Why does coffee need to be roasted?
Roasting is a heat process that turns coffee into the fragrant, dark brown beans we know and love.
Why roast?
Roasting brings out the aroma and flavor that is locked inside the green coffee beans. Beans are stored green, a state in which they can be kept without loss of quality or taste. A green bean has none of the characteristics of a roasted bean -- it’s soft and spongy to the bite and smells grassy.
Roasting causes chemical changes to take place as the beans are rapidly brought to very high temperatures. When they reach the peak of perfection, they are quickly cooled to stop the process. Roasted beans smell like coffee, and weigh less because the moisture has been roasted out. They are crunchy to the bite, ready to be ground and brewed.
Once roasted, however, they should be used as quickly as possible before the fresh roast flavor begins to diminish.