11 Best Light Roast Coffee of 2021
Photo: Tiny Footprint Coffee
One of the main factors why coffee is such a successful drink is because of its versatility when it comes to taste.
But what really makes coffee taste good or bad is usually a question of preference as well as the type of roast used on the coffee beans.
Indeed, a light roast coffee will taste very differently from a dark roast coffee.
The light roast coffee is known for its high level of caffeine which provides the coffee with a high caffeine kick. Moreover, a light roast coffee has more acidity, less spicy notes, and no oils.
If you are interested in getting a light roast coffee, then below you will find a hand-picked selection of some of the best light roast coffee beans on the market.
Light Roast vs. Dark Roast Coffee
Photo: coasttocoastcoffee.ca
1. Light Roast Coffee
Coffee that is roasted in an oven with a temperature of 355 to 400°F is usually considered light roasted.
This type of coffee has a high concentration of caffeine, no oil and very acidic.
Furthermore, it retains most of its original flavors and has a lot of complexity. It is for this reason that the light roast coffee is a personal favorite for many expert baristas.
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2. Dark Roast Coffee
A dark roast coffee is obtained at a temperature that exceeds 450°F. One of the main distinguishing factors of the dark roast coffee is its shiny and polished look.
This is because the oils located at the center of the coffee bean have risen up due to the intense heat and coated the outer shell of the coffee bean. The end result is a caramelized layer of oil around the coffee bean.
Moreover, the dark roast coffee has a lower caffeine level, contains more bitterness but also has a richer taste profile.
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Which one to get?
That’s a difficult question to answer! If you require a mild coffee that will provide you with a powerful caffeine kick to wake up in the morning, a light roast coffee is always the best.
Also, it is more easily digested by the body as long as you consume it in moderation.
On the other hand, if you are a heavy coffee drinker and drink multiple cups of coffee throughout the day, then the dark roast coffee is better.
A dark roast contains lower levels of caffeine and has no acidity which will not upset your stomach.
You can also read other product reviews of whole bean coffee, low acid coffee bean, Kona coffee, decaf coffee, organic coffee, espresso bean, coffee for French press
11 Best Light Roast Coffee Beans – Review
IMAGE | PRODUCT | FEATURES | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 1. Real Good Coffee Co Seattle WA, Whole Bean (Strong & Popular) | ||
 | 2. Kicking Horse Hola, Ground (Fully Organic) | ||
 | 3. Cafe Don Pablo Subtle Earth, Whole Bean (Tasty & Value for Money) | ||
 | 4. Caribou Daybreak Coffee, Ground (Strong Coffee with a Sweet Caramel Taste) | ||
 | 5. Peet's Coffee Colombia Luminosa, Whole Bean (Freshly Packed & Smooth Taste) | ||
 | 6. AmazonFresh Just Bright, Ground (3 Packs in the Box for More Convenience) | ||
 | 7. Fresh Roasted Coffee White Knight, Whole Bean (Bold Coffee with Cherry and Cocoa Taste) | ||
 | 8. AmazonFresh Just Bright, Whole Bean (Fresh, Crisp, & Bright Flavor) | ||
 | 9. AmazonFresh Direct Trade Rwanda, Whole Bean (Smooth & Mild Whole Bean Coffee) | ||
 | 10. AmazonFresh Direct Trade Rwanda, Ground (Very Easy to Prepare Ground Coffee) | ||
 | 11. Tiny FootPrint Coffee Signature Blend, Whole Bean (3 lbs of Coffee with Lemon & Orange Undertones) |
PRODUCT |
|---|
1. Real Good Coffee Co Seattle WA, Whole Bean (Strong & Popular) |
2. Kicking Horse Hola, Ground (Fully Organic) |
3. Cafe Don Pablo Subtle Earth, Whole Bean (Tasty & Value for Money) |
4. Caribou Daybreak Coffee, Ground (Strong Coffee with a Sweet Caramel Taste) |
5. Peet's Coffee Colombia Luminosa, Whole Bean (Freshly Packed & Smooth Taste) |
6. AmazonFresh Just Bright, Ground (3 Packs in the Box for More Convenience) |
7. Fresh Roasted Coffee White Knight, Whole Bean (Bold Coffee with Cherry & Cocoa Taste) |
8. AmazonFresh Just Bright, Whole Bean (Fresh, Crisp, & Bright Flavor) |
9. AmazonFresh Direct Trade Rwanda, Whole Bean (Smooth & Mild Whole Bean Coffee) |
10. AmazonFresh Direct Trade Rwanda, Ground (Very Easy to Prepare Ground Coffee) 11. Tiny FootPrint Coffee Signature Blend, Whole Bean (3 lbs of Coffee with Lemon and Orange Undertones) |
1. Real Good Coffee Co Seattle WA, Whole Bean – Strong and Popular Light Roast Coffee
Photo: Real Good Coffee Company
- Origin: Arabica (Central and South America)
The Real Good Coffee is a light roast coffee that is quite popular in North America. Indeed, despite this coffee having Central and South American origins, it is roasted here in Seattle.
Since it is light roasted, this coffee has a high caffeine content which will provide you with a series caffeine kick.
Therefore, this coffee is an ideal morning coffee where you need a powerful brew to wake you up. In the making of this coffee, only fresh and organic Arabica coffee beans have been used. This ensures that you get a superior tasting product.
Moreover, this product has an excellent price considering that you get no less than 2 lbs of coffee with this purchase. If you are a heavy coffee drinker and intake multiple cups of coffee every day, the Real Good Coffee is a top-rated light roast coffee for your need.
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Notes
This coffee comes in a paper package. Therefore, you will need a glass canister or another airtight container to store it
2. Kicking Horse Hola, Ground – Fully Organic Light Roast Coffee
Photo: Kicking Horse Coffee
- Origin: Arabica (Central and South America)
The Kicking Horse is an excellent light roast coffee used by many amateur and expert baristas. This is because this coffee has a very delightful and flavorful taste.
Moreover, only organic coffee beans have been used, and it comes with many labels like fair trade and kosher to testify of its quality. What we like about this light roast coffee is its high caffeine content as well as fruity undertones.
You can use any type of brewing process with this coffee. However, the manufacturer recommends that you use a drip machine, pour over, or a cold brew with it.
In addition, this organic light roast coffee is already ground so you will not need to pre-grind them. It’s very easy to prepare and an ideal light roast coffee for those who do not have a lot of time preparing their coffee.
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3. Cafe Don Pablo Subtle Earth, Whole Bean – Tasty and Value for Money
Photo: Cafe Don Pablo
- Origin: Arabica (Honduras)
When it comes to taste, the Cafe Don Pablo is a true winner. Indeed, this light roast coffee comes straight from Honduras and is reputed worldwide for its succulent taste. This is a 100% organic coffee that is in turn made from 100% Arabica beans.
Bottom line, with the Cafe Don Pablo you are assured to get a smooth tasting coffee that despite being mild contains a high level of caffeine that will provide you with a good caffeine kick.
What we like about this light roasted coffee is that it comes with instructions by the manufacturer that will show you the optimal way of preparing this coffee. Indeed, you can also prepare it with the French Press process to get a superior grade coffee.
And when it comes to price, this product is simply one of the best light roast coffee beans on the market. Especially considering that you get no less than 2 lbs of coffee with this purchase.
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Cons:
Notes
This is a whole bean coffee, so you will need a grinding machine for the pre-grind
4. Caribou Daybreak Coffee, Ground – Strong Coffee with a Sweet Caramel Taste
Photo: Caribou Coffee
- Origin: Arabica (Americas and East Africa)
The Caribou is a unique tasting ground coffee that is light roasted. This coffee comes from the Americas and East Africa, so it has a unique signature taste that is bright-bodied, flavorful, and strong in taste.
This coffee specializes as a morning coffee because of its high caffeine content that will provide you with a good caffeine kick. If you are the type of person who needs a strong coffee in the morning, the Caribou is an excellent choice.
Moreover, what sets this light roast coffee apart is its detailed instructions as well as the preparation method printed right to the side of the packaging. They are easy to follow by even absolute beginners.
You get 567 g of light roast coffee in the back. It is definitely not the most value for money coffee we have seen so far, but it is still more than enough for the casual coffee drinker.
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Cons:
Notes
This ground coffee does not work well with the French Press. We recommend you use the Pour Over brew process instead
5. Peet's Coffee Colombia Luminosa, Whole Bean – Freshly Packed and Smooth Taste
Photo: Peet's Coffee
- Origin: Arabica (Ethiopia and Colombia)
Peet’s is a classic and top-rated light roast coffee. It has an excellent flavor and delivers a powerful caffeine kick which makes it an excellent morning coffee.
The coffee beans used in Peet’s come from places like Ethiopia and Colombia. And since only 100% Arabica beans are used, you are guaranteed to get a smooth and mild tasting coffee with this product.
If you like to drink multiple cups of coffee, then Peet’s is an excellent choice. Moreover, this coffee is ground so you will not need a grinding coffee machine to use it. It works pretty much the same way as instant coffee and is very fast and easy to prepare.
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Notes
If you drink multiple cups of coffee every day and like this product then you may want to buy more than one bag because you only get 340 g of light roast coffee the bag.
6. AmazonFresh Just Bright, Ground – 3 Packs in the Box for More Convenience
- Origin: Arabica (Central and South America)
What we love about this product is definitely its freshness. Indeed, AmazonFresh roasts grind and packs their coffee immediately after you purchase. This ensures that you always get the freshest and highest quality coffee for your money.
Moreover, this ground coffee is roasted and packed here in the USA which further ensures its quality. To the side of the package, you will also find invaluable instructions on how to prepare and serve this light roast coffee.
And in order to make it more convenient to the user, AmazonFresh includes 3 packs, so you do not have to expose the entire pack to air. It seems that the manufacturer has thought about everything!
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7. Fresh Roasted Coffee White Knight, Whole Bean – Bold Coffee with Cherry and Cocoa Taste
Photo: Fresh Roasted Coffee
- Origin: Arabica (USA)
One of the best things about this White Night coffee is the value that you get. Indeed, you get no less than 2 lbs of light roasted coffee with this purchase. If you are a heavy coffee consumer, then this is a great coffee for your need.
Moreover, it is bold and flavorful with strong caffeine content. If you need a strong coffee to wake you up, or morning coffee to prepare you to face the day, the White Night is your go-to coffee.
This product also comes with various certifications like USDA organic, fair trade, amongst others. This literally guarantees that you are purchasing a high-quality coffee that respects norms and laws.
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Cons:
Notes
You will have to grind it before brewing with a coffee bean grinder as the White Night is a whole bean coffee
8. AmazonFresh Just Bright, Whole Bean – Fresh, Crisp, and Bright Flavor
- Origin: Arabica (Central and South America)
AmazonFresh provides the best light roast coffee bean on the market. They make a superior grade light roasted coffee that is tasty, fresh and bold.
But what we really like about this company is the way the process their orders. Indeed, just after you order, AmazonFresh will roast, and pack their product in order to guarantee maximum freshness.
This company packs and roasts here in the USA but the coffee beans are themselves come from Central and South America.
Moreover, you have serving suggestions on the side of the package, so if you are an absolute beginner and have never prepared a good cup of coffee before, you will have no problem with this product.
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9. AmazonFresh Direct Trade Rwanda, Whole Bean – Smooth and Mild Whole Bean Coffee
- Origin: Arabica (Rwanda)
AmazonFresh uses only 100% Arabica beans in this whole bean coffee. The coffee beans themselves come from Rwanda and has multiple labels to testify of its quality.
Since this is a whole bean coffee, you will need to pre-grind it before brewing. Moreover, it is a roasted and pack here in the USA, so you are guaranteed to get a fresher and tastier coffee when it reaches your doorstep.
To the side, there are instructions that will show you exactly how to prepare the tastiest cup of coffee using this AmazonFresh Direct whole bean coffee.
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10. AmazonFresh Direct Trade Rwanda, Ground – Very Easy to Prepare Ground Coffee
- Origin: Arabica (Rwanda)
The Ground variant of AmazonFresh has the same taste as the whole bean reviewed above.
Since it is ground, you will not have to pre-grind it in a grinding machine which saves you time.
If you are the type of person who does not have to prepare it the traditional cup of coffee and needs your coffee brewed as fast as possible, then this ground variant is the best light roast coffee for your need.
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11. Tiny FootPrint Coffee Signature Blend, Whole Bean – 3 lbs of Coffee with Lemon and Orange Undertones
Photo: Tiny FootPrint Coffee
- Origin: Arabica (Ecuador)
The Tiny FootPrint is a light roasted coffee that concentrates mostly on quantity. Indeed, you get no less than 3 lbs of light roasted coffee with this purchase.
However, even if this product focuses on quantity, that does not mean that it sacrifices quality. Indeed, the coffee beans are grown in Ecuador and are superior quality. Moreover, only 100% Arabica beans are used so this is a bold and yet smooth tasting coffee.
Also, this is one of the few coffee in this light roast coffee review that has fruity undertones like lemon and orange. You will also experience a slight taste of cocoa. Definitely, when it comes to taste, this is a superb coffee to try!
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Notes
This light roast coffee is ideal for heavy coffee drinkers because you get 3 lbs of coffee in the bag. Note that those are whole coffee beans and you will have to pre-grind them
How to Buy the Best Light Roast Coffee Beans
Photo: fightforlivetogether.blogspot.com
1. Origin
The origin of the light bean coffee plays an important role, especially if you want to track the country of origin of the coffee.
Indeed, when compared to a dark roast coffee, the origin of the light bean coffee can more easily be tracked based on its taste alone.
Countries like South America are known to make a light roast coffee that has a milder taste and less aromatic than others.
On the other hand, a light roast coffee from Ethiopia will have a very smooth taste and fruity undertones.
The bottom line is, if you like the flavor of the light roast coffee, then inquire about its country of origin and keep buying the same type of coffee with the same origin in order to get a consistency in taste.
2. Roasting Method
There are basically 2 types of roasting methods to get a light roast:
Oven or Stovetop Popcorn Popper
The popcorn Popper method is a DIY method that you can use to roast your own coffee beans in the comfort of your kitchen. It will take around 15 to 20 minutes to roast the coffee beans to a light roast.
Simply place some coffee beans in a baking tray, place the tray in your oven and roasted at a temperature of 355°F for 15 to 20 minutes.
Furthermore, if you want to roast more coffee beans and your tray is too small, then you can use a popcorn popper to hold your beans.
Domestic Roasting Equipment
If you want to get a more consistent roasting throughout your beans, then it is always best to invest in a dedicated coffee roasting machine.
Indeed, a dedicated rooster will provide you with more control over whether you want a light roast or dark roast for your coffee, or anything in between.
3. Roasting Process
The roasting process plays a vital part in the type of coffee roast that you will get.
To get a light roast coffee, you need to roast the coffee beans at a temperature of 355°F to 400°F.
4. Coffee Beans
Eventually, it is the type of coffee beans that you use in your light roast coffee that will dictate its flavor.
So, it is very important in choosing the highest quality coffee beans that you can. Furthermore, if you are planning to roast your coffee yourself then only purchase freshly harvested coffee beans.
Those are called green coffee beans, and they are also usually more affordable than a roasted coffee bean because the roasting process by the manufacturer has been skipped.
5. Brand
Choosing the best light roast coffee brand is not easy because there are simply so many of them on the market. However, there are some reputable brands like the ones that you will find in our review above that will not disappoint you.
With a reputable brand, you get the assurance that the highest quality coffee beans have been used and that laws have been respected in its cultivation, harvest, roast, and packaging.
6. Price
Prices can quickly get out of hand when purchasing a light roast coffee online. Therefore, we recommend that you make a budget and try not to exceed it when buying your coffee.
7. Packaging
The packaging plays an important role in sealing the flavors and aromas of your light roast coffee. In turn, this directly affects its taste.
Therefore, if you want the highest quality taste in your light roast coffee, go with a brand that offers you a fully airtight packaging and roast their coffee only after you order.
This way, you are guaranteed to get a superior tasting light roast coffee because the coffee beans are fresh and still contains its full range of aromas and flavors.
Conclusion
The light roast coffee has the highest concentration of caffeine and produces a mild coffee that is easily digested by the body.
Therefore, if you need a powerful and yet mild tasting coffee that will deliver you a strong caffeine kick, then the light roast coffee is the only type of coffee that you need to buy.
Finally, our light roast coffee review above contains some popular light roast coffee brands that you probably have not heard about before.
If you have read that review and still not decided on which type of light roast coffee to buy yet, then go ahead and read the review again.
