Coffee roasting
Coffee roasting is the controlled heating of green coffee beans, causing chemical and physical changes that develop their color, aroma, and flavor.
Maillard reaction: A reaction between amino compounds and reducing sugars that produces brown pigments and diverse aromas during heating. It generates many roasted aromas and brown compounds as bean temperature rises.
Green coffee: Unroasted coffee seeds prepared for storage, trade, and eventual roasting. Roasting begins with these comparatively dense, moist seeds.
Roast profile: A record of a coffee roast’s temperature and time progression, often including turning points and development milestones. Roasters adjust this time-temperature path to shape a coffee’s flavor.
Light roast coffee: Coffee roasted to a relatively light color, often retaining more origin-associated acidity and flavor distinctions. It represents a less-developed endpoint with pronounced bean-specific character.
Coffee aroma: The volatile compounds perceived through smell in brewed or dry coffee. Roasting creates and releases many of the compounds responsible for coffee’s characteristic smell.
Caramelization: The thermal decomposition of sugars into colored compounds and volatile flavor molecules. Sugar breakdown contributes sweetness, color, and aroma during roasting.
Coffee bean moisture: The water contained in a coffee seed, commonly measured as a percentage of its mass. Moisture influences heating, drying time, and the bean’s physical transformation.
Coffee roast level: A classification of roasted coffee by degree of development, commonly described as light, medium, or dark. It summarizes a roast’s development, though it does not fully specify flavor.
Dark roast coffee: Coffee roasted to a dark color, often showing stronger roast-derived bitterness and smoky or toasted flavors. It represents more extensive thermal development and a stronger roast imprint.
Coffee acidity: The sour and bright sensory qualities of coffee, influenced by acids and brewing conditions. Roasting alters organic acids, changing perceived brightness and sharpness.