Roasted with Loving Attention and Profound Precision
Roasting unlocks the aroma and flavor inside of “green coffee” beans—beans that have been milled but not yet roasted. The roasting process causes chemical changes to take place as the beans are rapidly brought to very high temperatures. When they reach the desired roast level, the beans are quickly cooled to halt the process.
Every member of our roastery team has been trained extensively to understand what goes into making an exceptional cup of coffee and to be attuned to the aroma, sound, look, and feel of beans prepared with our state-of-the-art, environmentally friendly roasting equipment.
There are no industry standards for roast levels, so how do we measure different roast levels at Coffee By Design? Here’s an easy guide.
Light Roast
Many people assume that the strong, rich flavor of darker roasts indicates a higher level of caffeine but, in fact, light roasts have a slightly higher concentration.
Most of our coffees are light roasted to a select flavor standard, rather than to a specific color. This level of roasting creates coffees with balanced flavor and full aromatics, allowing enthusiasts to distinguish taste differences attributed to coffee origins and qualities. Atlantic Sunrise Blend, Indonesia Sumatra Lintong Dolok Sanggul, and Costa Rica Tarrazu La Minita Estate are just a few of our most popular light roast coffees.
Medium Roast
Vienna Roast: Vienna Roast is the lightest of our dark roasts and is characterized by a slightly deeper color than our Light Roast and the presence of small spots of oil on the bean’s surface. This roasting level slightly intensifies the character of each particular coffee according to its origin.
Espresso Roast: Our Espresso Roast coffees are roasted light enough to retain delicate aromatics, yet dark enough to moderately caramelize sugars within the beans. The Espresso Bella Crema blend was created especially for the CBD coffeehouses.
Dark Roast
Italian Roast: Italian Roast has an extended roasting time that causes the beans to caramelize to create a spicy, bittersweet flavor with smooth, mellow undertones. Although the color of an Italian Roast is similar to that of an Espresso roast, the flavor is dramatically different. Try the Organic Italian Roast.
French Roast: French Roast is a darker roast with a spicier, bittersweet flavor and lower acidity than other types of roasts. It’s a long-time favorite of many coffee drinkers. The Organic French Roast is very popular.
Double French Roast: Our Double French Roast coffee, known at CBD as Alanzo’s Double Dark, exhibits a robust, bittersweet flavor that cannot be matched by any lesser-roasted coffee. Roasting for a mere 15 seconds longer and 10 degrees higher than our regular French Roast, you’ll be amazed at how a short variation of time and temperature completely changes the taste.
Decaf Coffee
We know, we know—"decaf" isn't actually a roasting level. But decaffeination is one of the ways we process coffee beans—and we do it with exceptional care to ensure that decaf drinkers enjoy the full-flavor CBD coffee experience. Rather than using faster, less-expensive chemical processes (many decafs are processed using methyl chloride, a chemical solvent), we sell only water-processed decaf, which is better for you and better for the environment. Although in the past water-processed decafs have gotten a bad rap for being, shall we say, "flavor-compromised," the technology has improved considerably in recent years (or we wouldn't use it), and the result is a richly complex and flavorful cup of coffee.
