Anyone who slams a few cups of coffee per day probably thinks about bean roast more than the average person. That’s because the roast color of your coffee beans can have huge ramifications for how your cup of joe ends up tasting. For those who love a sweet, fruitiness or floral flavor profile, you’re likely stocked up on bags of light roasted coffee beans. With light coffee, you get to enjoy a multilayered finish that’s sure to make you go back for more.
For coffee craftsmen and casual sippers alike, here are some fun facts about light roast coffee that are sure to get you excited to experiment with your favorite beverage – so, fill up your mug and keep reading to learn more.
Light Roast Coffee Is Cooked In Just Minutes
Coffee roasting is an art form, with modern technology allowing for richer, more potent flavor and roast profiles. You take green coffee beans and roast them at extremely high heat, up to 500 degrees. After a few minutes, the beans will crack, much like popcorn. You can then pull them out for a light roast, or leave them in for a medium roast. You’ll then hear a second crack sound, which means they’ve reached dark roast levels. For an extra-dark roast, leave them in for a few more seconds before they burn. This may sound complex, but you can actually roast your own beans at home on the stovetop or in purpose-built equipment.
Light Roast Has A Unique Flavor Profile
Roasting beans to a lighter level requires cooking them at a different temperature to retain much of the brighter, acidic notes of the coffee bean. As such, you can expect your cup of joe to have tangy, fruity and floral flavor notes. Although you may have heard that dark roasts are stronger than light roasts, that’s a common misconception, as the two types have almost the same caffeine level by weight, so you can still get that invigorating shot of caffeine. As you roast a bean, the oils and glucose start to carmelize, becoming more and more complex the darker you go. Because of that, you usually want to cook light and dark beans differently to emphasize their unique profiles.
Light Coffee Has More Caffeine Per Scoop
Caffeine is a huge part of why people consume coffee in the first place and a huge component of the culture. That’s because it helps get your day started and can be a much-needed pick-me-up in the afternoon. Per bean, light roast has more caffeine because the roasting process causes beans to shrink the longer they’re cooked. So bean per bean, you can expect a larger jolt of energy from a lighter-roast coffee. If you’re partial to no caffeine, never worry as light roast is available in decaf form as well.
Light Roast Coffee Is More Acidic
In general, you can expect light roast coffee to be a more-acidic beverage compared to darker alternatives. As you roast a bean, you’re essentially cooking out any acidity that may be present. So, light roasts generally have the more unique finishes that will certainly excite your tongue. If you have stomach problems, consider a medium or dark roast, as high acidity can affect acid reflux.
Drink Light Roast Coffee For Health Benefits
Light roast has plenty of health benefits that can protect you from colon cancer, promote a healthy digestive system and prevent deadly diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Light roast coffee can contain up to 1,000 antioxidants, along with important vitamins like E and B, as well as nutritional compounds like magnesium and potassium.
Now you know why light roast is a great choice!
Whether you crave coffee every day or enjoy a cup every now and then, these fun facts prove that light roast is a bean worth brewing. With its layered, bright flavor profile that includes hints of fruity, tangy and other sweet aromas, you get a tasty pick me up in every cup. The next time you’re picking up coffee beans, consider switching your roast color to experiment with a new type of beverage – if you drink enough coffee, you’re sure to love light roast.
Ready To Try A Luscious Light Roast Coffee?
Are you searching for a new type of light roast coffee that is flavorful, sweet and offers the perfect caffeine level? Then reach for a bag of Inflight Fuel. With our light roast beans, sustainably sourced from Dominican farms, you get a coffee that’s as refreshing as it is tasty. You’ll be ready for the next adventure, no matter where it is – just make sure to bring along our light roast coffee as a companion.
