Buy a medium roast if you want an easy, sweet cup you can make every morning without thinking, and a medium-light roast if you want to taste fruit and are happy to pay a little attention. Of ours, No. 1 Common Sense is the medium and No. 2 Good Sense is the medium-light. That is the whole decision for most people. The rest of this page is the reasoning, so you can check it against your own taste.
What is the difference between light and medium roast?
Roast level is how far the roaster takes the beans. A lighter roast stops earlier and keeps more of what the bean grew with: acidity, fruit, floral notes. A medium roast goes a bit further, which rounds those edges and brings out sweetness, cocoa and caramel. Neither is better. They are two different cups from the same plant.
A word on labels. Roasters do not agree on where light ends and medium begins, so the word on a bag is the roaster's own judgment. We print what Temecula Coffee Roasters declares for each coffee, and we leave it out when they do not declare one.
How do they compare side by side?
| No. 1 Common Sense | No. 2 Good Sense | |
|---|---|---|
| Roast on the label | Medium | Medium-light |
| Origin | Huila and Medellin-Antioquia, Colombia | Sidama, Ethiopia |
| Altitude | 1,300 to 1,500 m | 1,700 to 1,900 m |
| Process | Fully washed, solar dried | Natural, hand sorted, dried on raised beds |
| Notes on the label | Cocoa, red apple, brown sugar | Milk chocolate, fruit, caramel |
| Best for | The cup you make every morning | The slow first cup |
| With milk | Holds up | Better black, the fruit gets lost in milk |
| Price, 12 oz | $28 | $28 |
The roast is not the only thing that differs here. One is washed and one is a natural, and they come from different countries, so some of what you taste is origin and process and not roast. We cannot split that out for you, and we would rather say so than pretend a roast level explains the whole cup.
Which roast fits how you drink coffee?
- Drip machine, every day, with or without milk: medium. It is forgiving of tap water and of a grind that is a little off.
- French press: medium again. Full immersion pulls plenty out, and the cocoa and brown sugar notes stay balanced.
- Pour-over, black, when you have ten minutes: medium-light. A slower, controlled brew is where fruit shows up. Our label suggests 60 g per litre at 94 °C (201 °F) with a 40-second bloom.
- Espresso, moka pot or anything with milk: neither one is our usual answer. No. 3 Position is the one our label points at for those. The roaster does not declare its roast level, so we will not place it on this scale.
- Iced coffee: either works. See cold brew vs iced coffee for how to brew it.
Why does a lighter roast sometimes taste sour?
Two reasons, and only one is the roast. First, lighter roasts keep more natural acidity, which reads as bright and fruity when it is balanced and as sour when it is not. Second, a weak or under-extracted cup tastes sour whatever the roast. If a medium-light coffee tastes sharp, fix the brew before you blame the bean: grind a little finer, use hotter water, or lengthen the brew. We have a step-by-step order for that in pour-over coffee too sour.
Is medium roast the safe choice?
For most mornings, yes. It tastes good across more machines and more water, and it asks less of you. The cost is that you may not taste the more delicate parts of a coffee. If you already drink medium and wonder what else is out there, Good Sense is a low-risk step. If you drink milky coffee every day and want to keep it that way, stay with Common Sense. For the next step in the same direction, see medium vs dark roast.
Our picks
Our pick
No. 1 Common Sense
Huila and Medellin-Antioquia, Colombia · 1,300 to 1,500 m · Fully washed, solar dried · Castillo, Caturra, Colombia, Typica · Medium
Cocoa, red apple and brown sugar on the label, the medium roast for the cup you make every morning without thinking about it.
Our pick
No. 2 Good Sense
Sidama, Ethiopia · 1,700 to 1,900 m · Natural, hand sorted, dried on raised beds · Indigenous heirloom cultivars · Medium-light
Milk chocolate, fruit and caramel on the label, the medium-light roast for the slow first cup when you want to taste something.
Want to try both? Our subscription is 11% off, with skip or cancel in one click, and you can switch coffees between deliveries. The other eight are in all ten coffees.
Start with the roast that matches how you drink coffee now, then move one step in the other direction.
Questions people ask
Is light roast stronger than medium roast?
Not in the sense most people mean. Strength comes mostly from how much coffee you use per cup, so 60 g per litre tastes equally strong with either. Light roasts usually taste brighter and more acidic, which some people read as sharper.
Which roast is better for drip coffee machines?
Medium is the easier choice. It is forgiving, takes milk well and does not need tight water temperature. Our No. 1 Common Sense is a medium roast made for exactly that kind of morning cup.
Does a lighter roast taste more sour?
It can. Lighter roasts keep more of the acidity of the bean, and a cup that is under-extracted tastes sour on top of that. If a lighter coffee tastes sour, grind finer or brew a little longer before you switch coffees.
Free printable
Keep the ratio chart on your fridge
One page with grams, level tablespoons and scoops for every cup size and for coffee makers from 2 to 14 cups. Leave your email and the download link appears right here.