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

FrontStreet Coffee - Coffee Roast Levels and Light Roast Brewing Parameters

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Depending on roasting time, the appearance and flavor of the finished beans vary. Coffee roast levels are usually divided into eight degrees, from "Light Roast" as the lightest to "Italian Roast" as the darkest, each with a distinct character:

Coffee Roast Levels

Light Roast: Insufficient coffee aroma, prominent vanilla-like acidity, relatively rare on the market;

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

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

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

City Roast: The most popular roast level among the general public, less acidic than "High Roast," often used for French coffee;

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

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

Italian Roast: Strong bitterness with almost no acidity, an intense, complex flavor with rich smoky notes, suitable for 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 30 g of water for 30 seconds. Second pour to 120 g, wait until the water level drops to just before exposing the coffee bed, then make the third pour to 225 g. 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 change in flavor over the following 1-2 weeks, offering an extra journey that lets you watch coffee rise and fall like flowers blooming and wilting. We can usually taste the best flavor at around 1 week.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

To put those roast levels to work on a medium-light Ethiopian bean like the Guji lot above, FrontStreet washed Yirgacheffe is the classic reference. Grown around the town of Yirgacheffe, it shows clear jasmine florals and a bright citrus acidity, light-bodied and elegant with a tea-like texture - the kind of delicate profile a lighter roast is meant to protect.

FrontStreet Gedingding Cooperative goes a step further on clarity. From the Worka area at the southeastern edge of Yirgacheffe and once part of the Worka cooperative under the YCFCU alliance, it is processed washed, so its citrus and lemon acidity and white floral notes come through cleanly after a medium-light roast.

For a fruitier, sweeter light-roast cup, FrontStreet sun-dried Red Cherry is dried whole on raised beds and delivers Yirgacheffe character plus tropical fruit, with peach, cocoa, honey, and lemon. FrontStreet sun-dried Huakui, from Hambella in Guji, Sidama, is dried on raised beds for 21 days and roasted medium-light, showing light fermented wine, florals, citrus, and mango over a thick, sweet body.