There is nothing more flavorful and delicious than a finely roasted cup of Joe, but you may begin to wonder what this whole coffee roasting thing is all about. Is it really necessary to roast coffee beans? Can you drink them green?

The simple answer is that coffee beans definitely do need to be roasted because when they are green, they do not have the flavors that they need to create premium Java. Green and unroasted coffee beans have a sour and grassy flavor that will often taste like an astringent. If you are thinking that you can forgo the roasting process altogether and juice green coffee beans, then you may want to think again because that will nowhere resemble an actual cup of Joe.

When coffee beans are roasted, they have a chemical reaction in the roasting process. This allows the sugars within the coffee beans to caramelize and bring out flavorful amino acids. This process directly impacts the taste of your cup of coffee, which is why there are so many different varieties of roasts available on the market. Many roasters use their own “recipes” for roasting, which allows for unique flavors and characteristics within each coffee product on the market. When coffee is roasted, it also brings out its natural sweetness. Truthfully, your cup of coffee will be quite unpleasant if it contains unroasted coffee beans.

Each roaster takes the time to use their sense of taste and smell, as well as science, to determine the best way to roast their specific type of coffee beans. If you’re hoping to get a lighter and fuller taste out of your cup of coffee, then you may want to consider a light roast. The longer that coffee beans are roasted, the less natural flavors they have because they take on the smoky taste of the roasting process. Many coffee drinkers prefer a darker roast, but on the flip side, many commercial companies will dark roast their beans to mask poor quality flavors within the beans. This does not mean that all dark roasts are of a bad quality, but a light roast is often a better choice if you want to taste specific characteristics from the region that the beans were grown in.

Every single coffee crop is different, especially depending where it was cultivated. If you are not a fan of burnt tasting coffee, the better alternative would be to choose a premium light roast of coffee that you can freshly brew for a gentle and sweet coffee product. The truth of the matter is that many commercial coffees are overbrewed and overroasted so the true flavors are not evident. An easy alternative would be to look for local roasters in your area or online vendors that will freshly roast the coffee the day that ships to you for the best of the best in your coffee drinking. Make sure to enjoy your coffee up to 10 days after it has been roasted before it goes stale!

By: Mark Ramos

About the Author:

Caring for Parrots, Cockatiels, Parrotlets