Best Light Roast Coffee

The light roast is the favored roast of choice among Third Wave Coffee and Specialty Coffee lovers. Light roast coffee allows maximizes a coffee bean’s natural flavors and allows them to fully express themselves when compared to darker roasts.

The reason for this is that dark roasted coffee beans are subjected to high heat for long periods of time. This causes the beans to take on a burnt or roasted flavor, which while not being bad per se, masks the natural flavors of the coffee bean. As a result, it’s easier to tell the different nuances of taste with a light roast.

Light roasted coffee beans are roasted at a temperature of 356°F to 401°F

A common misconception of light roasted coffee is that it lacks “boldness”. That’s simply untrue. Today’s gourmet coffee market features hundreds of quality light roasts that deliver a powerfully rich flavor. A prime example of this is Peet’s Light Roasted coffees which is arguably stronger than many medium or dark roasts out there.

Many have found that whatever a light roast may lack in strength is more than made up for by its variety, complexity, fullness, and range of flavor. If you want to taste the pure unadulterated flavor of the coffee bean, then light roast is the way to go.

Everything you need to know about Light Roast Coffee.

Why do Light Roast Coffee Beans have no oil?

The best light roast coffees are light brown in color and lack oil on the beans. Some people wonder what a lack of oils on coffee beans. It simply means the coffee beans were not roasted long enough for the oils to come up.

What’s temperature are light roasted coffee beans roasted at?

These beans are roasted until they reach a temperature of about 350 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit until the beans first crack at around 350 degrees.

Do light roasted beans have higher caffeine content than dark roasted beans?

The longer the beans roast the lower their caffeine content. Light roast coffee beans cook for a shorter time at a lower temperature and therefore, they retain the most caffeine of all the roasts. Because light roasted coffee beans contain more moisture than their darker counterparts, these light beans are denser. The denser the bean the more the caffeine.

What are some other names for light roasted coffee?

Light roast coffees can also be referred to as Light City Roast, New England Roast, or Cinnamon Roast

What type of coffee is best for a light roast?

While every coffee lover has their own flavor profile, the light roast is  is generally preferred for milder, fruitier, and more floral varieties such as African coffees.

Browse our site and choose from some of the best light roast coffee brands on the market.