What Is Coffee Roasting?

When you sip a freshly brewed cup of coffee, it's easy to overlook the intricate journey the beans have taken to reach your cup. Among the many steps, roasting is a transformative process, turning green coffee beans into the aromatic, flavourful marvels we know and enjoy. Let’s dive into how coffee is roasted and what makes this step so crucial to your daily brew.

Coffee roasting is the process of applying heat to green coffee beans to unlock their aroma and flavour, and to make them water-soluble. Before roasting, coffee beans are dense, pale green seeds with grassy, vegetal flavours. Through careful application of heat, roasters bring out the complex flavours and aromas that make coffee so unique.

The Stages of Coffee Roasting

Roasting coffee involves a series of stages, each of which contributes to the final profile of the coffee:

  1. Drying: The beans start wet and are heated until they dry out. They turn light yellow, and can smell like toast. This takes a few minutes.

  2. Browning: The beans start turning brown as they heat up, releasing the coffee smell we love.

  3. First Crack: The beans make a popping sound as they reach a certain temperature. This is when they go from light to medium roast.

  4. Development: After the first crack, the beans keep roasting. The longer they roast, the darker and stronger the flavour becomes.

  5. Second Crack (Optional): For darker roasts, the beans crack again and become even darker, with more smoky or chocolatey flavours.

Types of Roasts

Roasting levels influence how coffee tastes. While there are countless variations, these are the primary categories:

  • Light Roast: Bright and acidic with delicate floral or fruity notes. Perfect for filter coffee.

  • Medium Roast: Balanced sweetness and acidity with a fuller body. Popular for its versatility.

  • Dark Roast: Bold and rich with low acidity. Often associated with chocolatey, smoky flavours.

The Role of the Roaster

Roasters must carefully monitor time, temperature, and airflow to achieve the desired roasting profile. Modern roasting equipment offers precise controls, but experience and intuition remain invaluable. Every coffee bean has unique characteristics, and a skilled roaster brings out its best qualities of that bean.

Why Does Roasting Matter?

Roasting transforms coffee beans from their raw, unremarkable state into the flavourful foundation of your favourite drink, and makes them water-soluble. The roast level and profile significantly impact how your coffee tastes, whether you’re brewing a fruity light roast or a deep, chocolatey dark roast.

Next time you enjoy a cup of coffee, take a moment to appreciate the roasting process and the roaster’s craft. After all, they’ve unlocked the potential of those humble beans, bringing the magic of coffee to life.

Green coffee beans
Freshly roasted coffee in a cooling tray
 
The colour change process of coffee at different roast levels

 

Back to Blog