French Roast Vs Italian Roast Coffee: What’s The Difference?
Italian and French roast coffee are both dark roasts, but they aren’t the same. Which one should you buy?
Third-wave and specialty coffee enthusiasts tend to focus on medium and lighter roasts, but dark roasts have their place, too. They are less acidic, have bolder flavors, and hold up well to the addition of milk for a delicious latte or cappuccino.
Not all dark roast coffees are created equal. In this article, I’ll explain the difference between French roast and Italian roast, two of the most popular options.
Italian Roast Vs French Roast: A Comparison
Darker roast coffee beans fall on a spectrum, from dark brown and lightly oily to almost black and greasy. Where do roasts like French and Italian lie on that scale? It all comes down to the precise temperature at which they’re roasted. So let’s start with….
A Quick Trip Through the Coffee Roasting Process
Green coffee beans are dense and have little flavor, which is why we roast them. This heating process creates different coffee roast levels. As the coffee beans are roasted, the heat causes sugars and amino acids to combine, prompting new flavors and a darkening color (1).
“Roasters and consumers use the level of color as a parameter of quality and profile.”
A coffee bean’s color and physical appearance can tell you a lot about its flavor profile and roast quality.
A light roast is achieved when the roaster hits 385 ℉. The coffee beans showcase their most subtle notes and are best brewed with gentler methods, like pour-over. The cup is fruitier and more acidic. At 410 ℉, you enter the realm of medium roasts, which offer a nice balance between the beans’ original flavor profile and the caramelization from the Maillard reaction.
Which Is Darker, French Or Italian Roast?
Dark roast is achieved when the beans are roasted to 430 ℉ and above. These coffee beans have a robust, caramelized flavor and oily exterior. French and Italian are both dark roasts, but they differ in the temperature at which each is achieved.
Between 440 and 455 ℉, you’ll find yourself with a French roast. The beans will be a very dark brown, with a light sheen of oil. The cup profile will have lost its bright acidity and achieved a rich caramelization without becoming overly bitter. You might taste notes of dark chocolate, roasted nuts, and a hint of smoke.
In most of the world, a French roast is the most popular dark roast among coffee enthusiasts.
In Italy, however, people like to go a little darker. An Italian dark roast coffee is achieved when the roast temperature exceeds 455 ℉. The beans will be darker than French roast, nearly black, and have an oilier exterior (2). When brewed, the cup will have a fuller body and richer mouthfeel. The tasting notes of an Italian roast tend to be more bitter and feature things like smoke, toasted cereals, and molasses.
What Are The Best Brewing Methods for French and Italian Roasts?
When brewing any dark roast beans, make sure to…
- use a coarser grind
- increase the dose
- decrease the brew water temperature
…relative to brewing a light or medium roast with the same method.
For a visual demonstration of this, check out James Hoffmann’s excellent guide on brewing better dark roasts:
The French roast offers more versatility and is suitable for many brewing methods. Often, coffee lovers favor brewing methods that emphasize its full body, like espresso, Moka pot, or French press. But I’ve equally enjoyed French roasts brewed with a drip coffee maker or Chemex, which tames the body but keeps the strong coffee flavor.
The darker Italian roast beans are ideal for espresso, as you might expect given their Italian origins. The heavier body of Italian roast produces the perfect texture for a crema-topped espresso. And its slightly bitter and robust flavor is the perfect foil for creamy, sweet dairy in traditional milk-based drinks like cappuccinos and lattes.
Final Thoughts
French and Italian roasts may not be as trendy in the specialty coffee industry, but these two dark roasts are worthy additions to your coffee repertoire. A French roast is a classic and versatile dark roast suitable for many coffee brewing methods and palates. An Italian coffee roast is a darker and more bitter alternative, best for lovers of Italian espresso and milk-based drinks.
How do you enjoy your Italian or French roast beans? Let me know in the comments.
FAQs
Espresso roast is a term roasters use to describe any roast deemed suitable for espresso. It is often a relatively porous medium-dark or dark roast. However, espresso is a specific brew method not a defined roast style, so you can use any beans you enjoy.
No, there is not appreciably less caffeine in darker roasts, despite the common misconception. However, your brewed cup of dark roast coffee will have less caffeine if you’re measuring your coffee beans by volume – using a scoop. This is because the longer roasted process means darker roasts are more porous. When measured by weight, the caffeine content is essentially equal at all roast levels.
No, Italian roast is not the darkest roast. Believe it or not, the Spanish roast is even darker. Achieved when the coffee is roasted to 470°F, a Spanish roast is a specific coffee experience that not everyone will love – very bold, smoky, and fairly bitter.
References
- Belchior, V. (2019, March 12). Physical changes coffee beans experience during roasting. Retrieved from https://perfectdailygrind.com/2019/03/what-happens-during-coffee-roasting-the-physical-changes/
- Bollinger, D. (2022). Roast Levels: A Primer. Retrieved from https://thecaptainscoffee.com/pages/roast-levels
