Understanding Coffee Terms: Roast, Blend, Varietal, and More

Do you know the difference between City roast and French roast? Blend and Varietal? If not, don't worry—Kaldi Gourmet Coffee is here to explain five of the most common coffee terms. We'll teach you what they are, what they mean, and suggest what  to try!

Roast

The roast is perhaps the most critical factor in determining the flavor of your coffee. Coffee beans are roasted to varying degrees, from light to dark. The darker the roast, the closer the natural oils are to the surface of the bean and the more intense the flavor will be.

• City Roast or Light Roast:  A light roast coffee is typically roasted for a shorter amount of time than a dark roast. This results in a coffee that is lighter in color and has a milder flavor.

• Full City Roast or Medium Roast: A medium roast coffee is roasted for longer than a light roast, but not as long as a dark roast. This type of roast will have a medium-dark color and a richer flavor.

• Italian Roast or Medium-Dark Roast: An Italian roast is a medium-dark roast coffee that is roasted for longer than a medium roast to allow time for  just a hint of oil to rise to the surface of the coffee beans. This is a delicate and difficult roast to perfect and requires a very close watch from the roastmaster.

• French Roast or Dark Roast: A dark roast coffee is roasted for the longest amount of time. This results in a coffee that is very dark in color and has a strong, bold flavor. A glossy sheen is created on the outside of the beans from the inner oils of the coffee rising to the surface.

Blend

A blend is simply a mixture of two or more different coffee beans. Blends are created to achieve a unique flavor profile. The ratio of beans can be changed to suit the taste preference of the individual coffee drinker. When blending coffees, roastmasters take into account the different taste characteristics  of each bean and how they will interact with one other.  An example of a delicately crafted blend is Kaldi’s Roaster’s Choice Blend. For this blend, we French roast two of our Latin American Coffees, City Roast our most popular Indonesian coffee and blend them together to create a rich, bold taste profile.

Varietal

A varietal is a coffee bean that has been grown in a specific region of the world and is named for the country/area  ie. Colombia, Ethiopia, Sumatra. The climate, soil, and altitude all contribute to the distinct flavor of the bean. Coffee beans are grown all around the world, but the most common regions include:

• The Latin American Growing Region, which includes beans from  Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico and Nicaragua.

• The African Growing Region, which includes beans from Ethiopia, Rwanda, Kenya and Tanzania.

• The Indonesian Growing Region, which includes beans from India, Java, Papua New Guinea, Sulawesi and Sumatra. 

Flavored Coffee

Flavored coffee is coffee that has been coated with oils after the roasting process to create a taste profile beyond that which can be created with the bean’s own natural oils. These beans release a specific flavor during the brewing process. For the month of April,  at Kaldi we are promoting our Peanut Butter Cup flavor. Flavored coffee beans are commonly confused with flavored coffee syrups. While flavored coffee beans are flavored at the roastery immediately following the roasting process, flavored syrups are used to flavor coffee after it has been extracted/brewed. For example a Vanilla Latte is flavored with a Vanilla flavored syrup. 

Coffee Grind

Grinding coffee is the process of breaking down the coffee beans to prepare the coffee for extracting/brewing. The finer the grind, the stronger the flavor of the coffee. Coarsely ground coffee is best for French presses, while more finely ground coffee (espresso grind) is best for espresso machines. The six common coffee grind types include:

• Whole Bean

• Percolator Grind

• Drip Grind

• Fine Grind

• Espresso Grind

• Turkish Grind