[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.wizardofcoffee.com\/coffee-bean-roasts\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.wizardofcoffee.com\/coffee-bean-roasts\/","headline":"What Are the Types of Coffee Bean Roasts and How Should I Use Them?","name":"What Are the Types of Coffee Bean Roasts and How Should I Use Them?","description":"Coffee bean roasts. There are a ton, right? Not quite, but it’s still confusing, or can be. What do they mean when they say “Blonde flat white” at Starbucks? It sounds like they just described me in high school. Why do we roast beans, and why does it matter? We think we know what roasts...","datePublished":"2021-01-27","dateModified":"2025-03-27","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.wizardofcoffee.com\/author\/courtney-stewart\/#Person","name":"Courtney Stewart","url":"https:\/\/www.wizardofcoffee.com\/author\/courtney-stewart\/","identifier":3,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/aae5413f87c194ace258e0546ef7d5da3ddc1ead5895fa76869dcf332460833f?s=96&d=blank&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/aae5413f87c194ace258e0546ef7d5da3ddc1ead5895fa76869dcf332460833f?s=96&d=blank&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Reflective Dynamics, Inc.","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.wizardofcoffee.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/wizard-of-coffee-blog-logo.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.wizardofcoffee.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/wizard-of-coffee-blog-logo.jpg","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.wizardofcoffee.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Coffee-Roasts-FEATURED.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.wizardofcoffee.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Coffee-Roasts-FEATURED.jpg","height":360,"width":720},"url":"https:\/\/www.wizardofcoffee.com\/coffee-bean-roasts\/","about":["General"],"wordCount":2069,"keywords":["Questions","Starbucks"],"articleBody":"Coffee bean roasts. There are a ton, right?Not quite, but it’s still confusing, or can be.What do they mean when they say “Blonde flat white” at Starbucks?It sounds like they just described me in high school.Why do we roast beans, and why does it matter?We think we know what roasts mean but, do we really?Most coffee drinkers assume a darker roast has more caffeine, or on the opposing front, the lighter the roast (less caffeine roasted off), the higher the caffeine content.Neither of these is true.I’ve put together the ultimate guide to coffee bean roasts and the best way to use them when you’re brewing coffee at home.What Is a Coffee Bean Roast?Coffee beans are actually the seeds of a berry that grows on trees in mostly tropical climates. The berries resemble a cherry-like fruit that turns red when ripe. The bean (or seed) is harvested when the fruit is green.Coffee roasters roast the beans to develop the beans’ flavor and bring out the nuances of the variety of the bean. Without getting into too much detail, there’s a whole process (and an upcoming post) on how to roast coffee beans.Almost all unroasted coffee beans start a pale green color — think a green lentil or dried split pea. As the beans roast for longer times and higher temps, they begin to darken. This process produces the varying roasts we know today.Different beans are roasted in varying colors to produce the commonly known roasts. An espresso roast is one of the darkest, so it’s roasted longer. Starbucks’ blonde roast is one of the lighter roasts that most people are familiar with.Here’s a good rule of thumb for roasts:The darker the roast, the less acid and the stronger the bean flavor is in the taste of the final cup of coffee.Here are 2 examples:A full flavor\/ low acid roast would be a Vienna roast.A strong acid\/ less pronounced flavor would be a City roast.Types of Coffee Bean RoastsAny good roastery follows aa basic set of industry-standard roasts. Most roasts outside this list are just marketing techniques or roaster-specific names with a broader roast name.Let’s look at what the roasts are and where some of your favorite coffee might fall.A lot of coffee bean roasts really fall into 3 categories:LightMediumDarkI’m going to use Starbucks roast names as examples in this chart so that you can easily follow along and make your own comparisons with your favorite coffee brand.Keep this chart handy when you’re discovering new beans and what roast category they fall into.If you’re looking for a lighter flavored coffee, look for lighter roasts.If you’re looking for a robust, bold bean, stick to a medium to dark roast.Most coffee roasters are good about telling the customer what roast the bean is right on the bag.The Caffeine Content of Different Coffee RoastsI touched on this topic earlier, and I’m going to squash a myth. There’s only a tiny difference in caffeine content between the different roasts. Some assume that a dark roast (espresso) would have more caffeine. Others think that a lighter roast (blond) has more caffeine because it’s not roasted as long and leaves more caffeine in the bean.Neither is true.What matters is the bean weights.Here’s how I know:The guys over at Kicking Horse Coffee did an in-depth study of what roast (light vs. dark roast) has more caffeine.Here’s what they found:The caffeine content comes down to volume vs. weight when measuring coffee. A lightly roasted coffee is a more dense bean because of its fairly short roast time. Coffee beans are around 90% water. When a bean is roasted, it starts to lose its density via water evaporation.A darker roasted bean is lighter in weight than it’s the lightly roasted counterpart. So if you measure your coffee by volume, you’re going to have more caffeine in a lighter roast coffee. If you measure your beans by weight (kitchen digital scale), then you’re going to have more coffee (and caffeine) in a darker roast.A tablespoon of dark roasted coffee weighs more than a tablespoon of light roasted coffee.This means you’ll find more caffeine per gram in a darker roast because it’s simply more ground coffee.There’s a slight caffeine difference between light and dark roasted coffee. It’s in parts per million measurements. This is so insignificant that you won’t ever notice the variances in your morning cup of coffee.My advice?Drink whatever roast you like.I’m a dark roasted coffee person. I like my coffee to announce itself to my taste buds. I good friend of mine thinks Sumatra is too robust for her. She prefers Pike Place roast by Starbucks.According to the above chart, Pike Place is considered a medium roast.The Best Brewing Method for Each Coffee RoastNow that I’ve established that you should brew the coffee roast you, like let’s talk about the best brewing method for the different types of coffee roasts. I’ve written about the importance of your beans’ grind and the coffee ratio.\u00a0These play into what brewing method you should use for the different coffee bean roasts.A light roast is less porous than a dark roast. If you’re looking for optimal extraction of the bean’s flavor when brewing a light roast, then you’ll want to use a brewing method that has a longer bloom time. Pour over is an excellent brewing method for lightly roasted beans because of the extended time the ground coffee is exposed to the water before it’s drunk.What matters the most when choosing a coffee brewing method for your roast of choice is your flavor preference. I tend to lean toward a darker roast, so I find that my favorite brewing methods are cold brew, Moka, French press, and espresso brewers. Some brewing methods just aren’t going to work for certain coffee roasts, but I’m going to cover that.A dark roast is used for espresso because the high density of the finely ground coffee is exposed for a short time to the hot water.That being said, a drip coffee maker is going to almost always make you an excellent cup of coffee because of its user friendly design. You’re going to have a great cup of coffee (regardless of the roast) in a drip maker. That’s what they’re for. They take the science (unfortunately the art too) out of making coffee.Here’s an easy guide for what brewing method to use for each type of roast:Drip Coffee MakersDrip coffee makers are convenient. This is where most of us starting making coffee at home. They’re easy to use and can produce a good cup of coffee from just about any roast. You’re open to making a pot of light roast coffee all the way down the roast scale to a robust dark espresso roast.What you need to pay attention to is the grind you’re using. In a drip coffee maker grind, you’re looking for your grinds to resemble sand. This is a medium grind. Most store bought ground coffee is ground to accommodate a drip coffee maker.My go-to for when I have many people over that are drinking coffee is the Starbucks Guatemala Antigua Blend. It’s a medium roast that seems to meet all palates. Drip coffee makers are best for crowds. They can brew up to 12 cups in minutes.French PressFrench press coffee makers can brew just about any roast, but they really excel at darker roasts. There is a dark roast called French roast. You can see why this roast would work with a French press. Dark roasts are meant for a more intense coffee brewer, and a French press really steps up to the job.As always, make sure you’re using the correct grind on your darker beans for a French Press. You’ll\u00a0always\u00a0want to use a coarser grind to achieve optimal extraction and flavor when using a French press.Don’t make a light roast or a blonde roast in a French press coffee maker. This brewing method isn’t going to do the beans justice. Save those beans for another brewer.My favorite bean to use for a French press is the Intelligensia Organic French Roast. I’m a purist when it comes to my bean choice for French press makers. It’s a dark bold roast that really is highlighted in this brewing method.Pour Over\/ ChemexPour over and Chemex coffee makers are like orchids — incredibly confusing to use if you don’t know what you’re doing. The delicate first bloom approach to making a killer cup of pour over coffee will be overwhelmed by a dark roast bean.When lighter roasts, you’re going to get fruitier floral notes, and this brewing process really lets those flavors shine. A darker roast is going to come out muddy.Use a medium roast for this coffee brewing method.My favorite is Hair Bender by Stumptown. This medium roast makes my morning when I have the time to spend making a pour over. The medium roast brings out the complex flavors of citrus and dark chocolate but is well suited for this brewing method. It’s one of my favorites by far.Cold BrewI really can’t express my adoration for cold brew. And it’s really easy and cheap to make once you get past all the hype.You’re going to want to use a coarse ground medium to dark roast for this brewing method. Since we’re always aiming for a perfectly extracted coffee, a coarse grind on a darker roast is going to be your top choice for brewing cold brew coffee. The long immersion method is going to make these beans sing when it’s done.My all time favorite bean for cold brew brewing is a dark, smoky Sumatra single origin. I buy my beans from a local roaster. The beans produce a rich, caffeinated cold brew that I can’t get enough of, especially in the sweltering Texas summers.The Sumatra bean’s single origin flavor will perform well, and I promise you’ll never buy premade cold brew again.If you don’t live in Denton County, then a great alternative is the Sumatra Mandheling Reserve Coffee by Volcanica. This is one of the best macro roasted Sumatra beans out there.\u00a0Espresso or Moka PotYou can guess that an espresso roast is ideal for either of these coffee brewing methods. Espresso beans go well with their namesake’s brewing method. Because of these finely ground beans’ dense brewing, a dark roast is ideal for this method.A few roasters have released a blonde espresso roast, but I haven’t had a chance to try them myself. I would suggest an Italian roast as well for espresso for obvious reasons.The Moka pot is the easiest way to make espresso-like coffee at home. Moka pots do best with the same espresso grind and beans that a traditional espresso machine will use. The grind you’re looking for on either of these brewing methods is one of the finest. It should resemble an almost powder consistency that packs well and will stand up to the aggressive brewing process.My favorite bean for either of these brewers is the Andino Espresso Roast by Merit Coffee. This chocolatey dark roast is creamy yet big on the darker flavors we expect from an espresso roast. Notes of butter really bring the finish to a smooth brew.ConclusionWho knew there was so much information when it came to selecting a coffee roast?I’m glad you stuck around to learn the nuances of coffee roasts and the best brewing method for just about any bean roast.I hope you found this post helpful. As always, make sure you’re grinding your beans correctly for the roast and brewing method you’re using. I’d love to hear your thoughts or any questions you may have."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"What Are the Types of Coffee Bean Roasts and How Should I Use Them?","item":"https:\/\/www.wizardofcoffee.com\/coffee-bean-roasts\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]