At Stooker Coffee Roasters Amsterdam, everything revolves around specialty coffee — coffee of the highest quality, defined by character, origin, and craftsmanship. One of the biggest factors that determines the flavor of your coffee is the roast profile. But what does it really mean when a coffee is “light” or “dark” roasted? And why do we at Stooker prefer a lighter roast?

What Happens During Coffee Roasting?

During roasting, green coffee beans transform in color, aroma, and texture. The temperature and duration of the roast determine how intense the flavor becomes.

• Light roast: roasted for a shorter time, usually just after the first crack.

• Dark roast: roasted longer, often well into or past the second crack.

The Flavor of Light Roast vs Dark Roast

A light roast highlights the bean’s natural flavors — fruity, floral, or with bright acidity. You can truly taste the coffee’s origin, region, climate, and variety. This type of roast is perfect for filter coffee and other brewing methods where you want to bring out the bean’s complexity and clarity.

A dark roast, on the other hand, has a stronger, more intense flavor with notes of chocolate, caramel, and roasted nuts. The roast itself becomes the dominant taste, while the unique characteristics of the bean fade into the background.

The Difference in Caffeine

It’s often assumed that dark roast coffee contains more caffeine because of its stronger taste, but the opposite is true. During roasting, the beans lose a small amount of caffeine as they are exposed to heat. Light roast coffee therefore retains slightly more caffeine than dark roast, although the difference is minimal. The actual caffeine level in your cup also depends on your brewing method and the amount of coffee used.

Why Stooker Chooses Light Roast

At Stooker Coffee Roasters Amsterdam, we believe that the best coffee beans deserve to be tasted in their purest form. That’s why we roast our specialty coffee lighter — to preserve the bean’s natural sweetness, balance, and complexity. Every batch is roasted with precision and care, ensuring each bean develops its full potential.

Whether you prefer a fruity filter coffee or a balanced espresso, with Stooker you’ll taste the difference between ordinary coffee and true specialty coffee — fresh, sustainable, and full of flavor.

Discover our selection of the best coffee beans in our webshop and experience how the right roast can bring coffee’s character to life.

👉 Shop specialty coffee from Stooker