Let’s talk about the taste first. When you’re shopping for coffee you’ll come across a lot of different words, we’re going to focus on a few: light, mediumAnd dark roasts. Each roast is produced a little differently, but the longer they sizzle, the darker they become. There are other variables involved, like the temperature of the frying pan, but for our purposes we’ll stick to the basics. Every second your beans are in the roaster, they change. Their aromas, their flavors, their color profile.
Light roasts come out of the frying pan light golden brown. These are usually roasted at a lower temperature or for a shorter time, and the result is a bean that produces a lighter color and a lighter flavor. Light roasts often taste a little floral, a little fruity, almost as if you’re tasting the coffee cherry that the bean used to be in. Light roasts always taste like spring mornings in Portland to me. If Light Roasts had a playlist it would start with ‘Murder on the dance floor‘By Sophie Ellis-Bextor, certainly.
Medium roasts is what I drink almost every morning. Medium roasts tend to come out of the roasting pan a rich, earthy brown. They taste of warm spices, caramel and toffee, with soft notes of chocolate. A well-brewed medium roast tastes like a relaxing fall morning to me. Because they are right in the middle of the roast spectrum, they produce delicious coffee no matter how you brew them, so they are also an excellent choice for their versatility. The Medium Roast Playlist is something you can listen to in the morning as you start your day, or in the evening as you get ready to go out – filled with songs like ‘Pink Pony Club‘By Chappell Roan.
Dark roasts are my second favorite for everyday drinking. No other roast produces the rich, deep, chocolatey, toasty complexity you get from a dark roast. Dark roasts are often used in “espresso blends,” but for my taste they make one of the best pour-over or AeroPress coffees. Both methods allow those warm background flavors to shine and also bring out some of the spicier flavors. For the Dark Roast playlist, I would probably start with ‘Moonlight magic‘by Ashnikko.
2. Source locally
Photo: Griet
Time is important for coffee beans. Time spent shipping, time spent on shelf, time spent on your shelf. The longer it sits, especially after roasting, the less fresh it will taste. Eventually, around the one week mark, you will notice a decline in quality. After two weeks it is still drinkable, but it produces a much less tasty cup of coffee. To ensure that you can enjoy your coffee for as long as possible, it is best to buy local.