✨ Happy New Year!
May the year ahead be full of good habits, beautiful moments – and of course, good coffee. The kind that we take the time to prepare. And a little more time to drink.
We like to start the new year with the basics. The ones that really help us understand why we like certain coffees – and why some simply don't.
So let's start today with an educational lesson. And the right one. 🔥
🔥 Why do we know different coffee roasts?
All coffees start the same – as green, raw beans without the characteristic coffee aroma.
Only roasting brings out its aromas, flavor, and character.
It is the degree of roasting that decides:
➡ will the coffee be fruity or bitter,
➡ light or intense,
➡ suitable for filter or espresso.
Roasting is not a question of "stronger or weaker" coffee.
It's about different tastes, different styles and different moments.
🌱 Light roasting – when coffee tells a story
Lightly roasted coffee is lively, playful and full of detail.
It has fruity, floral and citrus notes, sometimes even a tea-like lightness.
This is roasting where:
➡ the origin of coffee is most evident 🌍,
➡ we detect differences between countries, regions and individual farms,
➡ Coffee feels fresh, clean and energetic.
It shines best in:
➡ filter methods (V60, Chemex, Kalita),
➡ AeroPress,
➡ a modern, lighter espresso.
👉 Light roasting is typical for specialty coffees - where we want the flavor of the bean, not the flavor of the roast.
⚖️ Medium roast – the golden mean
Medium roast is where many people feel "at home."
The coffee is more rounded, softer and very drinkable.
In the cup we find:
➡ less pronounced acidity,
➡ more natural sweetness,
➡ chocolate, caramel and nutty notes 🍫🌰.
It is a roasting that:
➡ it is very versatile,
➡ works well in various cooking methods,
➡ It is friendly to both beginners and experienced coffee lovers.
Great for:
➡ espresso,
➡ coffee maker flour,
➡ filter if you want less acid.
👉 If you're not sure what to choose, medium roast is almost always a good choice.
🔥 Dark roast – strength and intensity
Dark roasted coffee is distinctive, strong and quickly recognizable.
The flavors are more smoky, bitter-chocolatey, and the acidity is very low.
Such roasting:
➡ gives the feeling of "strong" coffee,
➡ it is very stable and predictable,
➡ allows for quick and easy extraction.
It is most often used for:
➡ classic espresso,
➡ automatic coffee machines,
➡ coffee with milk ☕🥛.
👉 With this roasting, we don't drink as much grain anymore - we mainly drink the roast.
🤔 Why are specialty coffees almost never dark roasted?
Because they would lose everything that makes them special.
Specialty coffees have:
➡ natural sweetness,
➡ fruity and complex aromas,
➡ clearly traceable origin.
Dark roasting overrides all of that.
The differences disappear, the story becomes silent.
With specialty coffee, the goal is for the roaster to emphasize the bean – not overpower it.
🤔 Why are commercial coffees often dark roasted?
Because dark roasting:
➡ hides the defects of inferior grains,
➡ ensures the same taste from year to year,
➡ meets the expectations of a wider audience,
➡ It is very suitable for large systems and automatic coffee machines.
It's not wrong – it's just a different approach.
☕ What does this mean for you?
If you know roasting:
➡ it is easier to choose coffee for your preparation method,
➡ understand why a certain coffee doesn't suit you,
➡ Drink less "by heart" and more by taste.
And above all:
👉 Coffee doesn't get complicated - it gets more meaningful .
We continue in the following news:
➡ 🔍 how to choose the right grind,
➡ ⚡ why "strength" has no direct connection to caffeine,
➡ 🎯 and how to get a completely different taste from the same coffee.
Good coffee is no accident.
It is the result of understanding, time and the right decisions.
Let's take our time.
For coffee. For taste. For understanding.
The coffeetime.si team ☕
