French Roast Coffee: What You Need to Know

Roasting coffee comes in many forms. The main objective you are looking to achieve is turning your green coffee beans into dark brown beans. Once the process is done, the taste, texture, smell and feel of the bean is completely different. The reason for roasting is to rid the bean of the many substances that it is made from to extract the necessary substances used to produce coffee. The flavors and scent that you are looking to achieve are locked deep inside the bean and roasting brings these substances out for you to be able to enjoy coffee.

The process…

Transforms the bean and makes it release an aroma, which is what you smell when you walk into a coffee house.

Roasts out the moisture of the beans, making them lighter.

Increases the size of the beans.

Makes them crunchy and causes a change in color.

What is French Roast Coffee?

Derived from Europe, this roasting style produces a dark roasted coffee with a smoky, charred taste. Often mistaken as originating in France, this roasting style is regionally associated with the style that is used in Europe. The French Roast name began when the roasting style came to the United States. This specific roasting style does not require a high-quality bean to produce a great cup of coffee.

Misconception

The darker the roast, the more caffeine is in the coffee. This is completely false, during the roasting process, the longer the bean is roasted, the lower the caffeine percentage. Additionally, the type of coffee bean used and the roasting process depicts how much caffeine is really in the coffee.

The Roasting Process

During the French roast coffee process, the bean is roasted to maximum use, to the threshold just before burning the bean. During the process, the beans produce a cracking noise, followed by silence, and then a second cracking noise, which is a sign that they are fully roasted. The process leaves the beans dark brown and creates a shiny, coffee oil.

The result, a dark coffee beyond the traditional dark roast color.

Steps:

Depending on how much coffee you want to make or the size of your French press, will determine how much ground coffee you will use during the process.

About eight tablespoons of ground coffee will make eight cups of coffee. When your water is brought to a boil, you will fill your French press halfway.

For every minute the grounds are seeping, you stir for about ten seconds, and add a little more hot water. Repeat this for the next four minutes.

Once completed, push your plunger down.

At this point, it is up to you how long you want the coffee to sit in the bottom of the French press. The longer it sits, the darker the coffee and the stronger the taste. Have a thermal mug or something to store your coffee in when the coffee has reached the color and taste of your liking.

For more information regarding roasting and to purchase fresh coffee from Koffee Kult, visit our website.