So you love coffee's complex flavors and the perfect way to make it. Check.
You're a fiend when it comes to brewing the perfect cup of joe. Check again.
And you know how important the roasting process is. Right-o.
But we're guessing you may not have pulled the curtain back too far on the roasting process you love. You know, the one that kicks your butt in the morning and promises you will be a better a person in just a few sips.
Yeah, that roast!
When your favorite coffee roast arrives at your favorite Staunton coffee shop, you probably haven't thought about what it took to get there. Coffee is a richly complex substance with over 800 different aroma-imparting elements and flavors.
Compare that to wine which has 200 flavors and aromatic elements. How those flavors play up deliciously in your palate depend largely on the roast. That's because raw coffee beans have little or no taste.
It's the roast that changes the color and unleashes all those remarkable aromas and flavors. But what's the best roast? That's entirely subjective; it's whatever you like.
Staunton Coffee Shops Sell Coffee Crack
Before you blame your coffee addiction on crack, back up a minute. We're not talking about that kind of crack.
This is coffee crack and it's based entirely on roast levels.
Light Roast
The color of roasted beans is the most common way to identify the roast levels. There is a phenomenon known as the "first crack," which occurs when raw coffee beans pop or crack at 350-400 degrees F.
Light roasted coffees aren't roasted beyond this first crack. You'll see little or no oil on the beans' surface and their taste is acidic, earthy, even grainy.
A light roast burns off caffeine BUT this roast will give you more of a morning jolt than any other roast.
Some of the common light roast names are Light City, Cinnamon Roast, Half City, and New England Roast.
Medium Roast
When coffee beans are roasted at 410-430 degrees F. they crack a second time. This second crack, produces a medium brown color with more body than a light roast.
You won't see oil on the bean but the taste is less acidic, more balanced. The caffeine content is medium. That is, a medium roast has less caffeine than a light roast but more than a dark roast.
Some common medium roast names are: American Roast, Regular Roast, City Roast, and Breakfast Roast.
Medium-Dark Roast
A medium dark roast is heated between 435-445 degrees F. which is the beginning or the middle of the second crack. This is when you'll begin to see some oil appear on the surface of the bean.
Richer and darker in color, the aromas and flavors of the roasting are more apparent. The taste may be spicy or somewhat bittersweet.
Some common names for a medium-dark roast are: Full City, which is roasted to the beginning of the second crack, After Dinner Roast, and Vienna Roast. The Vienna Roast is roasted to the middle of the second crack, which is sometimes called a dark roast.
(Great video on the various roasting processes!)
Dark Roast
Dark roasts have the least amount of caffeine and have both a shiny and oily surface. It's also dark brown to nearly black in color.
Heated between 465-485 degrees F., or to the end of the second crack and beyond, this roast is often used for espresso blends.
The flavor of a dark roast is smoky, bitter, and sometimes burnt.
Some common names for dark roasts are: Italian Roast, French Roast, Continental Roast, Spanish Roast, and New Orleans Roast.
So there you have it, a roasting guide to sip on while you enjoy that second cup of well-deserved coffee!
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As you can see, we're way more than a convenience store!