Although coffee is one of the most loved beverages, there are several factors that affect the quality of coffee. The roast method is perhaps the most significant factor. But among the roasting types, one is truly popular with coffee drinkers preferring mild taste.
Light roast coffee offers a smooth flavor and a good balance between acidity and body.
Many prefer light roasting level because they find it easier to drink than other types of roast – medium and dark roasting levels.
Besides, it has been touted as the new trend, with many coffee shops now offering this lighter roast.
This article will help you understand why your next cup of coffee might be called a light roast.
And what exactly makes up the differences between dark roast and light roast coffee.
The article also contains detailed information on how to select, store, and brew milder coffee tastes.
Light Roast Coffee: What Is It?
Light Roasts are also known by several names: HalfHalf City Roast, Cinnamon Roast, New England Roast, and Light City Roast.
The process of roasting coffee beans involves the conversion of green beans to brown ones.
Coffee beans are roasted differently depending on the desired flavor and aroma, with light roast being one of them. Others coffee roasting levels include dark and medium roast.
And after roasting, you can differentiate between all roast levels by the color of the beans.
Several coffee companies roast premium light roasts. For instance, Copper Moon Coffee (a roast that can reach for the moon), has great light roast coffees. Also, popular top-quality coffees with a Light Roast (to preserve their natural flavors and notes) include Breakfast Roast Blends, Java, Ethiopian Bright Light Roast, Papua New Guinea Light Roast, Costa Rican Light Roast, and Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffees. Kenya Light Roast is especially notable for its taste of pine nuts and milk chocolate. A coffee sommelier can attest to this.
The First Crack
Green coffee beans are heated in a light roast until they exhibit the “first crack,” which appears as bursting and crackling sound as they increase in size during the roasting process. Usually, this happens after just a few minutes of roasting.
A lighter roast has the advantage of retaining more of its origin flavors, typically affected by plant origin, climate, and soil characteristics.
Light roast coffee refers to the lightest roast level. The only difference between light, medium and dark bean roasts is that light city roast beans are roasted for a shorter time than the others.
As the name suggests, the New England roast needs to be made using less or little heat and has a medium to a lighter body. This way, it avoids losing essential oils in the coffee beans.
New England roast offers a smoother, more delicate flavor. It is created by using the lowest degree of heat possible, which causes less damage to the coffee beans. This translates to a milder flavor and a lower acidity level.
Light coffee also has lower caffeine content than other types of coffee. It also has lower viscosity due to minimal oils.
A lighter roast has the advantage of retaining more of its original flavors, typically affected by plant origin, climate, and soil qualities. Thus, it’s likely to excite your senses, even for a first-time coffee purchasing experience.
Also, it’s not recommended to use drum roasters to roast light roasts. The drums can easily burn the beans. However, you can get better results if the beans roast slowly in a drum roaster.
Light Roasted Coffee Characteristics
The following attributes easily identify light roasts;
- Chestnut brown or light brown colors
- Toasted grain taste with a dry surface
- No traces of dark flavors such as burnt, smoky, or charcoal
- Light roast has higher acidity than dark or medium roasts resulting in a sweeter and more balanced taste.
Coffee That Is Light Roasted Is A Relatively New Product
The idea of roasting for a particular coffee’s characteristics is, in fact, a pretty new one!
Light Roast Coffee has been one of the most popular coffee roasts over the last decade or so. They retain the flavors of the country they were grown in.
Many coffee roasters and coffee lovers consider it to be the specialty coffee that has taken over from the popular dark roast coffees of earlier times such as the Italian dark roast, continental roast, and New Orleans roast among other blends.
Traditionally, beans were roasted dark on a primitive roasting machine and a basic roast style. It had no unique flavor, just a coffee-like taste easily described in three words: bitter, thick, and burnt coffee brew.
However, the coffee industry took a massive leap in the last five decades thanks to advances in science and technology. And today, coffee lovers can indulge in a wide variety of new coffee flavors.
High-quality Coffee Breeds
Advancement in agriculture technology has enabled farmers to produce high-quality crops.
It is now easy to monitor and manipulate crops to produce the desired variety.
The use of computers also enables roasters to monitor and adjust the roasting temperature, guaranteeing the perfect roast.
Roasting coffee light results in unearthing the coffee’s potential—a possibility previously unknown to the world of coffee.
A light roast is roasted so gently that the natural flavor and coffee taste are is enhanced.
What Are The Flavors Of Light Roast Coffee?
It’s not uncommon for the regular dark roast coffee drinkers to get surprised whenever they taste light toast for the first time. Some even comment, “it is so sweet?” or “what makes it so good?”
The Cinnamon Roast drink has a fruity, bold, and floral flavor, making it a real treat compared to the dark roast.
How is this possible?
For one, the light roasting process ensures the natural coffee bean flavors are retained. And the process also guarantees a combination of subtle toasted grain flavor and crisp acidity.
However, what makes lighter roasts more appealing is a mixture of the following flavors:
Sugar
- Sugarcane
- Honey
- Vanilla
Fruity
- Stone fruit – plum, peach, nectarine)
- Berry – strawberry, raspberry, blueberry
- Savory papaya or tomato
- Citrus fruits – lemon, orange, grapes, lime
Floral
- Jasmine
- Rose
- Chamomile
Typically, mild roasts have a light and silky taste, and even some have a flavor similar to tea. In fact, it’s the exact opposite of the typical dark roast brew, which is oily, thick, and super dark, mainly because it’s made from dark oily beans.
Although light roast has unique flavors, it has one major challenge – many find it is tricky to brew light roast coffee. Although a barista can find it easy, a first-timer may need some practice.
Don’t worry!
If you learn how light roast beans differ from a medium or a dark roast, you will also extract the full taste in your brewing process.
What Is The Best Way To Brew Light Roast Coffee?
Simple! You can make it just like regular coffee. To get the most out of your coffee drink, remember these tips:
- Grinding size: Choose a grind size appropriate to your brewing method
- Coffee brewing temperature: Due to the dynamic flavor of light roast coffee, it can be brewed at different temperatures for different results
- Brewing time: Coffee extraction and flavor change with the brewing time. A longer brewing time results in more extraction of flavors and changes the taste of the coffee. For instance, It takes about six minutes to make a pot of coffee, while 25 seconds is needed for espresso.
- Freshness: The freshness of coffee decreases as it ages. Flavors alter considerably after the first few weeks. Get the freshest coffee you can get so that you can enjoy its full potential.
What Pairs Well With Light Roast Coffee?
Light roast goes well with breakfast and snacks in the afternoon. It has a fruity, floral flavor, a light body, and a great acidity which pairs perfectly with tangy and creamy:
Creamy
- Cheesy scones
- Buttery croissants
- Lunch sandwiches
- Avocado toast
Tangy
- Toast and jam
- Thumbprint cookies
- Fruit pies
You can always keep it simple by just adding a splash of any creamer you’d like to your coffee.
How Much Caffeine Is In Light Roast Coffee?
It has been held that lightly roasted coffee beans retain more caffeine because they are roasted less.
But in reality, there is no significant difference in caffeine content between light and dark roasts.
However, coffee density and volume do explain why so many people are confused about the caffeine content.
In comparison, you should note that lighter roasts have more caffeine per gram than dark roasts since dark roasts lose density/mass and the beans grow in size in the roasting process.
Comparing the volume of coffee beans shows that light roast coffee beans use up more space than dark roast coffee.
For instance, a tablespoon will have more light beans because they are smaller than the dark roast. For instance, two scoops of light roast will have more caffeine than two scoops of dark roast.
But comparing by weight proves otherwise – the caffeine content difference is insignificant. For example, 50 grams of dark coffee, though it appears more than a similar weight of light beans, have the same caffeine.
As with roast, the coffee’s caffeine content varies according to the brew method. When brewing, an espresso coffee cup is more potent than a drip coffee cup but has less caffeine.
Espresso has a thick and heavy taste like the dark roast, which many quite often mistakenly associate its intense flavor to more caffeine – just another misconception.
Is Light Roast Coffee Less Acidic?
The essential ingredient of coffee is acid which adds to its overall flavor, and that’s true in both decaffeinated and caffeinated varieties.
No coffee is truly acid-free because the chemical process that produces it always results in acidity.
Generally, lighter roast coffees have more acid than darker roast coffees, resulting in their crispy sour taste.
However, the sour taste doesn’t necessarily mean they’re more acidic, but several factors cause the bitter taste.
For example, the sourness in the lemonade will be greater if there’s less sugar added.
As a result of the longer roasting process, darker roasts tend to taste smoother with a caramel flavor.
Also, specific varieties of coffee grown at high altitudes are sweeter and have a lower acid content. You can roast these high-altitude coffee varieties, either light or dark.
In addition, brewing temperature affects roast coffee acidity.
Low-temperature brewed coffee mostly has a lower acidity because it lessens the chemical reactions that release acid from the beans during the brewing process. For anyone who enjoys light roast coffee but is concerned about acids, this is a great alternative.
Is Light Roast Coffee Better Served Hot Or Iced?
There is no one fit answer here because light roast coffee tastes great whether served hot or iced.
You can serve it iced for a smooth and refreshing cold-brew or double brew it and serve it over ice for a more flavorful cup.
Differences Between a Light and a Medium Roast
Light and medium roasts differ in several ways. Each roast is unique in its own ways. Here are the differences between a light and medium roast to answer any questions you may have between them.
- Light roasts have a shorter roasting time than medium roasts characterized by darker color without oil on their surface.
- A light roast is generally smooth and delicate. A medium roast has a more robust flavor, which is what an average American coffee lover is used to. Southern Pecan and Hawaiian Hazelnut are great medium roast options. Copper Moon Coffee Blast Off and Sumatra are great medium-dark coffee roast levels.
- A light roast is best if you like a strong flavor, while a medium roast is best if you dislike the bitterness that comes from oxidation.
- A light roast will generally be smoother and have a more delicate flavor.
- Light roasts tend to be brighter and acidy, while medium roasts tend to be smokier and darker.
- Typically, a light roast tastes more acidic, whereas a medium roast, such as the Stargazer blend, tastes more bittersweet.
- If you add a little bit of cream to a medium roast coffee, the flavor will be more enjoyable.
The Difference Between Light And Dark Roasts
There’s a big difference between a light roast and a dark roast when it comes to coffee.
- The significant difference between light and dark roast is the amount of time they are roasted. Dark roasts are roasted much longer.
- Light roasts have less oil and less caffeine than dark roasts as long as the quantities are similar. The reason behind this fact is their shorter roasting time.
- A scoop of lighter roast can be a little milder and have a more delicate, slightly sweet, and nutty taste than a similar quantity of dark roast.
- Simply stated, light roasts tend to have a bright or acidic flavor which tends to be more floral, whereas dark roasts tend to have a more rounded and smoky flavor.
- A light roast is made with freshly roasted and ground beans, and so it has a more delicate taste. A dark roast uses older beans, and so it tends to have a darker shade of brown than a light roast. Copper Moon Dark Sky and Kicking Horse Coffee are some of the best dark roast coffees.
Espresso Beans Roasted Light
The espresso machine can roast any coffee. Although a dark roast is traditionally associated with espresso, terming it an espresso roast is not quite right. Compared to a traditional super dark roast, a light roast will change the flavor of the coffee quite a bit.
Choosing the right grind is the most important thing when selecting an espresso maker.
In general, machines brew best at a given pressure from the pump – too fine a grind can interfere with the pump and cause damage, while too coarse a grind will allow too much water to pass through, resulting in an under-extracted, weak brew.
Bottom line
Light coffee is no longer just a trend, but it’s widely consumed globally. Initially, it was considered a lower version of coffee. However, it’s now a favorite roast. Afterall, every earthling should get the best roast for every occasion.
It is a carefully roasted coffee under the lowest heat. The result? Delicious coffee with no bitterness and a bright flavor profile for the most extraordinary experience.
While providing the perfect balance between acidity and body, the light roast retains most of its nutrients and low caffeine levels. Regardless, it should be kept in proper packaging to preserve its qualities. Ensure the bag is airtight and opaque.
Light roast coffee is easily differentiated from the darker roast by its light brown color resulting from the shortest brewing time.
Many love the incredible taste and aromas of light toast, but also because it can pair well with other products.
As a coffee drinker, the extras you want to pair or serve your cup of joe depend on the kind of flavor and taste you want to achieve.
So how do you prefer to take your Cinnamon Roast, hot or iced? With or without flavors?
