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Coffee Glossary · Roasting

Roast Levels & Profiles

The transformation map from green to brown: light roasts (ending near 'first crack') preserve origin acidity and florals; medium balances development and character; dark pushes into roast-driven bitterness and body as origin distinctions fade. A 'profile' is the full time-temperature curve — charge temp, drying phase, Maillard development, development time after first crack — which roasters engineer per coffee. Dense high-grown beans (like Bolaven Arabica) tolerate and reward development; the same profile applied to soft lows scorches.

Related terms

Reading up before buying? Volcana Coffee exports SGS-inspected specialty Arabica and Fine Robusta from the Bolaven Plateau, Laos — and we're happy to walk new importers through every term on a real offer sheet.

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