, make a popping sound. This is known as the “first crack” which indicates that beans have achieved a light roast. Light roasted coffee beans do not have a lot of oil on their surface, are light bodied and are light brown in color.
Roasting the coffee beans develops a good flavor, but it also leads to the loss of caffeine from the beans. Lightly roasted coffee beans lack bold and a strong flavor. However, the caffeine content they contain is comparatively higher than their medium and dark roasted counterparts because their roasting time is the shortest so. Light roasts retain their origin acidic flavors.
- MEDIUM ROAST
The roasting process that is carried out at about 410-440oC till the coffee beans produce a “second crack” produces medium roasted coffee beans. These beans are slightly darker in color and have oily surfaces as the roasting process extracts oil from the coffee beans.
Medium roasted coffee beans lose fruity flavors from the green beans and take some balanced flavor from the roasting process. A Medium roast has a fuller body and medium concentration of caffeine.
Our Uhuru blend is exactly what you need if you are in search of carefully roasted premium quality medium roasted coffee beans.
- MEDIUM DARK ROAST
Medium-Dark Roasts are roasted for several minutes longer than Medium Roasts, until the coffee beans start popping again - this is the Second Crack stage, which signifies the coffee's full maturity.
A Medium-Dark Roast has a strong body and a spicy flavour, maybe with a bittersweet tang, slight chocolate and caramel notes, and hints of smokiness. It has less acidity than a Light Roast or a Medium Roast.
Oils begin to rise to the top of the coffee beans in a Medium-Dark Roast, giving them a richer brown, satiny look.- DARK ROAST
The roasting process that proceeds till the end of the “second crack” produces dark roasted coffee. This roasting is carried out at a temperature above 440oC. These beans are darker in color and have a shiny surface owing to the oil that seeps out of the beans during the process. Although the dark roasted beans have low caffeine content, they have bold and a strong flavor. Hence, the coffee made out of these beans has a thick creamy body.
If the temperature in the drum gets any higher than 460oC, the coffee beans get burnt and start to taste like charcoal. So, the temperature should be raised gradually for a uniform and perfect roast as quickly raising the temperature in the drum makes the coffee beans thin and kills all the flavor. Therefore at Asante Coffee Company, we carry out the roasting process in small perforated drums and gradually increase the temperature to ensure premium quality roast levels.
Asante Coffee will make you experience the remarkable flavor and exceptional taste in every cup of coffee with a soothing earthy aroma and enriched creamy texture to allure your desire. Our roast levels are mentioned on the front of coffee bags to avoid any confusion. Freshly roasted beans are packed and shipped in a three-layered bag so the beans can stay fresh for a prolonged time.
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