Coffee culture

How Many Levels of Coffee Bean Roasting Are There? A Guide to Brewing Light Roast Coffee Beans

Published: 2026-01-28 Author: FrontStreet Coffee
Last Updated: 2026/01/28, Professional coffee knowledge sharing. For more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account: cafe_style). FrontStreet Coffee - Roasting degrees and brewing parameters for light roast coffee. Based on the duration of roasting, green coffee beans will exhibit different appearances and flavors in their finished form. Typically, people divide coffee roasting into eight levels, with "very light roast" roasting...
Coffee beans and brewing equipment

FrontStreet Coffee - Coffee Roast Levels and Light Roast Brewing Parameters

Professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account: cafe_style)

Depending on the roasting time, the appearance and flavor of the formed coffee beans will vary. Typically, coffee roast levels are divided into eight degrees, with "Light Roast" being the lightest and "Italian Roast" being the darkest, each with distinct flavors:

Coffee Roast Levels

Light Roast: Insufficient coffee aroma, prominent vanilla acidity, relatively rare in the market;

Cinnamon Roast: Higher acidity with slight aroma, suitable for brewing American coffee;

Medium Roast: Retains the original flavor of coffee beans to some extent, with slightly higher acidity and some bitterness, suitable for brewing American coffee or blended coffee;

High Roast: Balanced acidity and bitterness, with heavier aroma and richer flavor layers;

City Roast: The most popular roast level among the general public, with lower acidity than "High Roast," often used for making French coffee;

Full City Roast: Prominent bitterness with lower acidity, full-bodied aroma with lingering aftertaste, often used for making black coffee or iced coffee;

French Roast: Strong bitterness with mild acidity, featuring smoky and chocolate aromas, with intense flavor, mostly suitable for making Vienna coffee;

Italian Roast: Strong bitterness with almost no acidity, intense and complex flavor with rich smoky notes, suitable for making espresso.

Ethiopia Guji Coffee Bean Information

Origin: Ethiopia

Region: Yirgacheffe, Guji Zone, Oromia

Processing Method: Natural

Variety: Heirloom

Altitude: 2100m

Roast Level: Medium-Light Roast

Flavor Profile: Floral, tropical fruits, toffee

Brewing Parameters

Coffee-to-water ratio 1:15, grind size BG-6S, water temperature 91°C. Bloom with 30g of water for 30 seconds. Second pour to 120g, wait until the water level drops to just before exposing the coffee bed, then perform the third pour to 225g. Wait until the water level drops to just before exposing the coffee bed, then remove the filter cup. Total extraction time: 2 minutes.

Coffee Knowledge Tip

Freshly roasted coffee beans will change in flavor over the next 1-2 weeks, offering an additional journey to witness the rise and fall of coffee like the blooming and withering of flowers. Typically, we can taste the best flavor around 1 week.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473

0