DCC’s Guide to Roast Levels

One of the more frustrating things about coffee is that there are no set rules for roast levels. One roaster’s light can be another roaster’s medium, and yet another’s medium-light. For that reason, some roasters prefer not to use that nomenclature to try and avoid the issue. Some opt for 2/5 stars, or I have even seen some use the final end temperature listed. But, personally 2/5 stars doesn’t really tell me much and if using end temperature isn’t a good way because 1) that’s really only something roasters would understand and 2) end temperature doesn’t exactly correlate to roast level it’s only one piece of the puzzle. Therefore, I have found that nomenclature is important for context and while the “light, medium, dark”nomenclature is not perfect, those other systems are flawed in their own ways, too.  The important thing is to define what the words we are using actually mean. So that’s what I aim to do in this post.

      In specialty coffee, the whole spectrum shifts toward lighter roasts. In other words, what a specialty roaster calls medium may be considered dark by many traditional coffee drinkers, and specialty roasters often roast coffee much lighter than most people are used to. So who’s wrong? Not necessarily anyone. As coffee roasts longer, many of its original compounds break down while new flavors are created through Maillard reactions, caramelization, and eventually pyrolysis (the thermal decomposition that eventually leads toward carbonization). Over time, the unique flavors of the coffee’s origin become less distinct while roast-derived flavors become more dominant. For that reason, specialty coffee generally prefers lighter roasts. I’ll do a future post on the history of specialty coffee, but the idea of roasting light isn’t new at all. You’ll sometimes hear these coffees referred to as Nordic roasts because Scandinavian countries have long preferred lighter roasted coffee. More on that in a future post.

We are almost at the point where we can start defining terms. But first, there are a few important things to keep in mind.

1. Every coffee behaves differently. I’ll provide temperature ranges here, but they aren’t universal. One coffee may reach first crack at 400°F while another reaches it at 385°F or 390°F.

2. Weight loss varies as well. Moisture content, density, and the coffee itself all influence how much weight is lost during roasting.

3. These definitions reflect how I roast coffee. I believe they’re approachable and understandable for most coffee drinkers, but they aren’t industry standards. They’re simply the framework I use to communicate what you can expect in the cup.

One last thing: you’ll notice these temperature ranges overlap. That’s intentional. Roast level isn’t determined by a single temperature, and coffee doesn’t suddenly become “medium” at exactly 415°F. Temperature is only one piece of the puzzle, and different coffees behave differently. These ranges are meant to provide helpful guidelines rather than hard boundaries.

Ultra light Roasts: 385F-405F (11-12.5% weight loss)

This is a coffee that is dropped (the phrase we use for ending a roast) at the beginning of first crack. It tends to be a bit grassy if not done perfectly and retains a great deal of the coffee’s natural acidity. It also preserves the highest level of origin character, which is why it’s such a compelling roast level to many specialty coffee enthusiasts. Bitterness is usually minimal to nonexistent.

Light roasts: 405F-413F (12-13% weight loss)

This is where the origin characteristics remain very pronounced, but the acidity is brought down to a more approachable level for most coffee drinkers. Acidity is still vibrant, sweetness is often at its peak, and bitterness remains very low. If not roasted well, it can still come across as grassy or overly acidic.

Light-medium roasts: 410-418F (13-14% weight loss)

This is the range where the acidity begins to round off while the coffee still expresses plenty of its origin character. It offers a balance between brightness, sweetness, and body, with very little roast flavor.

Medium roasts: 415-423F (14-14.8% weight loss)

This is where the acidity becomes more subdued while still remaining noticeable. Origin characteristics are still present, but subtle roast-derived flavors begin to emerge.

Medium-Dark: 420-428F (14.8-15.5% weight loss)

This is the range where acidity is greatly reduced. Origin characteristics become harder to distinguish as roast flavors begin to dominate the cup.

Dark: 428F+ (15.5%+ weight loss)

At this point, acidity is largely replaced by bitterness. Roast-derived flavors dominate, making the coffee’s original origin characteristics much more difficult to detect.

Ultimately, roast level isn’t about chasing a specific temperature or weight loss percentage. It’s about communicating what a coffee is likely to taste like. My goal isn’t to convince you that one roast level is better than another, but to give you a clearer understanding of what to expect in your cup and to explain how I use these terms when I roast coffee.