We recently had a visitor to our farm complain because our coffee didn’t taste burnt. We were shocked. Laura, our roaster, spends hours each week checking each roast for over-roasted beans. If she finds one, she throws it away.
This visitor made us realize that there are a lot of myths about dark roasted coffee. Here are some of them:
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Dark Roasted Coffee Has More Flavor.
A true statement is that dark roasted coffee has a stronger flavor but less flavors.
As coffee is roasted it first develops flavors of sweetness and fruit. As the roast progresses secondary flavors such as, citrus, nuts and spices develop. Further along all of these flavors begin to decline and the roast develops more body. At some point, the only taste is body. In a very dark roast the only flavor is burnt.
If you like dark roasted coffee you have to give up some of the subtle flavors of coffee.
- Dark Roasted Coffee Tastes Burnt
Just because some popular dark roast coffees taste burnt, doesn’t mean that all dark roast coffees have to taste burnt. A good dark roast coffee has body, sweetness and some subtle flavors. At Hula Daddy we stop out dark roast while there are still some subtle flavors left in the bean.
- Dark Roasted Coffee Has Less Caffeine
This is slightly true. Caffeine doesn’t burn in a coffee roast. Some, but not a lot does sublimate (turn to a gas) during roasting.
The difference in coffee bean temperature between a medium roast coffee and a dark roast coffee is about 10 degrees Fahrenheit. The difference in roast time is about 2 minutes. The amount of caffeine that will sublimate from a coffee roast in 2 minutes is negligible.
- Dark Roasted Coffee Has Less Acid
Dark roast coffee does not have less acid than a medium roast coffee. The PH of the brewed coffee is identical. However, there may be a chemical which develops during roasting that inhibits stomach acid.
A recent study says that dark roast coffee may have more N-methylpyridium which appears to have a beneficial effect by blocking the ability of stomach cells to produce hydrochloric acid. Click for article
- Roasted Coffee Beans Should Be Dark and Oily.
Oily coffee is an indication of either old coffee or over-roasted coffee. Dark, oily coffee looks good in magazine advertisements. However, all of the flavors of coffee are in the oils. Roasting off the oil reduces the flavors. In addition, as the oil on the outside of the bean ages it turns rancid and destroys any good flavors left in the coffee.
- Hula Daddy Kona Coffee drinkers are smarter, better looking, and happier.
This is an absolute fact!
I have interstitial cystitis , which is a chronic painful bladder condition, and can only drink low acid coffee. What do you recommend?
acollins409@comcast.net
Aloha There are no coffees that are totally caffeine free even decaf. You can reduce the caffeine by drinking cold brew coffee. There are some coffee beans that have lower caffeine but they are expensive or taste bad. Mahalo Karen
I too am interested in a lower acidic coffee as i have severe IBS. No coffee in 5 months.
There isn’t a low acidic coffee, but rather how the stomach reacts to certain coffee’s.
Quoting article above:
“Dark roast coffee does not have less acid than a medium roast coffee. The PH of the brewed coffee is identical. However, there may be a chemical which develops during roasting that inhibits stomach acid.
A recent study says that dark roast coffee may have more N-methylpyridium which appears to have a beneficial effect by blocking the ability of stomach cells to produce hydrochloric acid.”
Cold brew or nitro cold brew Also if you put at Tad bit of baking soda It will drop the as citic as in the coffee without sacrificing Any of the caffeine in fact it’s used to treat heartburn and grud
CAN’T drink regular coffee… Dark roast coffee works very Well for ME!
Was this supposed to be “our”?
“At Hula Daddy we stop “out” dark roast while there are still some subtle flavors left in the bean.
Interesting to finally read someone saying that dark roast is not less acidic by nature. I have always found dark roast coffee to be more likely to induce a stomach ache where light roast always goes down smooth and stays that way. Your article here only mentions dark as opposed to medium roast in terms of acidity but I am curious how a very light roast would compare to dark. I have a polite argument going with someone on this topic and need help!
Hi Jessica.
I too cannot tolerate acid in coffee. I make my own cold brew coffee. I have ZERO stomach problems ever since I changed to making cold brew. I make several jars to last me a week or more. I just pour and heat it in the microwave or stove top. It does require work. But the upside is I can enjoy great coffee!
Hi Suzette,
The acid bothers me as well. Care to provide your cold brew process? Have tried it in the past and have been less than satisfied. Thanks!
Try adding baking soda while you brew a dark roasted coffee, I have interstitial cystitis too and this is what I do because I can’t live without coffee!
From what I have read, dark roast is less acidic than light roast. If you test the pH with litmus paper, you are testing the water pH not the coffee. They say Sumatra has less acid than most. I use a tiny bit of baking soda using a measuring spoon that says smidgen(smaller than pinch), barely full and it neutralizes the acid to a pH of 7. But does than really solve the acid indigestion problem? I don’t know. It could be the caffeine.
Have you ever roasted coffee beans to a dark state with only nitrogen gas instead of regular air? Where i worked for my career, airplane parts were cured in giant ovens (60feet long, 15 feet in diameter) with 100% nitrogen gas so they couldn’t ever burn. Burning requires oxygen. No oxygen, no burning. I’m asking as I’ve discovered a very dark roast that doesn”t taste burnt. Its a note or two darker than Peets french roast which was my standard but did taste a bit burnt. An acquaintance sells mini coffee roasters and I will pick his brain as well. He’s an engineer so he could add the nitrogen angle. The air we breathe is already 80% nitrogen.
Interesting idea but it won’t work with the roasters most coffee roasters use. The roasting chamber oxygen is also the oxygen used by the burner. So if you introduce nitgrogen into the roasting chamber you put out the flame. Someone would have to create a roasting chamber that is seperate from the burner.
Your comment about oily coffee is spot on. The flavor of good coffee is all in the oils. Once those oils come to the surface of the bean, then they start boiling off and eventually evaporating. This is caused by roasting at too hot of temperatures. Low-n-slow roasting keeps those oils inside the bean where they belong.
Good point about the outside oils turning rancid. That makes sense to me.
When I test a dark roast to see if it’s too dark, I just crush a bean between my thumb and index finger. If the inside is brown and there’s still oil inside, then the roast is perfect. But if the bean crumbles like charcoal, then its not work feeding to pigs. IMHO.
Good article. Thanks.