What is a Medium Roast?

Medium roast coffee beans provide a middle ground, or a balance, between lighter roasts and darker roasts. They balance acidity with body to create coffees that showcase both the flavor of the bean as well as the depth of a slightly darker roast profile. Medium roasted beans are roasted somewhere between the first and second crack.

Medium roast beans also typically produce the sweetest cups of coffee. When coffee beans are medium roasted, the natural sugars in the beans have enough time to develop without burning or becoming bitter. In the US in 2020, 51% of consumers bought medium roast beans, making medium roast the most popular roast level in the US at the time.

Medium roast beans are popular because they’re less intense than light roast beans, but they don’t completely lose the individual aromas and flavors of the natural coffee bean. Their rounded flavor profile makes medium roasted beans a versatile choice for lots of different types of coffee.