We often hear baristas describe various flavors. Although it sounds quite mysterious, it can actually be roughly divided into three categories: sour, bitter, and balanced between sour, sweet, and bitter. They correspond to light roast, dark roast, and medium roast respectively. Today, Front Street will explain the characteristics of these roast levels and also put together medium-roast coffee beans suitable for making espresso.

Coffee Roast Levels
The roast level of a coffee bean largely determines the direction in which its flavor is expressed. Coffee bean roasting can be simply divided into three levels: light roast, medium roast, and medium-dark/dark roast.What is called coffee roasting can be understood as the process of heating the beans to release their alluring aroma and flavor. It is not very different from roasting peanuts or nuts. Green coffee beans stay in a high-temperature roaster for about ten minutes or so, during which they undergo multiple chemical changes due to the high-heat roasting. 

Light Roast / Cinnamon Roast
Light roast refers to roasting in which the coffee beans are discharged during the range from first crack to just after the end of first crack. At this point, because the organic acids have not been completely decomposed and there is not much roasted aroma, sourness becomes the dominant taste in the coffee, bitterness is relatively low, and the mouthfeel is light;

Flavor: The bean surface is cinnamon-colored. At this point the grassy flavor has already disappeared, the acidity is strong, with a slight aroma. It is often used to brew pour-over coffee.

Recommended coffee beans: Front Street Butterfly Coffee (white floral, green tea, citrus), Front Street Sidamo Alo (mango, guava, strawberry, black tea)

Medium Roast / Medium Roast　　

Medium roast usually refers to the period from the end of first crack to before the start of second crack. Because the coffee beans discharged at this time have undergone more caramelization and Maillard reactions, the proportion of sourness in the coffee is no longer as much as with light roast, but a certain sour aroma is still retained. The taste tends toward balance, with higher sweetness;　
 
Flavor: The bean surface is chestnut-colored. The mouthfeel is balanced, slightly sour with bitterness, and the aroma is moderate. It retains the coffee beans' original flavor and is often used for pour-over coffee or blended coffee.

Recommended coffee beans: Front Street Bird of Paradise Coffee (nuts, cocoa, creamy chocolate, citrus), Front Street Yunnan Small-Bean Typica (brown sugar, chocolate, nuts)

Medium-Dark Roast / City Roast　
Drop time: after the first crack, that is, between first and second crack　
 
Flavor: The bean surface is brown. The mouthfeel and the balance of sourness, bitterness, and sweetness are balanced, acidity is low, and the caramel-type flavors in the coffee are clearly released. Most espresso coffee beans use this roast level, and it is also one of the roast levels most loved by the public. Medium-roast and medium-dark-roast coffee beans can be used both for pour-over coffee extraction and for making delicious espresso, serving as the base for Americano and latte.

Recommended coffee beans: Front Street Queen's Manor Coffee (roasted peanuts, cream, nuts, sucrose), Front Street Huilan Coffee (dark chocolate, cocoa, roasted nuts), Front Street Classic Espresso Blend (almond, cocoa, milk chocolate, rich crema), Front Street Specialty Espresso Blend (nutty, toffee, dark chocolate cocoa,not sour)

Dark Roast / Italian Roast
Dark roast is also called "Italian roast"

Dark roast beans refer to beans discharged after second crack. Because the beans have undergone very full caramelization reactions, the coffee itself carries very rich aromas of caramel, chocolate, nuts, and similar types. The sourness of the coffee is basically decomposed, and the small amount of sourness that remains is also masked by a large amount of roasted aroma. The coffee's mouthfeel becomes more full-bodied.

 
Flavor: The bean surface is black. Before the coffee bean fibers are carbonized, the mouthfeel is intense and complex, with strong bitterness and a thick roasted and scorched aroma. It is mainly popular in Italy and is mostly used for espresso.

Recommended coffee beans: Front Street Commercial Espresso Blend (nuts, spices, caramel, rich crema) 

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.