Quick Sips on Medium Roast Coffee

• Typically has the broadest appeal of light, medium and dark roast coffees
• Medium roast coffees will more often feature tasting notes including chocolate than light or dark
• Our Colombia and Joe’s are two Organic, Fairtrade coffees in the middle of the roast light to dark roast scale

Medium Roast Coffee: The Perfect Balance of Flavor, Aroma, and Body

Whether we know it or not, many of us drift towards a medium roast coffee as a preferred coffee beverage.  Medium roast coffee offers hints of the origins of the beans like a light roast, as well as some of the richness typically associated with a dark roast.  Like that friend that’s always there for you, or a comfy pair of sweat pants in front of your favorite show at the end of the week, medium roast coffee tends to deliver that comfort and reliability we all crave.  All delivered in a warm mug, you can almost feel the wave of relaxation across your shoulders.  Indeed, a good day to have a good day!

Today we’ll look at some of the characteristics of medium roast coffee, origins, growing, processing and some of our current offerings!

What Is Medium Roast Coffee?

As the name implies, medium roast coffee isn’t roasted as dark or high as a dark roast coffee, but higher temperatures than a light roast coffee, many medium roast coffees hit an internal temperature of about 410-430 degrees Fahrenheit.  This is internal temperature of the bean, air temperature of the roaster is higher. 

Visually, medium roast coffee beans are often medium brown in color.

How Medium Roast Coffee Is Made

Step 1: Harvesting the Coffee Fruit

Coffee begins as a fruit called a cherry; this is because a coffee bean’s fruit looks and grows similar to a cherry.  As with light and dark roast, the quality of medium roast coffee begins long before it hits your mug.  Factors such as -

• Growing elevation
• Soil quality
• Climate
• Harvest timing
• Processing method (washed, natural, honey)
• Note about processing – honey processing does not actually involve honey at all.  I know, I was both intrigued and confused the first time I heard the term.  Like a confused puppy hearing something for the first time.  Short version is honey processing involves removing the skin of coffee cherry, with some or all of the sticky fruit layer left on the bean as it dries.  And presto, sticky like honey to touch, not sweet like honey to taste. 

Like growing grapes in a vineyard to make wine, all of these environmental factors serve to change the final quality of the coffee in your cup!  Pretty cool. 

Step 2: Processing the Beans

Did you know coffee is a fruit?  I don’t know that it counts towards your daily total of fruits and vegetables (OK, it doesn’t, but we can dream).  The seed inside is the coffee bean we’ve come to know and love.  So, to process it, the pulp must be removed to allow the coffee bean to dry.

Popular processing styles include:

• Washed (Wet) – Fruit removed before drying
• Natural (Dry) – Fruit removed after drying
• Honey Process – Removing skin to allow some pulp to dry. 

Step 3: The Roasting Process

Roasters carefully manipulate:

• Drum temperature
• Airflow
• Time in roast

These parts of the process are watched via an assortment of probes, screens and software depending on what style of roasting machine is used. 

What Does Medium Roast Coffee Taste Like?

Here's a few of our current offerings and what they bring to the mug!

Joe's House Blend

- Blend – Central & South American coffees, roasted light-to-dark for balance.
- Flavor Profile – Smooth, Balanced, Reliable Everyday Cup.
- Organic & Fairtrade – ethically sourced and sustainable.

Colombia

 -Certified Organic & Fairtrade – ethically sourced and sustainable.
- Flavor Profile – Citrus, Wine, Chocolate.
- Smooth, balanced, and perfect for daily sipping.

Nicaragua

 -Origin – Jinotega, Nicaragua; grown under shade for Bird Friendly Certification.
- Flavor Profile – Cocoa, Almond, Caramel with pastry-like sweetness.
- Roast Level – Medium roast with bright character.

Costa Rica La Amistad

- Certified Organic – grown with respect for people and planet.
- Flavor Profile –Orange, brown sugar and milk chocolate
- Grown at Hacienda la Amistad – a historic estate preserving both coffee and rainforest.

Organic Medium Roast Coffee: Does It Matter?

Yes — and not just ethically.

Organic coffee is grown without:

• Synthetic fertilizers
• Harsh pesticides
• Artificial chemicals

Benefits include:

• Healthier soil
• Better bean quality
• Safer ecosystems

Organic farming practices lead to stronger coffee plants and slower bean development, which often increases sweetness and complexity.

Medium roast coffee highlights these improvements beautifully.

Fairtrade Medium Roast Coffee: More Than a Label

Fairtrade certification ensures:

• Farmers receive fair compensation
• Safe working conditions
• Community development investments
• Environmental protection

When you drink Fairtrade medium roast coffee, you’re supporting:

• Ethical wages
• Education initiatives
• Sustainable agriculture

Better livelihoods for farmers often result in higher-quality coffee and better attention to harvesting and processing methods.

Ethics and flavor go hand in hand.

Caffeine Content: Does Medium Roast Have More?

Contrary to popular belief:

Medium roast coffee does not have significantly more or less caffeine than light or dark roasts when measured by weight.

However:

• Dark roast beans are lighter and puffier (roasted longer, more moisturized leaves, resulting in puffier beans.  Think of popping popcorn!).
• Light roast grains are denser

So:

• Scooped (volume) = lighter roast has slightly more caffeine
• Weighed = about the same

Medium roast coffee typically sits right in the middle.

Health Benefits of Medium Roast Coffee

Coffee has powerful antioxidants including:

• Chlorogenic acids
• Polyphenols
• Melanoidins

These compounds may:

• Improve metabolism
• Reduce inflammation
• Support liver function
• Enhance brain performance

Organic medium roast coffee may reduce exposure to chemical residue while keeping antioxidant levels.

How to Buy the Best Medium Roast Coffee

Look for:

• Roast date (ours is on the bottom of the bag!)
• Ethical certifications (Fairtrade, Shade Grown, Organic)
• Whole bean options (we’re happy to grind your coffee too!)
• Transparent sourcing

Avoid:

• Artificial flavoring

Storage Tips

To preserve your coffee:

• Store in an airtight container
• Avoid refrigeration (tends to absorb odors and flavors from its neighbors in the fridge).
• Keep away from light and heat (a clear class jar may look like fun, but it’s a greenhouse for your beans.  Great for plants, not for coffee beans.

Freshness is essential.

Final Sips: Why Medium Roast Coffee Reigns Supreme

Medium roast coffee isn’t just popular — it’s universally admired for a reason.

It delivers:
✅ Balance
✅ Complexity
✅ Sweetness
✅ Smoothness
✅ Ethical opportunity through Fairtrade and Organic sourcing

Whether you’re chasing flavor, comfort, or conscience, medium roast coffee delivers on all fronts.

It’s the kind of coffee you can return to day after day without fatigue — always satisfying, always dependable.

Try some of our best sellers like our Joe's House Blend or a great single origin like our Colombia.