Changed my mind about light roast coffee after reading a blog from a roaster in Portland

I always thought dark roast was the only way to get bold flavor, but I read a post from Roseline Coffee in Portland that said light roasts actually have more caffeine by weight-like 1.8% compared to 1.2% in dark. They explained that the roasting process burns off caffeine and flavor compounds, so lighter beans keep more of the original taste. I tried a light roast from Guatemala last week and it was fruity and bright, not weak at all. Has anyone else switched roasts based on something a roaster said online?

3 comments

3 Comments

hayden_nelson851mo ago

Tbh the caffeine by weight thing is true but by volume a dark roast has more because it's less dense.

sanchez.pat1mo ago

Oh wait, doesn't the water temp change how much caffeine actually extracts though?

charliestone1mo ago

Respectfully gotta push back on that - if you're brewing by scoop, the volume thing makes some sense, but the weight difference is pretty small compared to how much more caffeine is actually in the light roast. I tested this myself with a scale and a light roast Guatemalan had noticeably more kick than my usual dark.