Light vs Dark?

Light roast coffee retains more of the original bean’s characteristics, often showcasing bright acidity, floral or fruity notes, and a lighter body. It's best brewed using slower, gentler methods like pour-over (e.g. V60 or Chemex) or Cafetiere, which allow the complex flavors to shine through—ideal brew times range from 2.5 to 4 minutes. You can cold brew this, but you're looking at more like 18-24 hours.

Dark roast coffee, with its bold, smoky, and bittersweet flavor, benefits from faster, more robust methods like espresso, moka or aeropress, and contradictory, cold brew. Brew times are generally shorter (20–30 seconds for espresso, max 4 minutes for Cafetiere).

Roast level affects solubility and extraction: darker roasts extract more quickly and can taste overly bitter if overbrewed, while lighter roasts may taste sour or weak if underextracted, making method and timing crucial to getting the best cup.

Water Temperature

Water temperature plays a huge role in how coffee roasts taste after brewing. Light and dark roasts behave very differently due to their density and solubility, so they need different water temps to bring out the best flavor.

• Light - 92–96°C (198–205°F) - Higher temp helps extract delicate flavors and acidity.
• Dark - 85–90°C (185–194°F) - Cooler temp prevents over-extraction and bitterness.

Too much effort? Boil your kettle, for a light roast wait ~30 seconds; for dark roast wait 1–2 minutes after boiling

How much coffee and water?

The Ratio of coffee to water, eg. 1:15 would be 16g of coffee to 240ml.

Ideally you should weigh coffee as it can vary, but if you're winging it, 16g of coffee is 1/8 cup firmly packed roughly equals 2 heaped tablespoons

240ml of water is about the size of a normal mug when you leave some space for milk.

Brew Machines and Devices

Device	Ratio	Brew Time	Best Suited Roast	Medium Grind Suitability	Notes
French Press	1:15	3-4 mins for Dark, 4-5 mins for Light Roast	Medium to Dark	✅ Ideal	Full immersion extracts body well; light roasts may taste too acidic.
V60 / Pour-Over	1:15	3-5 mins	Light to Medium	⚠️ Can work, but finer grind better	Brings out bright, fruity notes in light roasts; adjust pour rate.
AeroPress	1:15	3-4 mins	Light to Dark (versatile)	✅ Excellent	Adaptable; great for experimenting with grind size and roast level.
Espresso Machine	1:2	25 secs	Medium to Dark (classic)	⚠️ Can be too coarse, ideally needs fine	Requires fine grind; medium grind = under-extracted, sour shots.
Moka Pot	1:10	~4 mins	Medium to Dark	⚠️ Too coarse, needs fine-medium	Works better with slightly finer grind; intense flavor.
Cold Brew	1:5	18-24 hours	Medium to Dark	⚠️ Best with coarse grind	Medium can work, but may over-extract or clog filter.