Coffee comes in a variety of different roasts, each providing a different flavor profile and caffeine effect. It all depends on how hot and long you roast the beans. Before roasting the bean is green in color and relatively soft.
DARK ROAST coffee beans are roasted the longest and often have a shine to them from oils being extracted from the beans. They have a robust flavor and carry the LEAST amount of caffeine since the roasting process actually removes caffeine. Some famous dark roasts are French Roast or my personal favorite, Sumatra.
MEDIUM ROAST coffees are roasted for a shorter amount of time than dark roasts and on the spectrum have the most variety to how you can roast them and which flavor profiles you can extract. They have more caffeine than dark roasts and can be glossy with oil but will look dryer on their surface. Our house coffee COSTA RICAN is a medium roast that we have had for years. Our customers know, love and count on its consistency.
LIGHT ROAST coffees are very trendy right now. You can find them at a lot of small batch roasters or the famous Blonde Roast. Light roast coffees are roasted for the shortest amount of time and have THE MOST CAFFEINE. Some people love the extra kick and for others it can push you a little over the edge. I would definitely warn your caffeine sensitive friends or family. By sight, light roast coffees will always look very dry having little to no oil extracted from the beans.
Anyone want to guess the roast of the beans in this picture? Light, medium or dark?