Coffee lovers are often particular about the kind of coffee bean and roast that they like to drink, but for the rest of us it can be harder to decide between different options and roast types.
Of course, some people go for a different coffee place or cafe based on what kind of coffee they serve. After all, coffee roasting and brewing techniques all change the flavor and profile of the coffee.
If you want to know the difference between dark roast coffee and blonde roast coffee, whether you’re trying to decide between the most popular drinks at your favorite cafe or just want to learn more about coffee and coffee roasting, you’re in the right place.
I’ll explore everything you need to know about blonde roast coffee, coffee beans, the difference between blonde coffee and darker roasts, and much more. Let’s get started!
What Makes Coffee Strong?
Before we get into whether blonde coffee is stronger, or if darker roasts have blonde roast beat, we need to talk about what makes coffee strong in the first place.
After all, if we’re not talking about the same kind of strong we won’t get the same results or come to the same conclusion.
Most of the time when people talk about coffee strength they’re either talking about the strength of the taste or about how much caffeine is in the finished cup. But when most coffee lovers are talking about coffee strength, it’s about the caffeine. They’ll use other terms to talk about the flavors in their coffee or coffee beans.
For this article though, we’ll talk about both kinds of strength, strong flavor and strong caffeine.
We’re also going to be making some assumptions. For instance, the way you brew coffee can have a big difference on the finished product. If you add a lot more ground coffee to your coffee machine before you start making it it will taste stronger and have more caffeine than if you’d used fewer coffee grounds or more water.
The temperature you use to brew your coffee, anything you add to the brewed coffee, and whether you use a coffee machine, an espresso machine, a french press, or another brewing method all change the caffeine content and flavor of your coffee.
So, rather than gaming out all the differences between blonde roast coffee and darker roasts with all the different brewing methods you can use, we’re going to talk about each roast assuming they were prepared the same way.
That’s an assumption since a lot of people like their blonde espresso prepared differently than dark roasts, but its important for comparing how different coffee roasts taste and the different caffeine levels.
Is Blonde Coffee Stronger Than Regular?
For ‘regular’ coffee, we’re going to assume you’re talking about medium roast coffee prepared the way the package recommends.
With that assumption, blonde coffee is stronger in terms of caffeine content, but weaker in terms of the taste.
That’s because blonde roast coffee taste isn’t as robust, nutty, or smokey as dark roast or medium roast. The roasting process really brings out the flavor of the coffee, so blonde coffee beans just don’t taste as strong as dark roast beans or even medium roast beans.
Which Coffee Is Stronger, Blonde Or Dark?
Assuming the same preparation, blonde coffee will almost always have more caffeine than dark roasts. However, dark roasted beans have more of a classic coffee taste.
In fact, if you’re looking for that Starbucks taste in your coffee, you probably want to stick to dark roasts. That’s because light roast doesn’t have the same flavor or bitterness that gives Starbucks coffee such a distinctive flavor.
However, if you’re looking for a pick me up more than flavor, blonde roast coffee might a better option. That’s because blonde roast coffee still has a lot more of the coffee’s natural caffeine content, and more of the caffeine makes it into the brewed coffee with this kind of coffee roast.
Is Blonde Coffee Stronger Than Espresso?
When it comes to blonde roast coffee vs espresso there are a few things you need to know. Blonde roast coffee beans have more caffeine that standard espresso beans, but the amount of caffeine that makes it into the brewed coffee still depends on brewing technique.
Espresso might be stronger than blonde roast coffee if you make the blonde roast like a typical cup of coffee but brew the espresso as espresso.
But, if you make a blonde espresso, it’s going to have more caffeine than a standard espresso.
Of course, not everyone drinks espresso because they want more caffeine, so what about flavor?
Well, blonde espresso will taste different than medium roast or dark roast espresso, but it will still have a fairly strong flavor. That’s because espresso brewing creates a strong flavor, and even blonde roast espresso will have a bold flavor. It just won’t be quite as strong as medium and dark roasts.
Of course, you might have to grind your own blonde roast beans if you want to make espresso with blonde roast. Blonde roast espresso is a little harder to find than dark roasted coffee beans ground to espresso texture.
Does Blonde Coffee Have More Caffeine?
This question is a little easier to answer than whether blonde roast coffee is just stronger. Blonde roast almost always has more caffeine than other coffee roast types because of how the process of roasting coffee beans changes the chemical composition.
So, if you’re looking for an energy boost, light roast or blonde roast is almost always going to have more caffeine.
What’s The Difference Between Blonde Roast Coffee And Dark Roast?
When it comes to blonde roast coffee vs darker roast, or even medium roast, it’s all down to the roasted beans themselves. Or, more accurately, it’s down to the roasting process.
All coffee roasts are designed to create a specific set of flavors and characteristics in the roast. That means blonde roast coffee stronger in terms of caffeine content. Dark roast coffee has less caffeine, but it has a more robust flavor.
That flavor is part of why more coffee beans get medium and dark roasts instead of being roasted blonde.
Another big reason is that roasting is important to making coffee taste the way we expect it to, and to prevent negative side effects. Under roasted coffee beans can have unintended effects, so it’s important to make sure the roasted coffee is roasted enough to be good without roasting too much if you’re going for blonde roasts.
Coffee shops don’t often keep blonde roast around, preferring darker beans because the flavor is what most people are looking for when they drink coffee. We tend to assume that dark roasted coffee has more caffeine because when where drinking coffee the flavor is better. But flavor really doesn’t have much to do with the caffeine levels.
That said, many coffee lovers aren’t looking for just caffeine, so the flavor of dark roast coffees and medium roasts is still more popular even though more people know that the dark roast level reduces the caffeine.
When it comes down to caffeine content roasting technique matters, but that’s only part of the difference.
Under roasted beans might not be good for you, but the temperature and length of the coffee roast can change the flavor.
Over roasted coffee is bitter coffee. Lighter roasts are lighter but have a citrusy flavor and the lighter roast the more caffeine in your morning brew.
Coffee roasters know the difference, and there are a few coffees that break these rules, but in general blonde roast coffee feels lighter, tastes sweeter, and has more caffeine than dark roast. And it’s all down to the coffee beans.
Are Coffee Beans More Important Than Roasting Technique?
When it comes to different kinds of roast and different kinds of bean, a lot of people wonder which is more important. Does the kind of bean matter, or is the roasting technique what gives light roast and dark roast coffee their flavor.
The truth is that both have a bit role to play. Light roast coffee needs careful roasting temperature control, generally speaking, but so do dark roasts if you want to get the best flavors. It’s not just about temperature, it’s also about how long the beans are roasted, how you make sure the roast is even, and how well your roasted coffee beans are stored after the roasting process is finished.
One of the ways to tell good blonde roast from dark roasted coffee beans? Lighter coffee beans usually mean a blonde roast. They’re also usually matte with a blonde roast, unlike dark roasted coffee beans which can develop an oily sheen in storage.
Is ‘Blonde’ Coffee Different Than Light Roast?
A lot of people were confused when things like the Starbucks blonde roast came out because ‘blonde roast’ wasn’t very well known. But the Starbuck blonde roast, and other blonde roast coffees are basically the same coffee bean as light roasts.
That’s because the term blonde roast is basically just a marketing term. People associate value and privilege with blonde, which means it’s a little easier to advertise and sell ‘blonde roast coffee’ rather than light roast coffee.
Even looking at single origin coffees and other high-value markers for different beans and different kinds of coffee, blonde seems to sound, and sell, better than calling the same coffee light roast.
Of course, Starbuck blonde roast isn’t the only one making the switch. Any coffee marked blonde roast is a light roast coffee bean.
Brand still matters though. Different brands have different roasting techniques and use different bean blends, which result in a different taste when they’re done.
Do You Need To Make Blonde Coffee Different From Other Coffee?
This might seem like a simple question, but when it comes to blonde coffee your brewing method matters. Brewing coffee and hoping for the best isn’t a good way to get a consistently delicious cup.
But, the truth is that you can make blonde roast the same as darker roasts if you want to, you’ll just get a slightly different taste from the finished product.
If you make your coffee in a french press, for instance, you’re going to have a lot more caffeine and might want to drink your coffee a little more slowly because the higher caffeine level can make some people queasy.
The same thing goes for cold brew. Cold brew blonde coffee can taste delicious, but it might be a bit stronger than you’re used to. Especially if you mostly drank dark roast coffee before.
There is one big difference you need to know about though. You can’t use a normal coffee grinder with blonde roasted beans.
One of the changes that happens in the roasting process is that the coffee beans get lighter and less dense as moisture evaporates and chemical reactions happen inside the beans. But that means that the blonde coffee beans are a lot denser than your typical coffee bean.
So, if you want to grind your own blonde coffee beans at home (which is one of the best ways to enjoy the citrusy flavor and full benefits of a blonde roast), you’ll need a specialized blonde roast coffee grinder.
Final Thoughts on Blonde Roast Coffee
If you’ve gotten this far you’re probably at least a little interested in tasting blonde roast coffee for yourself and seeing the differences first-hand.
The best thing we can recommend, have fun with it. Light roast coffee tastes very different from what most people are used to and have the most caffeine of any coffee roast. That means there are a lot of different ways to make delicious coffee with blonde beans.
Experimenting with different preparations and additions like vanilla syrup, or different ways to filter coffee, is the best way to find what method works to you.
Of course, you don’t need to make all your coffee yourself. You can always see if any local cafes have a blonde roast drink you love.
Plus, now you can impress your friends with your blonde coffee knowledge.
