There are a variety of coffee beans, and unless you are a coffee aficionado, you will fail to identify their difference. Light, medium, and dark, are the major coffee beans that usually create confusion. Most just look at their color and choose the brew. However, there is a lot more than differentiating these coffee bean types.
Technically, light roast coffee beans are roasted between 350 degrees Fahrenheit to 400-degree Fahrenheit. Coffee beans roasted from 400 degrees Fahrenheit to 430 degrees Fahrenheit are categorized as medium. When the coffee beans are roasted between 430 degrees Fahrenheit to 450-degree Fahrenheit, they are called dark coffee beans.
If you find any coffee beans roasted beyond 450 degrees Fahrenheit, then they would taste nothing more than burnt charcoal. However, we still have more to discuss in this variety of coffee beans to understand them better. Let us check out the characteristics of each individually:
Light Coffee Beans
Light coffee beans are usually identified by their light brown color. These beans do not have any oil on their surface. Coffee made from light coffee beans typically gives out a crisp bitterness accompanied by a smooth form and refreshing flavor. This variety of coffee beans is also referred to as half-city, light-city, or cinnamon.
Light roast coffee beans are processed within the temperature range of 350-to-400-degree Fahrenheit to preserve their uniqueness. You can click here for more info on this. When roasted, these beans hardly reach their “first crack” (a stage where the outer walls break a little with a cracking noise allowing the vapor to escape)
The aroma, flavor, aftertaste, etc., can be manipulated if the coffee beans are grown, processed, and roasted properly. The coffee industry has adroitly mastered bringing out vibrant and unique flavors, but light roast coffee remains the most favored.
Medium Coffee Beans
A peculiar characteristic of a medium coffee bean is its brown color and sometimes an oily surface. The taste of medium coffee is somewhat medium bitter, and its beans represent a smooth surface.
A temperature of 400 to 430 degrees Fahrenheit is used to roast it. This temperature range allows the coffee beans to retain their original flavor.
The roasting is done beyond its first crack but stops before the second crack. Your taste buds could easily identify medium coffee’s rich caramel taste with a slight sweetness. These coffee beans are also American roast, regular roast, or city roast.
These coffee beans are well-balanced, sweeter, and slightly darker than lighter ones. Roasting it at a slightly higher temperature than its pre-state results in a slight loss of base flavor; however, the rich caramel taste balances it.
Coffee made from medium-roasted beans is usually less acidic and strong. However, it still gives out a rich aroma to satisfy your taste for coffee.
Dark Coffee Beans
It is easy to identify dark coffee beans since they are highlighted for their dark brown color and oily surface. If you are looking for the least acidic coffee, dark coffee beans should be your most favored choice. People also call this rich city, French Roast, Italian Roast, or Black.
Dark coffee beans have a dark flavor and heavy body. When the coffee beans are roasted within the range of 400-to-430 degrees Fahrenheit, they take the form of dark coffee. They are roasted till they reach their second crack. Anything beyond this temperature is merely killing the flavor of the coffee.
Since such a high temperature is used to process dark coffee beans, they fail to retain most of their original characteristics. Then why are dark coffee beans so famous?
Many are hard-core fans of dark coffee since these beans give out a nutty and chocolaty flavor with a rich taste of caramel. This is what makes it substantially different from other forms of coffee which is one of the symptoms from coffee with mold.
So, Which One Should You Select?
You must have realized from the above characteristics that light, medium, and dark coffee beans are not merely descriptions of color or flavor. Numerous other things differentiate these forms of coffee. Here are some of the important points to help you choose your favorite type of coffee:
- Light coffee beans are roasted for the shortest time (of the three types). They have original flavor and so are more acidic. The caffeine content is the highest in this type of coffee, but it is also rich in antioxidants.
- Medium coffee beans are an in-between category that maintains their texture and flavor. It is also characterized as the richest in health-boosting antioxidants. Medium coffee has a slightly lower caffeine content.
- Dark roast beans are roasted for the longest, so it gives out a smokey and bitter taste. It has the least caffeine content but can help boost the antioxidant glutathione.
Final Thoughts
Coffee is more than a beverage to many of us since it has become a necessary addition to our daily lives. Understanding the variety of coffee beans is important to help you choose your favorite. The above write-up offered detailed information on light, medium, and dark coffee beans, and hopefully, you found it useful.
