Degree of roast pictorial
These images depict samples taken from the same batch of a typical Brazilian green coffee at various bean temperatures with their subjective roast names and descriptions.
22 °C (72 °F) Green Beans
Green coffee beans as they arrive at the dock. They can be stored for up to two years.
165 °C (329 °F) Drying Phase
As beans roast, they lose water and increase in size. Saudi coffee is prepared using beans roasted from between 165 °C(329 °F) and 210 °C (410 °F).
195 °C (383 °F) Cinnamon Roast
A very light roast level, immediately before first crack. Light brown, toasted grain flavors with sharp acidic tones, almost tea-like in character.
205 °C (401 °F) New England Roast
Moderate light brown, still acidic but not bready, a traditional roast for Northeastern U.S. Coffee, at first crack.
210 °C (410 °F) American Roast
Medium light brown, the traditional roast for the Eastern U.S. First crack ending.
220 °C (428 °F) City Roast
Medium brown, the norm for most of the U.S., good for tasting the varietal character of a bean.
225 °C (437 °F) Full City Roast
Medium dark brown with occasional oil sheen, good for varietal character and bittersweet flavors. At the beginning of second crack.
230 °C (446 °F) Vienna Roast
Moderate dark brown with light surface oil, more bittersweet, caramel-y flavor, acidity muted. In the middle of second crack. Occasionally used for espresso blends.
240 °C (464 °F) French Roast
Dark brown, shiny with oil, burnt undertones, acidity diminished. At the end of second crack. A popular roast for espresso blends.
245 °C (473 °F) Italian Roast
Very dark brown and shiny, burnt tones become more distinct, acidity almost gone, thin body. The common roast for espresso blends.
250 °C (482 °F) Spanish Roast
Extremely dark brown, nearly black and very shiny, charcoal and tar tones dominate, flat, with thin body.
Roast naming confusions
There is no such thing as an "espresso roast." Espresso is a beverage, not a temperature. Blends of beans intended for espresso are generally roasted from between Full City and Italian roast. In recent years, the term French Roast has been marketed as the name for a coffee blend or style. While appropriately roasted to French roast, it blurs the line between blend name and temperature.
Caffeine content by roast level
Caffeine content varies by roast level. Caffeine diminishes with increased roasting level: light roast, 1.37%; medium roast, 1.31%; and dark roast, 1.31%.However, this does not remain constant in coffee brewed from different grinds and brewing methods.
Roast flavors
At lighter roasts, the bean will exhibit more of its "origin flavor"; the flavors created in the bean by its variety, the soil, altitude, and weather conditions in the location where it was grown.
Coffee beans from famous regions like Java, Kenya, Hawaiian Kona, and Jamaican Blue Mountain are usually roasted lightly so their signature characteristics dominate the flavor. As the beans darken to a deep brown, the origin flavors of the bean are eclipsed by the flavors created by the roasting process itself. At darker roasts, the "roast flavor" is so dominant that it can be difficult to distinguish the origin of the beans used in the roast.
Below, roast levels and their respective flavors are described.These are qualitative descriptions, and thus subjective. As a rule of thumb, the "shinier" the bean is, the more dominant the roasting flavors are.
Roast levelNotesSurfaceFlavor
Light Cinnamon roast, half city, New England After several minutes the beans “pop” or "crack" and visibly expand in size. This stage is called first crack. American mass-market roasters typically stop here. Dry Lighter-bodied, higher acidity, no obvious roast flavor
Medium Full city, American, regular, breakfast, brown After a few short minutes the beans reach this roast, which U.S. specialty sellers tend to prefer. Dry Sweeter than light roast; more body exhibiting more balance in acid, aroma, and complexity. Smoother than the traditional American "medium" roast, but may display fewer of the distinctive taste characteristics of the original coffee.
Full Roast High, Viennese, Continental After a few more minutes the beans begin popping again, and oils rise to the surface. This is called second crack. Slightly shiny Somewhat spicy; complexity is traded for heavier body/mouth-feel. Aromas and flavors of roast become clearly evident.
Double Roast French After a few more minutes or so the beans begin to smoke. The bean sugars begin to carbonize. Very oily Smokey-sweet; light bodied, but quite intense. None of the inherent flavors of the bean are recognizable.
Main article: Home roasting coffee
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