Continuing to analyze the different themes surrounding the world of coffee we have chosen to talk about roasting levels. It is an extremely important issue that is often underestimated and not talked about much. The choice of the degree of roasting is an essential moment, which then radically changes the coffee that will be obtained in the cup. The same product with a very different roasting level will be totally different.
When we talk about coffee roasting we must know that it is a progressive process, during which the increase in temperature also corresponds to the realization of some chemical and physical transformations which will give rise to different and specific organoleptic qualities in the finished product. We can say that the degree of roasting is the level of cooking reached by the coffee beans during the roasting process.
The degree of roasting in general also depends on the method used to extract it. Normally coffees intended for espresso or mocha are medium or medium dark in colour; while for a preparation with a filter the roasting level is medium light.
To simplify the recognition and cataloging of the different degrees of roasting, a scale from 1 to 5 is used where 1 corresponds to a very light level and 5 to a very dark level:
- 1. Light Roast: It is obtained at relatively low temperatures ranging from 170°C to 200°C, the coffee is discharged from the machine as soon as the first crack begins. The result is cinnamon-colored grains which in the cup give extreme acidity, fruity and floral aromas and a light body.
- 2. Light-Medium Roast: achieved at temperatures between 200°C and 210°C. This way of roasting is currently very popular in the world of Specialty Coffee, and has always been the standard in Northern European countries. In the cup the coffee will be very acidic, sweet, citrusy with persistent floral and fruity aromas with a light and clean body.
- 3. Medium Roast: this degree of roasting is achieved at a temperature of 212°C; the grains are unloaded from the machine after the first crack. This type of roasting is characterized by the maximum balance between acidity, sweetness, persistence and body. The result is a coffee with a caramelised, ripe fruit flavor and a medium, soft and round body.
- 4. Medium-Dark Roast: this type of roasting is also called "Italian style"; the coffee is discharged in the first moments of the second crack at a temperature of approximately 215°C. The drink will be caramelized with a balance between sweet and bitter with notes of dark chocolate, spices and dried fruit. The body will be full and velvety, while the acidity will be extremely weak.
- 5. Dark Roast: the fifth degree of roasting is also called "Neapolitan style". The roasting process ends within 60 seconds of the start of the second crack, around 220°C. The flavors of this coffee will be robust, intense and persistent and the bitterness will prevail over the sweetness. The acidity will be totally eliminated and the body extremely full and dense. This type of roasting can generate negative flavors reminiscent of charcoal and burnt accompanied by a sensation of astringency.
It is interesting to note that there is no right or wrong degree, but different degrees that bring with them strengths and weaknesses. The roaster will have to choose the roasting level based on the coffee he wants to obtain in the cup, the aromas and scents he wants to enhance and emphasize.
