Coffee Roasting: The Difference Between Dark and Medium

introduction

Coffee roasting is a process of heating and treating raw coffee beans to achieve the desired flavor and aroma. During the coffee roasting process, different degrees of roasting will produce different taste and flavor characteristics. This article will focus on the difference between heavy roasting and medium roasting.

Heavy Roast

Heavy roasting means heating the green coffee beans to a higher temperature, usually to a dark brown or black color. This degree of roasting causes chemical changes inside the coffee beans, resulting in reduced bitterness and sourness, and increased sweetness.

First, the difference can be clearly seen in appearance. The surface color of heavily roasted coffee beans is darker, sometimes even close to black. This is due to the vitrification process that occurs at high temperatures, making the beans smoother and more shiny.

Secondly, there are also obvious differences in taste. Due to the long-term high-temperature treatment, the water evaporates seriously and the sugar inside is roasted out. The heavily roasted coffee beans usually have lower acidity and higher bitterness. At the same time, due to the reduction of acidity, the sweetness that originally existed in the coffee beans but was difficult to detect will also be revealed.

In addition, there is a clear difference in aroma. After heavy roasting, the coffee beans exude a rich and deep aroma. This aroma often has a certain degree of burnt and chocolate-like sweetness.

Medium Roast

Compared to heavy roasting, medium roasting refers to heating the green coffee beans to a color between light brown and dark brown. This degree of processing allows the coffee beans to retain some acidity and have a more balanced taste.

First, you can see obvious differences in appearance. After medium roasting, the surface of the coffee beans is light brown or dark brown, and usually retains some oil spots. This is because during the processing, the oil inside the coffee beans gradually seeps out.

Secondly, there are also obvious differences in taste. Medium roasted coffee beans usually have a higher acidity and a certain degree of bitterness. This balanced taste makes medium roasting a favorite choice for many people, because it can retain the original flavor characteristics of the coffee beans while reducing the bitterness brought by heavy roasting.

In addition, there are obvious differences in aroma. After medium roasting, coffee beans emit a rich and complex aroma. This aroma often contains multiple elements such as fruit, nuts or chocolate.

in conclusion

There are obvious differences between heavy roasting and medium roasting in appearance, taste and aroma. Heavy roasting makes the coffee beans darker and produces lower acidity and higher bitterness, while medium roasting retains some acidity and has a more balanced taste. Whether you are pursuing a strong and bitter coffee flavor or prefer a balanced sweet and sour taste, you can choose the roasting degree that suits you according to your taste preferences.

In short, coffee roasting is a process that combines art and science. Through different degrees of roasting, we can obtain coffee with different flavors and aroma characteristics. Whether it is heavy or medium roasting, it can bring us different and wonderful experiences when tasting.