Why do we roast coffee beans?

Coffee comes from the Coffea plant. These plants are “bush-like” and can get very tall if left untrimmed. On these plants, bunches of cherries grow which typically contain two beans with the flat sides facing each other.

If these raw (“green”) coffee beans are steeped in hot water, it will most certainly not create the same taste and aroma one might associate with coffee. Raw, green coffee beans will produce a brew that will most likely contain a grass-like taste, with none of the roasted coffee notes like caramel, chocolate, or fruitiness. There are instances where green coffee is made into a drink, but the taste is quite different and is often consumed for the potential health benefits rather than flavour.

Roasting green coffee, is what will transform the coffee beans into something that might contain beautiful flavours. The roasting process creates chemical changes resulting in the production and breakdown of compounds within the coffee beans. Some of the effects of roasting include:

• Change in colour
• The increase in size
• It becomes less dense
• Increase in acidity

The ultimate goal of the roasting process is to bring out and optimise the flavours locked away inside these green coffee beans. There are several different coffee roasting philosophies, which mainly depend on the focus and goals aimed for by the roaster.

Some of these roasting philosophies could include the following:

Origin-Driven Roasting: Focus on the unique characteristics of the coffee’s origin, varietal and terroir.

Development-Focused Roasting: Focused is placed on controlling the development of the coffee, attempting to balance sweetness, acidity and body.

Experimental Roasting: Coffee roasting is treated as an art form, where the process is about experimentation, pushing boundaries and creating unique profiles.

Dark-Roast Centric: Main focus around developing smoky, intense flavours that dark roasts offer.