The coffee roaster's vocabulary is somewhat vague when it comes to pinpointing a degree of roast or color classification for a particular coffee. Here, we list the most common terms used to describe each roast level – taking some of the mystery out of the jargon used to describe how a particular coffee is roasted.
Roast Color Classifications & Vocabulary
Light Roasts
- Cinnamon
- Half City
- Light
- New England
Medium Roasts
- Light American
- Light City
- West Coast
Medium Roasts
- American
- Breakfast
- Brown
- City
- Medium
Medium-Dark to Dark Roasts
- Full City
- Light French
- Viennese
Dark/High Roasts
- After Dinner
- Continental
- European
- French
- Italian
- New Orleans
Very Dark Roasts
- Dark French
- Heavy
