7 Best Light Roast Coffee Beans for Your Next Coffee Break

Looking for some reliable suggestions on the best light roast coffee beans to buy? Check out this detailed guide as it narrows down the alternatives for you, helping you to choose the best one without much elbow grease. 

Avid coffee enthusiasts across the globe are united by the hot beverage; however, they are divided by the roast. The rapidly changing specialty coffee world has witnessed a lot of evolution in terms of joe’s preparation and roasting method. Not so long ago, robust dark roast beans used to rule the kingdom, and they used to be the emblem of seasoned coffee buffs. But, if you look at the current trend, things are not the same anymore. If you are still not specific about the roast, consider our comprehensive guide on Best Coffee Beans in the world.

Presently, light roast coffee beans are becoming more mainstream, and a handsome percentage of global coffee drinkers are switching to light roast beans from the black and night-dark roast. 

If you have joined the light roast revolution recently and are pretty curious to know which light roast beans could be the best for you, you have landed on the correct page. This guide walks you through the best light roast beans in 2022. Besides, to brush up on your buying skills, it shares the nitty-gritty of light roast beans. Read on and check out our 7 vetted recommendations!

Best Light Roast Coffee Beans – Our 7 Favorites

1. Lifeboost Optimist

The journey of Lifeboost began with mere curiosity. The brand’s founder, Dr. Charles Livingston, was quite eager to understand why people love coffee that much. However, suddenly the doctor discovered a fact  – though most coffee beans offer enjoyment and energy, the health factor is typically overlooked. So, he started a mission to make coffee healthier. 

He wanted to market beans that are free from high acidity, mycotoxins, and pesticides. So came Lifeboost – a coffee brand established in 2015 which prioritizes delivery to its consumers’ tables. Based in Virginia, Lifeboost is continuing to serve the coffee market with its world-class bean variant consistently since its inception. 

The Lifeboost Optimist perfectly justified its namesake. It’s a ray of hope for the light roast lovers who are desperately seeking beans that can produce cups with fruity and natural taste. The beans are sourced from the mountain rainforest of Nicaragua. Local coffee farming experts handpick these specialty Arabica beans, ensuring quality and fineness. 

The roaster washes the beans in spring water; then sun dries them thoroughly. Besides, Lifeboost roasts fresh batches upon receiving orders to ensure their freshness. These Fair-traded beans are third-party lab tested for heavy metals, pesticides, and 400+ other toxins. The light roast makes these beans slightly higher in acidity, allowing you to savor the beans’ original, authentic, and finest flavor notes.

Who is this for?

Those who are looking for stomach-friendly, light roast alternatives can walk with Lifeboost Optimist coffee beans. Flavor, tastings notes, and delectability are extraordinary. Besides, the beans are Fair-traded. 

2. Luminosa Breakfast Blend from Peet’s Coffee

These subtly sweet beans carry the aroma of Colombian and Ethiopian Arabica beans. The roaster, Peet’s coffee, is native to Barkley, California. Peet’s coffee has been a major player in the third-wave coffee revolution. Peet’s has been roasting beans for over half a century. The brand gained popularity with rising of Silicone Valley. This popularity awarded the company with enough abundance to buy cult favorite coffee roasters, Portland-based Stumptown coffee, and Chicago-based Intelligentsia coffee. 

Peet’s Coffee has extended its wings across the US in the last few years, and the company is known for its specialty coffee products that help you retain an at-home Starbucks-level coffee experience, defining precision and efficiency. Peet’s is known for delivering high-quality fresh coffee beans that are synonymous with freshness and delectability. 

The light roast Luminosa blend from Peet’s coffee is deliciously versatile. It’s delivered in a vacuum-sealed bag, allowing you to get its best aromas right after opening the bag. When you grind the beans, the dry fragrance is even richer; when you brew them, they will make you salivate. 

The cup is going to be floral, fruity, and chocolaty. If you brew this light roast version in a drip machine, you can even enjoy some pleasant citrus acidity that shines through the brew. You can even try out overnight cold brew with these beans and enjoy a super fudgy cup with zero bitterness. You can take your experience to the next level by pairing your cup with coconut milk.

Highlights

• Perfectly roasted 
• Exceptionally fresh 
• Delicious in many forms 
• In line with the brand’s commitment to ‘People’ and ‘Planet’

Who is this for? 

Those who are looking for the ideal light roast beans for their drip coffee maker should give these beans a try. 

3. Colombian Geisha from Volcanica

Volcanica is a gourmet coffee company that brings high-end beans from different coffee-growing regions in the world and delivers them to your doorstep after roasting them to perfection. Spanning the full spectrum of flavors and origins, Volcanica coffee lets you choose your preferred grind size, roast level, and eco-friendly certifications. 

The company markets more than 130 coffee varieties, including specialty beans like Estate, Organic, Decaf, Low acid, etc. The certification range includes rainforest-alliance certified, shed-grown, and Fair Trade. Volcanica is a family-owned and operated company that started its operations with Costa Rican influence. 

From whole beans, espresso grind, and French Press to deep grind – Volcanica has a full range of grind selections, catering to your individualistic preference. With its lucrative subscription options, you can save straight 10% of your order – what else could define customer centricity?

Also Read: Best Coffee Beans for Espresso 

The Colombia Geisha coffee from Volcanica defines true deliciousness. It’s an exceptional fusion of delicacy and intensity, complemented by a pronounced aroma, fruity, floral, sweet flavor, and vibrant acidity. The intense flavors originate from the high-altitude growing regions of Colombia. 

The high-quality Volcanic soil contributes to the beans’ unique, floral, and citrus notes. The cool high mountain temperatures nourish the cherries, allowing them to grow slowly and retain their highly identifiable sugary aroma. The Colombian Geisha version from Volcanica contains 30% less caffeine than the darker roasts. The beans are washed twice and sun-dried. Besides, the roasters roast them carefully to keep their bright acidity and floral tones intact. 

Who is this for?

Meant for those who are looking for an incomparable fusion of bright acidity and excellent nuances. This Volcanica variant reflects the perfection of roasting!

4. Ethiopian Bold Roast  – Light Roast from Cooper’s Coffee

Cooper’s Coffee is an artisan roaster that emphasizes quality and freshness. It’s known for its unique practice of roasting small batches with only grade one bean.  Anything less than that is simply thrown off  – yes, that’s  Copper’s Cask. Cooper’s journey started when Jason and John, two techies, met each other. After loads of research, these two coffee freaks came up with their brainchild – Cooper’s Cask. 

A cooper is old age practice of building barrels or casks. To justify its namesake, Cooper’s Cask barrel ages its beans before roasting to add more to their flavor complexity, aroma, and nuances. The Ethiopian bold roast-light coffee beans feature intense brightness. The firm uses a dry process, which gives the beans a vibrant boutique of aroma, including raw honey, lemon tart, and floral nectar. 

The roaster performs the tedious job of dry processing the beans by laying out heirloom varietal coffee cherries on raised beds for drying them in the desert sun. The process helps impart some of the actual cherries into beans, bringing in distinct, wildish, and raw flavors. The light roast adds more to the complexity of the flavor. 

Who is this for?

Perfect for those light roast lovers who want their cups to be exceptional! Unique and complex flavors make this Cask varietal stand out in miles.

5. Kenya Peaberry from Volcanica

Our next pick is again from Volcanica – the high-end brand that defines the gourmet coffee experience. While every jewel from Volcanica is known for its unique flavor complexity, rich aroma, and, most importantly, fresh roasting, the Kenya Peaberry stands out in miles. Why? Well, the rarest beans + prosumer roasters – what could be the result except for excellence?

The Kenya Peaberry beans from Volcanica feature a unique berry and citrus flavor with the undertones of wild spices, sweet plum, and grapes. By evenly roasting these beans, the roaster brings out its tangy acidity, helping you to produce clear and bright cups in every attempt. Volcanica sources A1 grade Kenya Peaberry beans from the high Kenyan mountainous lands. 

This coffee fruit is unique in its own way – it develops only a single oval bean rather than the usual pair of flat-sided beans. Volcanica respects this rarity, thus roasts only hand-picked Peaberry beans that are chosen carefully to avoid contamination or impurity. These beans are then spring water washed and sun-dried before they hit the roasting hub. 

Peaberry beans are best when they are roasted light. Thus, Volcanica slow-roast them to the defined “light level” to take out its sweet buttery, vanilla, tart raspberry, and black sage aroma. When you grind these beans, their freshness blows you away, and when you sip your cup, their richly rounded acidity and pungent nuances leave you spellbound.

Who is this for?

Anyone who is expecting a smooth, lively mouthfeel and crisp aftertaste from their cups can walk with these signature Volcanica Peaberry beans. 

6. Lavazza iTierra Light Roast

Last update on 2024-10-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Established in 1892, Lavazza is an Italian coffee brand that has recently gained worldwide popularity. They master the roasting skills, helping bring out the most subtle flavor of the beans. The brand has been thriving for over a century now, and it is more known for sincerely crafted espresso blends and a few single-origin coffee beans garnering praise from global coffee experts. 

The brand started as a mere grocery store in Toreno; now, its annual revenue is more than $2 billion. The propelling factors of this spectacular growth include flavor and quality, sustainability, an environmentally-friendly approach, and, most obviously, versatility. This old-school brand is blissfully continuing to succeed in the contemporary Third Wave coffee era. 

The iTierra light roast single-origin beans from Lavazza are the potential enough to give you an exceptional coffee experience. The roasters use 100% high-quality Arabica beans to produce this variant. By light roasting these beans, they take out their mellow, mild, and fruity flavors that can help you make mindblowing pour-overs, amazing Moka pot coffee, delectable French press cups, and much more. You can even use them for espresso brewing (despite the light roast) for clear and bright shots of espressos.

Also Read: Best Coffee Beans for French Press

The creamy mouthfeel and the ability to hold up well with milk-based beverages make iTierra the perfect pick for those who always want their coffee experience to be perfect. La Reserva De iTierra collection from Lavazza has specifically launched for responsibly serving the farmers with what they deserve. 

Besides, this product line aims to take care of coffee production’s environmental and socioeconomic impact. Due to this reason, these beans come from a community that is involved in social responsibility projects under the Lavazza Foundation management. These light roast beans are fresh, exciting, intense, and bright.  

Highlights 

• Moderate caffeine 
• Complex flavors 
• Environmentally-friendly 
• Fair-trade and organic 
• Refreshing and intense 

Who is this for?

For all crazy coffee freaks who don’t want to settle for less. Moderate caffeine kick, amazing flavor, and a guarantee of rejuvenation – Lavazza iTierra Light Roast gets you co0vered with all!

7. Caribou Daybreak Morning Blend

Last update on 2024-10-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Caribou coffee is the second largest retail roasting chain in the US. This upper Middle West-based roaster works with a unique motto – “Life is short, stay awake for it,” which depicts the brand’s serious approach to joe. Caribou Coffee sources its beans from Central and South America and Indonesia to create their magical blends. 

The Daybreak Morning Blend is rainforest-alliance certified, and around 75% of the blend components are produced adhering to sustainable, ecological,  and socioeconomic thresholds set by the Sustainable Agriculture Network. 

This light roast blend is highly admired for its pruny sweetness and scorched wood aroma. The hints of lemon, cardamom, and raw raisin add more to the cups’ appeal. When you produce your morning cuppa joe using this blend, you blissfully retain a surprisingly silky and velvety mouthfeel. These beans are kosher-certified, making them a choice for all. 

Highlights

• Kosher-certified
• Fairtrade
• Rainforest-alliance certified
• Handcrafted
• Rejuvenating and Cherishable

Who is this for?

Anyone who is ready to savor aromatic fineness in an exceptional light-roasted blend. Besides, also the perfect pick for those who are looking for a delectable kosher-certified morning blend. 

How to Buy the Best Light Roast Beans for Aromatic Cuppa Joe

When you’re aware of a few facts, you can make the most of your light roast beans purchase. Let’s walk you through them.

Know the Origin

Origin is one of many factors that affect the taste of a particular coffee when roasted lightly. While there’s no hard and fast rule about how coffee from a particular region will taste, the growing condition of particular regions significantly influences the flavor profile and taste of the beans. For example, beans that come from Central America (Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, etc.) are known for their balanced notes. They are characterized by their spice and cocoa flavors. When roasted lightly, these beans turn brightly acidic, which adds more to the cup’s appeal. 

On the other hand, Ethiopian and Kenyan beans are earthy, bold, and juicy. They feature tomato-like acidity and stone-fruit juiciness – they are also a good pick for a light roast. Indonesian beans are, however, more inclined to the dark notes of unsweetened cocoa and mushroom-like complexity, making them a better pick for a darker roast.

While buying your beans, check for the origin. If you want to make the most out of light roast beans, always pick up the ones of Central American, Southern American, Ethiopian or Kenyan origin. A blend with a little number of Indonesian beans will also work. However, don’t pick up single-origin Indonesian beans ( Java, Sumatran, etc.) as they may not taste that great in a light roast. 

Be Aware of the Caffeine Fact

Light roasts are, indeed, rejuvenating and refreshing. However, you may retain more caffeine through them than the darker roasts. Suppose you have taken a tablespoon of light roast beans and one tablespoon of dark roast beans. Because the dark roast beans are larger, you’ll have more individual beans in the light roast teaspoon. 

Thus, you will retain more caffeine from the light roast beans because of the larger bean count. So, if you are okay with some extra caffeine shots, stick to a light roast. However, if you are on the caffeine-cut-down venture, you should turn to dark roast coffee. 

Pick only high-quality beans

When selecting the right light roast, you should always ensure that you buy only high-quality beans.  Dark roasting can suppress the downside of low-quality beans with smoky, toasted flavors. However, with a light roast, you are left with no other alternative than to access the full profile of the beans.  Therefore, it’s always wise to pick up only high-quality Arabica beans.  

The roaster’s reputation matters

When it comes to the coffee experience, roasting style makes a big difference. Not all roasters master the art of crafting roasts that justify your joe experience at their best. The roasters we’ve recommended in this guide inevitably use a better roasting technique than many other random roasters, ensuring that you won’t end up with brews that are sour, astringent, or one-dimensional ( unless you are exceptionally unaware of the right brewing techniques).

Takeaways

So, now you know how and what to pick to enjoy amazing light roast coffee at home. Head to the purchase and keep brewing! If your cups don’t taste well even after using the best light roast beans, don’t give up on hope or keep blaming the roaster!  Do a little elbow grease and find out what’s leaving you back. Remember, when it comes to joe,  each cup can be different unless you crack the secret of consistency. So, keep trying, and you will definitely cherish perfection someday!

Frequently Asked Questions