Don’t Judge a Bean by Its Colour: Understanding Roast Levels

Jan 19, 2025

Recently, a customer reached out to us with a question about his purchase of our Colombia Rum-Aged coffee. He wondered if it was truly a light roast, as listed on our website, because the beans looked like a mix of light and dark roasts. This is a common misconception many coffee drinkers have—the idea that a coffee bean’s color directly corresponds to4 its roast level. But as coffee processing methods evolve, this visual cue is no longer a reliable indicator.

Willy Goh, Founder and Senior Roaster of Mighty Wonders Coffee Roasters

The Traditional Colour and Roast Level Link

In the past, the appearance of roasted beans did indeed correlate with their roast level. For traditionally processed coffee beans, like those dried naturally or washed, lighter-colored beans typically meant a light roast, and darker-colored beans were usually a dark roast. This relationship made it easy to judge roast levels by simply looking at the beans.

However, with the introduction of new processing methods—such as honey processing and fermentation techniques like aerobic, anaerobic, and barrel-aging—the appearance of roasted beans can be deceptive. For example, the Colombia Rum-Aged beans our customer purchased had aged in rum barrels for a month. This aging process affected the structure of the beans, making them more sensitive to heat during roasting. As a result, although we roasted them as a light roast, the beans appeared to be a mix of light and dark.

Willy Goh, Founder and Senior Roaster of Mighty Wonders Coffee Roasters

How Processing Methods Affect Bean Appearance 

In the past, the appearance of roasted beans did indeed correlate with their roast level. For traditionally processed coffee beans, like those dried naturally or washed, lighter-colored beans typically meant a light roast, and darker-colored beans were usually a dark roast. This relationship made it easy to judge roast levels by simply looking at the beans.

However, with the introduction of new processing methods—such as honey processing and fermentation techniques like aerobic, anaerobic, and barrel-aging—the appearance of roasted beans can be deceptive. For example, the Colombia Rum-Aged beans our customer purchased had aged in rum barrels for a month. This aging process affected the structure of the beans, making them more sensitive to heat during roasting. As a result, although we roasted them as a light roast, the beans appeared to be a mix of light and dark.

Willy Goh, Founder and Senior Roaster of Mighty Wonders Coffee Roasters

The only way to accurately determine a coffee’s roast level is through temperature and timing, particularly by monitoring the first and second cracks during roasting. These are key markers that coffee roasters use to control the roast level. So, while the appearance of the beans can be misleading, the roast level listed on the product description is based on these precise roasting measurements.

Next time you open a bag of coffee and the beans don’t look like what you expect, don’t be quick to judge. Instead, check the processing method and trust the information provided by the roaster. The roast level isn’t always visible to the naked eye, but it’s reflected in the taste and profile of the coffee.

In summary, while the traditional link between color and roast level remains true for many coffees, newer processing methods are changing the game. The next time you encounter beans that look darker or oilier than expected, remember—it’s the process behind the bean, not just the color, that tells the full story!

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