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If you’re not an avid coffee drinker just like me, then you probably aren’t too familiar with the many varieties of coffee. Whether you’re a beginner on a journey to become a coffee connoisseur or just looking to explore your taste in another beverage, it can be a little overwhelming to find the right place to start. That’s why we made this beginner’s guide about the bare basics: the different types of coffee roasts.
Before we get into the nitty-gritty details of coffee roasts, you might be curious about coffee from a health perspective. Below are a couple of commonly asked questions regarding the nutritional facts of the popular beverage.
One cup of coffee (8 fl oz) contains about 95 mg of caffeine on average. Caffeine content also usually varies depending on the type, brand, and brewing method.
In order to answer this question, we first need to consider some of the advantages and disadvantages of drinking coffee. Below is a simplified list of perks and side effects of drinking the popular beverage.
So, what’s the final verdict? Well, just like any other food or beverage, there are benefits of consumption but also side effects or health risks. Although responses can vary between individuals, the bottom line is that coffee can be beneficial for you if you drink it in moderate amounts; moderation is key! In fact, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends consuming no more than 400 milligrams (mg) of caffeine per day, which roughly translates to four to five cups of coffee. As long as you don’t go overboard with your caffeine intake, you’ll get the most out of your morning starter without having too many bathroom breaks throughout the day.
Since there’s little standardization when it comes to naming conventions, you may notice that many coffee roasters come with specialized names for the different coffee roast levels; this can be pretty confusing (especially for new coffee lovers). Generally, however, roasts fall into one of four main categories: light, medium, medium-dark, and dark. We’ve broken down each group into several defining characteristics that will help differentiate the types of coffee roast.
*In the tables below, note that first crack is an industry-standard term that describes when coffee beans begin to make a popping or cracking sound; this happens during the peak of the roasting process.
Color |
Light brown |
Taste |
Toasted, very acidic, light body |
Oil on Surface |
No |
Caffeine Content per Scoop |
High |
Internal Temperature of Beans at *First Crack |
180°C – 205°C (356°F – 401°F) |
Other Profiles |
Cinnamon, New England, Half-City, Blonde |
Color |
Brown |
Taste |
Sweet, rounded, aromatic, acidic |
Oil on Surface |
No |
Caffeine Content per Scoop |
Medium |
Internal Temperature of Beans at *First Crack |
210°C – 224°C (410°F – 435°F) |
Other Profiles |
American, City, City+, Regular |
Color |
Dark brown |
Taste |
Heavy, full-body, rich, bittersweet |
Oil on Surface |
Some |
Caffeine Content per Scoop |
Medium |
Internal Temperature of Beans at *First Crack |
225 – 234°C (437 – 454°F) |
Other Profiles |
Full City, Full City+, Viennese, Continental, Light French, Light Espresso |
Color |
Black |
Taste |
Smoky, burnt, bitter, small taste of spice |
Oil on Surface |
Yes |
Caffeine Content per Scoop |
Very low |
Internal Temperature of Beans at *First Crack |
239 – 246°C (462 – 474°F) |
Other Profiles |
Vienna, (Dark) French, Italian, Espresso, Turkish, Heavy |
You’ve probably noticed that in the tables above, each of the four main types of coffee roasts have their own subtypes or profiles. While most countries exclusively use light, medium, medium-dark, and dark to define their coffee roast levels, some countries like the U.S. prefer to break up the categories even more to make communication easier between roasters. We explain more in detail about some of the additional coffee roast profiles in Part 2 of this beginner’s guide.
Now that you have some basic knowledge about the four main coffee roast levels, you might be wondering about the kinds of equipment you need to prepare your cup of joe. For starters, it’s helpful to have a container or canister of some sort to store your coffee beans in to keep them fresh. The BPA-free stainless steel Coffee Gator Coffee Canister is a must-have kitchen item that’s equipped with a date-tracker and CO2-release valve to keep your coffee beans or grounds in prime condition.
As a bonus, the airtight canister also seals out light and moisture to prevent staleness and mold and comes with a measuring scoop (⅛ cup, 30 mL) for precise measurements. Now that’s some serious quality control for your perfect cup of coffee.
If there’s one thing to remember as a beginner coffee lover, it’s that your ideal cup of coffee isn’t possible without proper storage. Whether it’s light, medium, medium-dark, or dark roast coffee that you prefer, all types of coffee roast need to be stored in the same way so that you can enjoy as you please!
Contributing Writer: Rebecca Lee
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