We’re excited to announce that our customers can now search for coffee on our website by roast. Just click on any category in our shopping pages and you’ll see a box that allows you to filter your choices by light, medium, or dark roast. But how do you know which roast you want? Owner and self-professed “coffee nerd” Scott Smith created this list to help our customers understand what each designation means.
LIGHT ROASTS
As the name implies, these beans will be light brown in color. A longer roasting time allows oil to break through to the surface. Since these beans are not roasted long, they will present as a dry bean. Lancaster County Coffee Roasters prefers using a light roast technique for subtle flavors that are lost with a longer roasting.
Our light roasts include coffees such as BREAKFAST BLEND and VINTAGE BLEND.
MEDIUM ROASTS
This roast is sometimes called the American roast because is often preferred in the U.S. While roasted longer than light, it’s still not roasted long enough to produce an oily surface. We like to use a medium roast setting for coffee with a more robust flavor, that can withstand higher temperatures without getting bitter. Popular medium roasts include FASNACHT HOUSE and MARKET HOUSE.
The Medium roast category covers a wide range of beans. Some of the darker “medium” roasts are dark brown in color. These beans are roasted long enough to produce some oil on the surface, and they finish with a slightly bittersweet note – think rich dark leather. Our GUATEMALAN and OLD AMISH are good examples of this roast style.
DARK ROASTS
Because this bean is roasted longer, the beans are shiny, black, and oily. You’ll notice a pronounced smoky fragrance, even before you brew the beans. Interestingly, darker beans are less acidic, so less caffeine ends up in the finished cup. Our STARBARN is a shining example of this roast style and it’s our most popular coffee. RED ROSE ESPRESSO and SUMATRA are also popular dark roasts.
