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 Relying on the skill of our roaster rather than on automated equipment, roasting each batch to its peak flavours is a fine art. The intense heat of the roasting process triggers a complex chemical reaction within the coffee bean. Sugars and starches in green coffee beans are transformed into the volatile oils that give the coffee much of its rich flavour and aroma. The longer a bean is roasted, the more these oils develop. At the same time, moisture is removed from the beans. Because longer roasting causes the beans to swell and reduces their moisture content, most beans lose about 12-20 percent of their total weight during roasting.
Yahava Koffees are roasted to order which allows us to supply the most fresh of coffee, and we also roast in small batches so we can give each batch the individual care and attention it needs to evolve its unique flavour characteristics fully. Roasting our own beans also affords us the opportunity to select the perfect roast for each variety of bean or blend.
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AMERICAN ROAST - Chestnut brown in colour and at this stage of the roast, the acids and sugars are perfectly balanced and the full varietal characters are optimised.
ESPRESSO ROAST - Dark brown, slightly oily, full bodied but not bitter. Specific varietal flavours fade slightly. The subtleties are best appreciated in a well-prepared espresso.
FRENCH ROAST - Very dark brown, to nearly black, with an oily surface. Full bodied, complex and bittersweet with a smoky pungent power of the roast.
ITALIAN ROAST - Very dark colour with a shiny oil surface, full bodied, assertive and extremely flavourful with a sweet tangyness which has been transformed from the natural acidity.
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Roasting Stages
Stage I: The beans’ colour changes from light green to a cinnamon colour.
Stage II: Coffee loses moisture, becomes more brittle and loses density.
Stage III: Colour continues to darken and sugars begin to caramelise.
Stage IV: Coffee expands, loses moisture, weight and begins to ‘crackle’.
Stage V: Further colour changes and the character of the coffee is now rapidly being developed. Finally the roaster makes the decision to drop the roast at the critical time into the cooling pan, where it is stirred and exhaust cooled.
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