Roasting is one of the most important processes, if not the most important, in coffee. The roaster is responsible for highlighting the hard work the coffee farmer has put in throughout the entire production season. Some might say that the coffee growing or processing part is the most important, and while it is of great importance, what would happen if everything the coffee farmer intended to do during fermentation and drying isn't present during roasting? This is why roasting takes on a greater responsibility.
The roaster is like the chef when cooking meat. Perhaps he wasn't responsible for raising and feeding the cattle, but he was the one who cooked it best and made all the farmer's work worthwhile. The same goes with coffee. When roasting, we seek to enhance the flavors through the heat and air of the roaster. Well-enhanced and balanced flavors will indicate the quality of the coffee we are roasting.
Today, countless roasting profiles can be achieved in roasting. To do this, the roaster must know the coffee they're working with, from the origin to the fermentation process. However, to keep things simple, three types of roasts are generally used: Light, Medium, and Dark. A light roast isn't as developed, so it remains in an early stage before caramelization. The flavors you'll perceive are vegetal and more herbal. A medium roast is already in a state of caramelization, so you'll notice more complexity. Notes of chocolate, hazelnuts, and caramel. This roast creates a better balance, which is why it's highly recommended for different methods such as espresso, immersion, and filtered coffee. Finally, there's also a dark roast. This stage has its fans and its haters. Being a dark roasted coffee, it general loses complexity, and you'll more easily find burnt flavors. Remember the meat example I told you about? The same thing happens with coffee. If you over-roast, you're killing the juiciness that the bean can provide. Commercial coffee companies tend to carry out this practice with the intention of disguising coffee's flaws.
Coffee and roasts are a matter of taste, and there's nothing wrong with liking one more than another. That's why at Cuela, we recently launched the new Cuela Box, which features three different roasted coffees: Café Tres Picachos (dark roast), Café Don Pello (medium/dark roast), and Café Don Luis (medium roast). The idea of the box is to give you the opportunity to try three different roasts, or it can also serve as a fun gift for a family member or loved one who loves coffee.
Now that you've briefly learned the differences between the roasts and the intention behind them, go on and try our latest Cuela Box and remember #CuelaUnCaféConLosTuyos.
Access our lastest Cuela Box: https://cuela.coffee/products/cuela-box-2025
¡Salud!
