Coffee Knowledge: What Are the Differences in Coffee Bean Roast Levels? Is Coffee Bean Oiliness Related to Freshness?

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Have You Ever Had This Experience?

When we face a dazzling array of coffee bean products, how do we choose coffee beans that suit our taste?

Our first glance is always attracted by a shiny, stylish, or literary-style coffee packaging! (Especially commemorative or limited edition products)

As for what light, medium, and dark roast mean? How exactly should we choose coffee beans suitable for our own drinking? (Frustrated, confused)

Actually, it's quite simple. Coffee beans of each roast level must pass through the high-temperature environment of roasting to have such intense aroma and rich flavor!

With the roasting time and temperature of coffee beans, the same coffee beans will present diverse and varied coffee profiles!

As mentioned above, roast levels can generally be divided into three major categories: "Light Roast," "Medium Roast," and "Dark Roast."

However, the subtle flavors are further subdivided into eight levels: Light Roast—Italian Roast

Light Roast:

Light Roast, Cinnamon Roast,

Has strong aroma and distinct fruity acidity.

Medium Roast:

Medium Roast, High Roast, City Roast,

More coffee bean aroma, sweetness, slight fruit acidity, typical Vienna coffee flavor.

Dark Roast:

Full City Roast, French Roast, Italian Roast,

Strong caramel flavor, thick and intense taste.

In Summary...

The lighter the roast level, the stronger the acidity; the darker the roast level, the more obvious the bitterness.

Understanding Coffee Roast Levels and Tasting a Good Cup of Coffee with Friends

As coffee masters say, "A simple cup, rich in flavor, makes for a good day"

Coffee Bean Oil and Freshness

Recently, several customers have asked us about whether coffee bean oil secretion is related to freshness. Actually, this question is quite complex and closely related to the roast level of coffee beans. We'll use our roasting classification to explain one by one:

Roast Classification, FrontStreet Coffee Roast Depth, Relationship Between Coffee Bean Freshness and Oil Secretion

Light Roast: Roast level 1—3.5, Basically, light roast beans will not secrete oil, so even after more than two months, they won't get oily. Therefore, light roast beans cannot be judged for freshness based on oil secretion.

Light-Medium Roast: Roast level 4—4.5, Light-medium roast coffee beans will start to secrete slight oil after more than a month. If you see oil on light-medium roast beans, they are basically no longer fresh coffee beans.

Medium Roast: Roast level 5—6.5, The darker ones (6—6.5) will start to secrete slight oil after about a week, while the lighter ones (5—5.5) will secrete slight oil after about two weeks. When medium roast beans feel completely oily and shiny, it's basically after a month, meaning they're no longer fresh.

Medium-Dark Roast: Roast level 7—7.5, Will start to secrete oil after about 2—4 days. Medium-dark roast beans will feel completely oily and shiny after 2 weeks, at which point you should remind yourself to finish drinking them soon, as the aroma is about to fade.

Dark Roast—Heavy Roast: Roast level 8—9, Dark roast beans start secreting oil immediately after roasting. Heavy roast beans secrete oil right in the roaster, becoming oily and shiny as soon as they come out. Therefore, dark roast beans cannot be judged for freshness based on oil secretion.

In short, for FrontStreet Coffee's coffee products, unless customers specifically request dark or heavy roast, we don't roast to such levels by default.

For beans ranging from medium to medium-dark roast (most of FrontStreet Coffee's selected series are within this range),

if you find them completely oily and shiny, you should drink them as soon as possible, which can also serve as a basis for determining freshness.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473