dark roast
noun
plural dark roasts
: a coffee roast (see roast entry 2 sense 3) that is characterized by dark brown coffee beans with an oily texture, low acidity, high bitterness, and low caffeine content and that is produced by roasting coffee beans at temperatures typically between 440-480°F (230-250°C)
A dark roast is useful for smoothing out imperfections in beans that have little flavor or an unbalanced acidic range, because chlorogenic acid, the main acid in coffee, is destroyed at high temperatures.—Corby Kummer
Dark roasts actually have less caffeine than their counterparts. While a cup of dark roast coffee will have the boldest flavor, it will lack the same potency.—BostonBean Coffee Company
compare light roast, medium roast
Cite this Entry
“Dark roast.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dark%20roast. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.
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