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I work at Caffe Paradiso, and one of the most common sets of questions customers ask me is in reference to our brewed coffee. There is always a large amount of our house coffee ‘on tap,’ if you will, and we brew a smaller amount of ‘day coffee,’ which changes randomly and adds variety to the menu. Some patrons simply want to know which of the two brews is fresher, which is an entirely legitimate question of quality. But most others seem to be interested in aspects like caffeine content and taste. The type of roast of any kind of coffee or espresso beans can tell you a lot (but not everything) about both of these issues of personal preference.

The caffeine content of coffee beans actually weakens when they are roasted, so a batch of beans considered dark-roast will have less caffeine than a medium roast, and even less when compared to a light roast. Some coffee roasters will even label their beans more elaborately, using terms like ‘very dark’ or ‘medium light.’

Caffeine is also responsible for much of the acidic taste often attributed to coffee, so dark-roast beans typically have a much smoother taste than do lighter roasts, which can provide the slight bite that turns some people away from coffee altogether. Other factors that play into taste have a lot to do with natural aromas of the coffee and the flavors that they bring out to form a very complex taste. Every particular roast of coffee beans isn’t just coffee; each is unique — much like wines of the same varietal — and thus, compliments different foods and different palettes. Darker roasts often provide subtle hints of berry or chocolate and are likely to be described as sweeter than other coffees, while lighter roasts tend to have more smoky or earthy flavors that can possibly lead to a bitter taste. These ‘cup notes’ are quite helpful when buying a bag of coffee beans because they describe elements of the taste and consistency, or ‘body,’ of the coffee that will result when the beans are brewed. If you know what you like, then you’re hopefully now better able to choose the roast that’s right for you.