Roasting

Coffee roast levels explained: light, medium and dark

Updated 6 November 2026

Roasting turns a hard green seed into the brown bean you grind. How far it goes changes acidity, body and flavour more than almost anything else.

The cracks: how roasters know where they are

During roasting the beans make two audible cracks. First crack happens at about 196 °C and marks the start of a light roast. Second crack comes at about 224 °C, when the beans become brittle. Sweet Maria's gives similar ballpark ranges and stresses that temperatures vary between roasters.

Roast levels at a glance

Source: Wikipedia, Coffee roasting. Names are not standardised: one roaster's "medium" can be another's "dark".

Does dark roast have more caffeine?

No. Caffeine is stable through normal roasting, so the roast level doesn't change it much. Because darker beans are less dense, a scoop of light roast can even hold slightly more caffeine. If you want more caffeine, the species matters far more: robusta has nearly twice as much as arabica.

Which roast for which coffee?

• Light: keeps fruit and florals, so it suits Ethiopia, Kenya and Rwanda in a filter.
• Medium: the all-rounder for Colombia, Guatemala and Costa Rica, for espresso and filter.
• Medium dark to dark: body and chocolate for milk drinks, often with Brazil, Sumatra or India.

These are starting points, not rules. Taste is personal.

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