Are you a coffee drinker searching for your favorite type? Would you like to find out more about the distinction between Light Roast Vs Dark Roast Coffee? Do you want to be sure that you’re getting all of the health benefits from your typical morning cup of coffee?
There are a number of factors that can affect the flavor of a cup of coffee, the most important being the roast type of your beans. Heat does wonders to the chemical and physical properties of a coffee bean, and the different procedures of coffee roasting create a variety of flavors that can either make or break your drink.
The color is a typical way to distinguish roast types. Light roasts have a light brown color and a dry surface, while a dark roast has a deep brown color with a shiny coat. The difference in exterior indicates the amount of time that the beans have been exposed to heat, and this leads to a huge difference in flavor. Keep reading to find out how these two roast types compare and decide which one is the best type for you!
Light Roast Coffee
Light roast beans have a very light and fragrant flavor. Minimal contact with heat means the original taste of the coffee beans is preserved. Although it doesn’t have any hint of roast flavor, the overall mouthfeel is very complex, a combination of a faint floral aroma and a slight sweetness.
If you haven’t tried light roast coffee before, we highly recommend the AmazonFresh Just Bright Whole Bean Coffee as a starter. Extracting the flavor from this type of roast can be difficult, so you’ll need high-quality beans to draw out the best flavor possible.
Dark Roast Coffee
Dark roast is what we typically think of whenever someone talks about coffee beans. They have a characteristic shiny coat and dark brown color, which can look almost black at a distance. This has a longer roasting period which results in a thick and bittersweet flavor, and you can immediately tell the difference from a light roast due to the hints of roasting in the taste and smell.
Beans that have been roasted well have an exquisite taste that sets them apart from other run-of-the-mill dark roast coffee beans, therefore making the best dark roast coffee. With that said, you should definitely try the customer-favorite Kicking Horse Coffee Grizzly Claw, which is highly praised by a lot of coffee enthusiasts for its robust and bold flavor.
Light vs dark: which is better?
Light and dark roasts have very little in common, so which one is the better roast type? Let’s take a look at the following factors:
Flavor
The longer the beans have been roasted, the stronger the flavor. If you want a deep and rich flavor, dark roast beans should be your pick. The beans are more porous, making it easier to extract the coffee flavor compared to light roast. On the other hand, light roast is better suited for those who want a milder taste but with the full origin profile of the coffee beans.
Caffeine content
If you think that a stronger flavor is equal to more caffeine content, think again. This myth has been thought of as a fact, but the roasting process doesn’t actually affect the caffeine content in coffee. Regardless of your choice, you’ll get pretty much the same amount of caffeine.
Acidity
Those suffering from acid reflux may want to steer clear from drinking coffee as a whole, but there is a way to still enjoy this caffeinated drink with less consequences. Lighter roast means higher acidity levels, so you might want to go for a dark roast coffee instead to have your daily caffeine fix without experiencing any discomfort.
The verdict
In a nutshell, light and dark roasts have quite a lot of differences and it’s entirely up to you to decide which one you want to drink on the daily. Light roast has a brighter flavor but with a pronounced acidity, while dark roast has a stronger taste and is easier on the stomach. But if you’re still not sure which one to pick, try them out yourself! The best-flavored coffee is the one that suits your own taste buds.
If you’re a coffee enthusiast like us and would like to know more details about coffee roasts, check out the video below.