Everybody loves a good roast.  In the coffee roasting world, we use different terms for roasting than what you see on the packaging.  Consumers need a way to easily identify the roast level of the coffee to help them quickly make a decision.  Who wants to spend hours reading a label trying to figure out roasters terminology?  

What do consumers know and see?  

• Light Roast
• Medium Roast
• Dark Roast 
• French or Vienna Roast 

See a particular roast missing from the list?  I’ll bet you’re thinking “espresso roast”, right?  Well, this is coffee college so we are here to tell you that espresso is neither a roast level, nor a bean type.  Espresso is a way to make coffee using an expresso machine.  More on this under the “Brewing Methods” tab in Coffee College.    

In the roasting world, we have these roasting levels:

• Cinnamon.  Beans temp is 196 C when they are removed from the roaster just as first crack starts.  This is equivalent to a light roast 
• City.  Beans temp is 205 C when they are removed from the roaster in the middle of first crack.  This is equivalent to a light-medium roast 
• City +  Beans temp is 207-210 C when they are removed from the roaster at the end of first crack.  This is equivalent to a medium roast.
• Full City.  Beans temp is 210-221 C when they are removed from the roaster after first crack but before second crack. This is equivalent to a full medium roast.
• Full City +  Beans temp is 218 - 2240 C when they are removed from the roaster right at the start of second crack.  This is equivalent to a dark roast. 
• Vienna Beans temp is 221 - 227 C when they are removed from the roaster right in the middle of second crack.  This is as dark as coffee can get before it burns and scorches.  

Dark roasts and Vienna roasts are tricky and require a lot of attention to smell, sights, and sounds to get it right.  As little as 15 seconds too late and your batch is ruined.  

We are using a full Artisan Scope roasting software set up to be able to precisely chart and observe all of the critical roasting points.  We are also using a Hermetheus roaster co-pilot servo (look at us using technical lingo – woot woot!) to ensure we get the same repeatable finished product roast after roast.  

In the roasting world, we have these roasting levels:

• Cinnamon.  Beans temp is 196 C when they are removed from the roaster just as first crack starts.  This is equivalent to a light roast 

• City.  Beans temp is 205 C when they are removed from the roaster in the middle of first crack.  This is equivalent to a light-medium roast.

• City +  Beans temp is 207-210 C when they are removed from the roaster at the end of first crack.  This is equivalent to a medium roast.

• Full City.  Beans temp is 210-221 C when they are removed from the roaster after first crack but before second crack. This is equivalent to a full medium roast.

• Full City +  Beans temp is 218 - 224 C when they are removed from the roaster right at the start of second crack.  This is equivalent to a dark roast. 

• Vienna Beans temp is 221 - 227 C when they are removed from the roaster right in the middle of second crack.  This is as dark as coffee can get before it burns and scorches.  

Dark roasts and Vienna roasts are tricky and require a lot of attention to smell, sights, and sounds to get it right.  As little as 15 seconds too late and your batch is ruined.  

We are using a full Artisan Scope roasting software set up to be able to precisely chart and observe all of the critical roasting points.  We are also using a Hermetheus roaster co-pilot servo (look at us using technical lingo – woot woot!) to ensure we get the same repeatable finished product roast after roast.