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ROAST INTENSITY

Roasting is a controlled chemical event. Sugars caramelize, acids break down, oils migrate. Color is your first clue, but time and temperature curves do the real work.

FURTHER READING · 3 SOURCES
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MaillardCaramelizationFirst crack

What roasting actually does

Green beans hit a hot drum and go from grassy → yellow → tan as moisture leaves. Around 196°C the Maillard reaction browns them and builds chocolate/nut notes. At ~205°C 'first crack' pops — water vapor escaping, beans doubling in size. Past 224°C 'second crack' breaks cell walls; oils surface.

CRAFT NOTE

A roaster reads sound (crack timing), smell (grassy → bready → caramel → smoke), and color simultaneously. Two minutes' difference rewrites the cup.