What Color are Coffee Beans?
Coffee beans are the main ingredient used to make coffee. People may not know what color coffee beans should be, as they rarely look inside their bag of coffee. Coffee beans actually come in a variety of colors – from green to light brown and even darker shades of blackish-brown.
Green Coffee Beans
Green coffee beans are the first stage of the coffee bean life-cycle. They are not roasted and are typically a yellow-green in color. Green coffee beans are what give roasted coffee beans their flavor and aroma.
Brown Coffee Beans
Once the coffee bean is roasted, it begins to turn a light brown color. This is the second stage of the coffee bean life-cycle. Light brown coffee beans are used in most coffee blends, as they produce a milder flavor than dark roasts.
Dark Brown Coffee Beans
Dark brown coffee beans are the result of further roasting. These beans are a deep brown color and typically produce a strong, bold flavor.
Blackish-Brown Coffee Beans
Blackish-brown coffee beans are the result of over-roasting. The beans become very dark and sometimes even take on a slight blue hue. These beans have a strong, bitter flavor and are typically not used in coffee blends.
No matter which type of coffee bean you use, the flavor and aroma will always depend on the way in which it has been roasted. Below is a summary of the colors and roasts of coffee beans:
- Green Coffee Beans – not roasted, yellow-green in color.
- Light Brown Coffee Beans – roasted, light brown in color.
- Dark Brown Coffee Beans – further roasted, deep brown in color.
- Blackish-Brown Coffee Beans – over-roasted, dark blue-brown in color.
Different types of coffee beans provide different flavors and aromas in your cup of coffee, so don’t be scared to experiment and find the one that’s right for you!
