All coffee guides · Roasting
Walk into any supermarket and you will see bags labelled French Roast or Italian Roast alongside Colombian or Ethiopian. The first two sound like origins but are not — they are roast level descriptors, inherited from 19th century European coffee culture. Understanding what they actually mean helps set expectations and explains why specialty roasters rarely use these labels.
In 19th century Europe, different cities and cultures developed preferences for different roast levels. French coffee culture tended toward darker roasts than northern European styles. Italian espresso culture, particularly in the south, favoured very dark, oily roasts that could cut through the high-pressure extraction and stand up to sugar and small cups. These preferences became associated with the countries and got codified into the naming system still used on many coffee bags today.
City roast is a medium roast, stopped before or just at second crack. Full City adds more development past second crack. Vienna or French roast takes the bean well into second crack, producing surface oils and significant bitterness. Italian roast goes further still — very dark, oily, with the cell structure beginning to break down. Beyond Italian (sometimes called Spanish or Neapolitan) is the darkest roast possible before the beans start to taste carbonised. These names have no connection to the origin of the beans.
At French or Italian roast level, origin character is almost entirely replaced by roast character. The delicate florals of an Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, the blackcurrant of a Kenyan, the caramel sweetness of a Colombian — all of this disappears under the heat. What remains is bitterness, a heavy body, smoke and carbon notes, and the oily mouthfeel that comes from broken cell walls. Many people enjoy this style, especially in milk-based drinks where the intensity is needed. But you are not tasting the coffee's origin — you are tasting the roast.
Very dark roasts have their place. Traditional Italian espresso culture produces a recognisable and enjoyable style that suits particular tastes and brewing traditions. Dark roasts are also more forgiving to extract — the enlarged cell structure and reduced density mean water flows through more easily, and the wide extraction window makes dialling in less critical. For those who drink espresso primarily in milk-based drinks, the boldness of dark roast cuts through in a way lighter roasts do not. The important thing is choosing a dark roast deliberately rather than assuming it means stronger or better.
Browse all 98 coffee guides or start a free espresso journal on Baristalog.