Different Types of Coffee Roasts

This guide to coffee roasts will help you when you are doing your own home coffee roasting. Because there are different types and flavors, you'll have a broader range to try.

Cinnamon
In cinnamon roasted coffee, the appearance of the bean is light brown and no oils are visible. It has a baked, bready flavor that is much like toasted grain and usually has some sour tones. It does not have much body.

New England
This roast is fairly common in the eastern region of the United States, but the term is not used very frequently. This roast is slightly darker than the cinnamon roast but its flavor is not grainy, though it is sour.

American, Light
The beans for this roast are medium light brown and are prevalent in the Eastern United States. It is the roast that is used most often for professional tasting or cupping.

City, Medium
This roast is a darker color than the light. It is more like a chocolate or medium brown and is common in the western region of the United States.

Full City
With beans that are medium dark brown, they will begin to show some oily drops on their surface. It has chocolate or caramel undertones.

French, Espresso
Beans that have gotten to this point of roasting are beginning to get dark brown and are shiny with oil. They are less acidic but do have undertones that hint at burned. This roast is used quite often when making Espresso. Many people mistakenly believe that French is the darkest roast.

Italian, Dark French
This roast is very similar to French, but it is darker and has an oilier appearance. Additionally it has a stronger burned flavor.

Spanish
This is the darkest roast available with a color that is almost black. The flavor, though, is flat and it as a charcoal undertone.

It is important to know what roasting does to coffee beans so that you can fully understand the process and create your own roast. Don't be afraid to experiment and try different coffees with different roasts. As the roasting process progresses, the sugars, fats and starches that are within the bean begin to emulsify, caramelize and are released. This is what creates the coffee oil and it is the coffee oil that gives coffee its taste and aroma.

Try some different roasts to see what you like. You may even try roasts that you are skeptical about because who knows, you just might be surprised.