Types of Roasts: Light, Medium, Dark

What is the difference between light, medium and dark roast coffee? In general, lighter the roast profile higher the caffein content, flavor and health benefits.

Health benefits: both light and medium roast are potent in the polyphenol chlorogenic acid, a powerful antioxidant that gives coffee its natural health-boosting benefits such as reducing inflammation, repairing cell damage, lowering cholesterol, improving your complexion, and boosting energy level and immunity.

Here at Hog Heaven Coffee we offer three roast profiles: medium, medium-dark and dark roast. Read on for details on the different types of roasts.

pic of three different types of roasted coffee - medium, medium-dark and dark

Light Roast is a light brown color and has no oil on the surface of the beans. These coffees typically have a crisp acidity, a mellow body, and bright flavors. They highlight the unique characteristics of a coffee’s origin with high acidity and toasted grain taste. However, some people consider the taste too subtle and watery.

Medium Roast is a brown color and rarely has an oily surface. These coffees have a medium acidity and body, as well as a rounded flavor profile. They’re less acidic and intense, and showcases a coffee’s natural flavor profile. Medium roast has slightly robust flavor than light.

Dark Roast is a dark brown color and often has an oily surface. These coffees have a low acidity, heavy body, and tend to reveal deeper, darker flavors.

While quality dark roast coffee has that robust taste, it is also the roast that can hide more defects and for lower quality beans. To combat low quality, roasters would “roast away” the less desirable flavors of low-grade coffee. This was an understandable way to combat low quality coffee.

With specialty coffees like Hog Heaven Coffee, there’s no need to roast away as the quality of the coffee allows the roast to delve into deeper, darker, more pleasant roasts.

And our Medium-Dark roast is that perfect balance between medium and dark!

Caveat: Please note that coffee quality matters! Conventional coffee brands can be rife with mold, toxins and pesticides which quickly negate the benefits of coffee. Hence, the offer of darker roasts that try to mask the poor quality. So, choose quality coffee to reap all the benefits of your brew! Know the source and origin of the coffee beans you're drinking.

And...lighter the roast higher the caffeine. Counterintuitive but true!

Read our complementary blog on significance of roast-on date.

And to unlock the full potential of coffee flavor, read our guide on what grinds to use for which coffee maker.

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