How to Judge Coffee Roast Levels: Comparison Chart of Espresso and American Coffee Bean Taste and Roasting Characteristics

The coffee beans we commonly encounter are all roasted. Roasting is what lets coffee develop its charming aromas, and different roast levels deliver distinctly different sensory experiences. In this article, FrontStreet Coffee introduces several ways to identify coffee roast levels.

1. Visual Observation

The roast levels we usually meet can be divided into light roast, medium roast and dark roast.

Unroasted coffee beans are light yellow or pale green. After roasting, the color darkens progressively. Light roast beans typically look light brown with obvious wrinkling on the surface; medium roast beans are a touch darker, appearing deep brown with gentler wrinkling. Dark roast beans look black on the surface with smooth beans, and some darker roasts may even bead with oil, giving the beans a glossy sheen.

2. Taste Assessment

We can also work out a roast level from the flavor descriptions a coffee shop provides. Generally, if the flavors are described as floral, citrus, berry or other fruit notes, the beans are mostly light to medium roast. Those described with maple sugar, cane sugar, caramel or other sweetness-led notes are mostly medium roast. Beans described with nuts, cocoa, caramel, herbs or other bitter-led flavors are mostly medium to dark roast.

This method is not rigorous, of course, but it works consistently. The reason is that we, as customers, do not understand roasting especially deeply and do not need to reach a professional level. Roasting is handled by professional roasters, though, and the flavor descriptions are the result of professional baristas' cupping, so the flavors they express have a relative basis and make a good reference for judgment.

So are there scientific ways to determine roast level? Yes, there are.

3. SCAA Color Value Assessment for Roast Levels

There are several crucial points in coffee roasting, one of which is first crack. Before first crack the beans can be considered "unripe." As first crack begins, becomes dense and then ends, there is a quiet spell of 1-2 minutes before second crack arrives. The later the beans are dropped after first crack, the deeper the roast level.

SCAA uses infrared caramelization measurement (Agtron) to read the color of the beans and determine roast level, dividing the scale from light to dark into eight equal parts and creating eight standard color blocks that the coffee industry uses as roast certification.

Agtron value #95: Light Roast
Drop time: First crack becoming dense, about to end

Agtron value #85: Cinnamon Roast
Drop time: Around the end of first crack

Agtron value #75: Medium Roast
Drop time: After first crack ends

Agtron value #65: High Roast
Drop time: Quiet period between first and second crack

Agtron value #55: City Roast
Drop time: Second crack begins

Agtron value #45: Full City Roast
Drop time: Before second crack becomes dense

Agtron value #35: French Roast
Drop time: When second crack becomes dense

Agtron value #25: Italian Roast
Drop time: When oil begins to seep to the bean surface

So how does this relate to the light, medium and dark roast we usually talk about?

For enthusiasts who may be unfamiliar with SCAA's Agtron standards, the eight categories can be grouped into four main buckets for easier understanding:

Light Roast (emphasizing fruit acidity and floral aromas): Light Roast, Cinnamon Roast

Medium Roast (enhancing sweetness and balance): Medium Roast, High Roast

Medium-Dark Roast (maximizing sugar conversion, with bitterness turning to sweetness): City Roast, Full City Roast

Dark Roast (balancing bitterness and body): French Roast, Italian Roast

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Most espresso blends on the market sit in the medium-dark range, which is exactly where the balance the article describes pays off, and FrontStreet's Classic Blend is a dependable reference point. It is made specifically for espresso and moka pot brewing, and its greatest strength is an outstanding crema: even a beginner on a non-commercial home machine can pull a dense, fine layer without trouble. Built on the traditional Mamba recipe, it drinks mellow and warm, at home in a latte, cappuccino or dirty, and it is easy for veterans and newcomers alike to accept.

If you are drawn to nutty, cocoa-led espressos, FrontStreet's Premium Blend and Black Cocoa Blend are worth trying. Both lean on a high proportion of Brazilian coffee, which supplies a comfortable bittersweet edge and a creamy peanut aroma with a smooth entry. FrontStreet Coffee's Premium Blend brings the nut, chocolate and caramel notes of Colombian coffee with a moderate acidity, while FrontStreet Coffee's Black Cocoa Blend layers in the ripe-plum acidity of Yunnan smallholder beans; ground, it releases a creamy chocolate aroma, balanced and versatile enough for lattes, americanos and a whole range of coffee specials.