Comparison ·
Light vs medium roast coffee: the differences
Light roast: 445 coffees from 137 roasters on Cafendo; Medium roast: 2,684 coffees from 266 roasters. Roasters describe light roasts most often with chocolate and citrus, and medium roasts with chocolate and nuts. Median price per kilo: Light roast ≈ $36.74 / kg, Medium roast ≈ $33.98 / kg.
| Fact | Light roast | Medium roast |
|---|---|---|
| On Cafendo | 445 coffees from 137 roasters | 2,684 coffees from 266 roasters |
| Tasting notes | chocolate 33%, citrus 30%, and berries 22% | chocolate 46%, nuts 31%, and citrus 21% |
| Origins | Ethiopia 25%, Colombia 19%, and Brazil 13% | Colombia 23%, Brazil 19%, and Ethiopia 16% |
| Process | Washed 43% and Natural 38% | Washed 61% and Natural 29% |
| Median price per kg | ≈ $36.74 / kg | ≈ $33.98 / kg |
| Typical taste | Bright, more acidity, fruity and floral notes of the origin | Balanced: sweetness, caramel and chocolate, softer acidity |
| Often brewed as | Filter, pour-over, AeroPress | Filter, espresso, French press, bean-to-cup |
Catalog figures are shares of the independent roasters’ coffees on Cafendo that list each fact, worked out again every day; prices per kilo are indicative. Caffeine: per gram of beans, light and dark roasts hold about the same; a scoop of light roast holds a little more, because its beans are denser.
Top picks: Light roast
Ecuador
El Salvador
EthiopiaTop picks: Medium roast
Guatemala
Questions and answers
What is the difference between light roasts and medium roasts?
Light roast: 445 coffees from 137 roasters on Cafendo; Medium roast: 2,684 coffees from 266 roasters. Roasters describe light roasts most often with chocolate and citrus, and medium roasts with chocolate and nuts. Median price per kilo: Light roast ≈ $36.74 / kg, Medium roast ≈ $33.98 / kg.
Does light or dark roast coffee have more caffeine?
Caffeine: per gram of beans, light and dark roasts hold about the same; a scoop of light roast holds a little more, because its beans are denser.
Which is more bitter, light roasts or medium roasts?
Dark roasts taste more bitter and roasty, with a heavier body and less acidity; light roasts keep more acidity and the flavours of their origin. Medium roasts sit in between.
Which is fruitier, light roasts or medium roasts?
In the roasters’ tasting notes, 64% of light roasts name fruit (citrus, berries, stone fruit, tropical or dried fruit), against 46% of medium roasts.
Where do light roasts and medium roasts come from?
Most light roasts come from Ethiopia (25%), Colombia (19%), and Brazil (13%); most medium roasts from Colombia (23%), Brazil (19%), and Ethiopia (16%).
Which is more expensive, light roasts or medium roasts?
Light roasts cost more: a median of ≈ $36.74 / kg, against ≈ $33.98 / kg for medium roasts, from the sizes and prices roasters list (indicative).
Where can I buy light roasts and medium roasts?
Cafendo does not sell coffee itself: each coffee links to a shop that sells it, usually the roaster’s own, and the shop sets the price and delivery.
How we picked
Cafendo does not taste or score coffees, so the list ranks what the catalog can tell. Each coffee gets points for:
- each day in the last 90 on which visitors went to the roaster’s shop for it (up to 10);
- each fact the roaster gives: producer, variety, process, altitude, region, tasting notes (up to 6);
- a photo and a price (1 each), and an average rating of 4 stars or more (2).
- At most two coffees per roaster; no commercial brands and no Amazon listings. Origin lists take single origins only.
Nobody pays for a place. The lists are worked out again every day from the catalog. How Cafendo orders its lists