Are medium roasts becoming more popular?

Lighter roast profiles are synonymous with specialty coffee. As they have been exposed to lower roasting temperatures, they help to highlight acidity and more complex flavours. Many of us also opt for lighter roasts to taste the innate characteristics and terroir of coffee, especially micro lots and exclusive varieties.

But while coffee prices remain near record highs, roasters have shifted their buying practices. Many are sourcing more affordable lots or offering blends to manage their margins and balance out costs. In some cases, this means tweaking roast profile development. To create more balanced, sweeter flavour profiles, medium roasts are often the best option.

So does this mean that medium roast profiles are becoming more popular in specialty coffee? Or have they always been? I spoke to Jenna Gotthelf, National Education Manager at Counter Culture Coffee, Gareth Jones, head of wholesale at Square Mile Coffee Roasters, and Daniel Mendoza, Americas Sales Manager at Cropster, to find out.

You may also like our article on how roasting champions are redefining profile development.

Why lighter roasts are central to specialty coffee

Specialty coffee’s proclivity for lighter roasts stems from a desire to showcase “pure” flavour and quality. These roast profiles allow us to detect subtle tasting notes and complex acidity, whereas more developed roast profiles may mask or obscure the delicate nuances.

Jenna Gotthelf has worked as Counter Culture Coffee’s National Education Manager for over six years, and has more than 13 years of experience in the coffee industry.

“Light roasts lend themselves well to higher acidity, less bitterness, and cleaner fruit flavours,” she explains. “Roasting doesn’t change what a coffee is; it unlocks what it has to offer. If a coffee is complex, like an SL or Gesha variety, a lighter roast will allow that complexity to shine through.”

We have pioneering Scandinavian roasters to thank for the industry’s penchant for lighter roasts. As the global specialty coffee market grew in the late 1990s and early 2000s, many roasters from this region started to buy more washed arabicas, including bright and acidic Kenyan beans. Lighter roast profile development often help showcase the best attributes of these coffees.

Gareth Jones is the head of wholesale at UK roaster Square Mile. He has also held roles at other notable London coffee shops and roasteries over the past eight years.

“Roasting to a lighter degree allows the consumer to more easily identify the factors that make up the terroir of a coffee,” he tells me. Used in the wine industry, the term “terroir” refers to a combination of factors – such as soil, climate, variety, and farming practices – that influence quality and flavour. For high-end micro lots and “rediscovered” varieties, terroir is integral to the overall sensory experience.

How do medium roasts fit into specialty coffee?

To state that only light roasts have a place in specialty coffee is reductive. Medium roast profiles have long been a part of the industry and cater to the preferences of many consumers.

Daniel Mendoza has worked in the coffee industry for over a decade and is the Americas Sales Manager at roasting software company Cropster.

“Medium roast profiles are generally ‘safer’ than going too light or dark,” he says. “They’re easier to replicate and teach, between batch protocol is more streamlined, extraction is more forgiving, and they are more approachable.”

In some countries, it can be argued that medium roasts are even more popular than light roasted coffee. “US and Japan would be the ones that first come to mind,” Gareth says.

Japan is one of the foremost coffee-consuming countries in the world. Despite its association with ultra-high-scoring coffees, many consumers actually favour medium (and even dark) roast profiles. Meanwhile, in the US, coffee drinkers’ propensity for large milk-based drinks means medium roasts are often more complementary and consistent.

“It’s hard to say whether medium roasts are becoming more popular because it feels like they have been for a while,” Jenna Gotthelf says. “A medium roast is the best of both worlds. If a coffee has more fruit-forward flavours, they will shine through, along with other more nuanced tasting notes.”

Daniel adds that medium roasts are also a popular option in many South American countries. For producers in particular, medium roast profiles are a useful starting point when roasting their own coffee.

Can we even define “medium” roast profiles?

When we talk about medium roasts, we’re often referring to somewhere between light and dark. This relatively vague definition can make it difficult to understand what a medium roast profile actually is.

There are a number of ways to measure roast level, including using an Agtron spectrophotometer. “The Agtron uses light to measure roast level,” Jenna explains. “Medium roasts would read between 58 and 65.”

But exact ranges can vary from roaster to roaster. Depending on the market and consumer preferences, roasters will define medium roasts differently.

“Roast profile is defined by Agtron measurements and the SCA’s standardised roast levels, but it’s a sliding scale redefined by every roastery,” Daniel tells me. “Based on my experience working with different roasters in North and South America, some companies also measure their roast profiles on finish temps, weight loss, and taste.”

Gareth points out that visual appearance is another useful criterion.

“You can assess the colour and how wrinkled the surface of the bean is; the smoother and shinier it is, the darker the roast profile,” he says. “Post-first crack, a more developed roast profile will be browner in colour and there will still be some wrinkling on the surface of the bean. Less chaff will be retained within the bean, but there will still be some present. 

“Flavour-wise, more developed profiles will have caramel and brown sugar notes,” he adds. “There will be some acidity, but more like cooked fruits than fresh. The more brittle the bean is, the more developed the roast will be.”

Will more consumers buy medium roasts?

With medium roast coffees already popular in key markets, Daniel says it’s likely that they will continue to be a prominent part of the industry.

“They are generally easier to extract and drink, so a wider range of consumers will consider them more approachable,” he explains. “Light roasts, on the other hand, require more knowledge to prepare, as well as bigger budgets and better relationships at origin. With current high inflation rates and market volatility, offering light roasts has become more expensive.”

Arabica futures recently reached their highest levels since 2011, as prices increased by roughly 40% this year following supply shortages in Brazil and Vietnam. To manage margins more effectively, we’ve seen a growing number of specialty coffee roasters offer blends and switch to more affordable lots. In many cases, medium roasts can create more balance with these coffees.

Moreover, Gareth points out that medium roast profiles help support the growth of the specialty coffee market – and even help consumers gradually transition to lighter roasts.

“As more people drink higher-quality coffee, you would expect medium roasts to become more popular,” he says. “For people who usually buy dark roasted coffees, medium roasts are a stepping stone to specialty coffee.”

It’s difficult to know if medium roasts are actually becoming more popular in specialty coffee, but roasters need to offer variety to cater to a range of consumer preferences regardless.

In doing so, more people can be introduced to specialty coffee – supporting the growth of the wider industry.

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on whether you should use different filter papers for different roast profiles.

Photo credits: Cropster, Evelyn Atkins, David Post, Square Mile Coffee Roasters

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