How To Choose The Roast You’ll Like
Jul 4th, 2010 Posted in Coffee Beans, Coffee History, Coffee Making | No Comments »Trying to figure out which discount gourmet coffee to buy? Once you understand the attributes of the beans and the manner in which they are roasted, you may have more confidence in finding the coffee that suits your preferences.
The names of the beans normally do not refer to the kind of coffee plant they come from; instead, the name can refer to any of the following.
Quite simply, a name may designate where the bean was grown (Ethiopia, Colombia, Kenya, Yemen). Sometimes the name of the plantation is included in the coffee’s name as well. Coffees can be designated as “single-origin” coffees that is, originating from one country only or “blends,” a combination of beans from a variety of geographical areas. Generally, blended coffees produce more complex brews than single-origin coffees.
Often, coffee roasters will put their own mark on a batch of beans, blending and roasting the beans according to the roaster’s preferences. Often, names such as “House Blend” will tell you little; but the names sometimes give clues as to how the coffee roaster envisioned the coffee to be enjoyed, such as “Eye-Opener Roast” or “Dessert Blend.
Styles of Coffee Roasts
- French and Italian roasts:
Dark, heavy-roasted coffee beans that are almost black in color and produce a strongly flavored coffee. - American roast:
A medium-roasted coffee, which produces a coffee that’s neither characteristically light nor heavy. - European roast:
Two-thirds heavy-roasted coffee beans combined with one-third medium-roasted beans. - Viennese roast:
One-third heavy-roasted coffee beans combined with two-thirds medium-roasted beans
To further clarify the coffee roasts;
- Light roasts are known by several different names. These coffees will have the coloring of milk chocolate and contrary to popular belief, will contain more caffeine than dark roasted coffees, as much as 10% more! Origin coffees are generally roasted lightly to bring out the individual qualities of the coffee.
- Medium roasts are familiar to you as a City Roast or Breakfast Roast or American Roast. These beans have a dark brown color and may display some oily spots of the coffee’s natural oils coming to the surface. Medium roasts are less acidic while more spicey and nutty undertones become apparent.
- Dark roasts are described as European, French, Italian, Espresso, Full City or Viennese. These are not reflective of the origins, but rather the degree of the roast. Coffee roasted to this level will appear almost black in color and be very shiny or oily. Many of the flavor characteristics are gone from beans roasted to this level. They have a smokey, deep flavor, with perhaps some of the caramel notes as well, from the caramelization of sugars in the bean. This roast has a bittersweet wash to it.
Choosing the Right Coffee Bean:
So, how does all this translate into what’s best for your cup?
Because coffees grown in the same parts of the world can have similar characteristics, knowing your coffee’s origins can help you decide if it will be one you like. Coffees from Africa are often imbued with the aromas and flavors of berries, citrus fruits, cocoa and spices, while coffees from Latin America are known for their lighter body and cleaner flavors. Coffee beans from Southeast Asia are often full-bodied and smooth.
When selecting a coffee, think about whether you like bright, citrus notes or nutty, caramel flavors or even the earthy, smokey flavor in your cup. Once you’ve got this overall picture of origins and roasting styles in your mind, honing your personal likes and dislikes involves the enjoyable task of trying a little of this and a little of that when you have a chance.
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