Coffee lovers often marvel at the complexity of flavours in a single cup of coffee, from fruity and floral notes to earthy or nutty undertones. Yet, the science behind these flavours starts with the roasting process, which transforms raw coffee beans into the aromatic, flavour-packed gems we brew daily.
As blended and single origin coffee roasters, understanding how roasting influences the characteristics of each bean is essential to delivering a truly exceptional cup. We'll help you understand the roasting process in more detail, explaining its impact on coffee flavour and revealing some of the methods we use to perfect our offerings.
The Basics of Coffee Roasting
Roasting is a heat-driven process where green coffee beans are exposed to high temperatures, causing chemical and physical transformations. As the beans are heated, they lose moisture and begin to caramelise, developing the rich, complex flavours coffee drinkers love. Each coffee roast level, whether light, medium, or dark, brings out distinct flavour profiles.
For example, lighter roasts tend to preserve the original flavours of the beans, such as fruity or floral tones, which is why single-origin coffees are often preferred in lighter roast profiles to highlight their unique characteristics.
The Role of Single Origin Coffee vs. Blends
There is a significant difference between single-origin and blended coffees in how they respond to the roasting process. Single origin coffee roasters focus on beans from one geographical region, where the climate, soil, and altitude produce distinct characteristics. Roasting these beans is an art form, as the roast must be carefully calibrated to enhance their natural flavours without overpowering them.
What’s more, blend roast coffee involves combining beans from different regions to create a more balanced flavour profile. This process requires precise blending before or after roasting to ensure that each variety of bean contributes its best characteristics.
Blended coffee beans are often preferred for their consistency and ability to create a more rounded taste. The roasting process for blends must harmonise the distinct flavours from each origin, requiring an intimate knowledge of how different beans react to heat.
The Science Behind Coffee Roasting Levels
The flavour of coffee is determined by the chemical changes that occur during roasting. Here’s how the roast levels affect the flavour:
Light Roast Coffee
These beans are roasted until the first crack, a popping sound that indicates the beans have reached a critical point in their development. Light roasts maintain most of the bean's original flavour, showcasing more acidic, fruity, or floral notes. It's common for single origin coffee roasters to favour light roasts to highlight the origin of the beans.
Medium Roast Coffee
Medium roasts balance the natural flavours of the beans with caramelised sweetness from the roasting process. The acidity is toned down, and the coffee takes on a more rounded, smooth taste. This level of roasting is often used for both single-origin and roasted coffee blend styles.
Dark Roast Coffee
Dark roasts develop after the second crack and are characterised by a deeper, more robust flavour. The sugars in the beans caramelise fully, leading to chocolatey, smoky, and sometimes even bitter notes. At York Emporium, we don't sell single-origin dark roast beans, instead preferring a light-to-medium roast to allow the natural flavour of the beans shine through.
Blends and How They Benefit from Roasting
One of the challenges for single origin coffee roasters is that not all beans respond equally to heat. Some beans have more sugar, while others have more oils or proteins, which means different roasting times and temperatures are needed to bring out the best flavours. However, in blended coffee beans, these differences are balanced. Combining beans that respond differently to heat can lead to a more complex and layered cup of coffee.
When creating a roasted coffee blend, the goal is to balance acidity, sweetness, bitterness, and body. For example, a blend might include beans from a region known for its fruity and acidic notes, balanced with beans from other regions that offer more earthy or chocolatey tones. The roasting process can further enhance this complexity, leading to a versatile flavour profile that appeals to a broad range of palates.
How We Approach Coffee Roasting
At our York-based roastery, we carefully monitor the temperature, timing, and airflow during roasting. We take a more scientific approach when working with blend roast coffee, ensuring that the different beans in the blend complement each other at various roast levels.
For coffee blends, we always roast the individual components separately and blend afterwards. This is so we can roast each specific bean to the level best for the individual flavour profile, rather than applying the same roast profile to pre-blended coffee beans and wasting their natural flavour notes. This attention to detail allows us to bring out the best in both single-origin coffees and different types of coffee beans blends and roasts.
Whether working with a single origin or a complex roasted coffee blend, we strive to create a cup that showcases the artistry and science behind the roast. By fine-tuning the roasting process, we can unlock a world of flavours, from bright, fruity acidity to deep, robust chocolatey notes.
Trust York Emporium's Coffee Roasting Process
The roasting process is integral to shaping the final flavour of your coffee. Understanding how heat, time, and the origin of the beans influence the end product allows York Emporium to deliver an exceptional coffee experience.
Whether you're enjoying a medium roast single origin coffee or a carefully crafted blended coffee beans creation, every roast tells a story of transformation. As blended and single origin coffee roasters, we take pride in knowing that each roast reflects our dedication to quality and flavour.
