Medium Roast Coffee Guide
What is Medium Roast Coffee?
Heat is the essential element of coffee roasting and causes the dramatic chemical changes that release the flavors and aromas that make coffee so alluring. At around 400 degrees Fahrenheit, water inside the green beans is vaporized and causes the beans to expand and crack. A light roast coffee is done at this point, or first crack, but medium and dark roast coffees continue to roast and react between 410 and 440 degrees Fahrenheit.
At around 430 to 440 degrees Fahrenheit, coffee beans undergo a chemical process called Pyrolysis, which causes the release of carbon dioxide and a second crack, which gives medium roast beans their deep color and dark roast beans an oily sheen.
Medium Roast Coffee Characteristics
Medium roast coffee is sometimes referred to as American roast because of its popularity in the USA. It is roasted until just before the second crack and has a deeper brown color than light roast coffee. The beans retain a matte or unglossy finish. Medium roast coffee is full-bodied with medium acidity and low bitterness. It strikes a balance between bright, sweet, bitter, and fruity flavors, which is why it is a palate pleaser for many.
Recommended Brewing Methods for Medium Roast Coffee
One of the exciting things about medium roast coffee is it works well with many different brewing methods. For example, automatic drip, pour over, French Press, and cold brewing methods complement medium roast coffees.Kauai Coffee Medium Roast Guide
If you love medium roast coffee or want to expand your coffee horizons and try something new, Kauai Coffee has an excellent selection of medium roast 100% Hawaiian coffee. Learn more about our lineup and order online to get freshly roasted, 100% Hawaiian coffee delivered to your door!
Estate Roast 100% Hawaiian Coffee
Our flagship medium roast coffee is 100% Hawaiian coffee, featuring a smooth, delicious flavor and exceptional aroma. Kauai Coffee Estate Roast delivers a bright aroma with light floral notes, making it the perfect cup of coffee to drink, day, or night. Decaffeinated Estate Roast is also available here.
Suggested Pairing: Estate Roast is a breakfast staple, so naturally, it pairs well with all your favorite breakfast foods. Enjoy with a heaping stack of banana pancakes, pastries, or savory eggs and bacon!
Estate Reserve Acaia
Acaia is a unique variety derived from a cross of Typica and Bourbon varieties. It originated in Brazil and is a cultivar closely related to Mundo Novo. Acaia produces a larger bean and fruit. It has a sweet fragrance with hints of chocolate, caramel, and nut, finishing with bright citrus and sweet tea-rose as it cools when roasted. Kauai Coffee Acaia brews a smooth, frothy cup with flavor attributes of milk chocolate, mocha, and caramel notes. The finish is bright and sweet.
Suggested Pairing: Acaia's chocolate and caramel flavor notes and bright finish make it an easy and versatile coffee to pair with food. If you like to start your morning on the sweeter side, pair a cup of freshly brewed Acaia with a dark chocolate croissant. The buttery, flaky pastry and semi-sweet chocolate will amplify the chocolate and caramel notes of the coffee for a lovely layer of flavors. Alternatively, is there a flavor pairing more delicious than salted caramel? We think not! The caramel undertones of Acaia pair beautifully with savory breakfast dishes because of the contrast between the sweet and salty notes. Swap potato for taro in your morning hash or home fries for a double taste of Kauai!
Big Braddah
Just like your favorite uncle, Big Braddah Coffee is full-bodied with a soft side! Big Braddah is a medium roast coffee with a rich aroma and hints of sweet fruit. The acidity is balanced with a soft and syrupy mouthfeel. Drinking Big Braddah is a warm hug in a mug!
Suggested Pairing: Amplify the soft, syrupy notes by pairing Big Braddah with an old-fashioned doughnut or Malasada.
Estate Reserve Red Catuai
One of the best things about being a coffee drinker is exploring the diversity of flavors and textures you can extract from a simple, roasted seed. Created in Brazil in 1949, Red Catuai Coffee is a cross between the highly productive Mundo Novo and compact Caturra varietals. Catuai was introduced to the Kauai Coffee Farm in 1987 with seeds acquired from Brazil. Today, Red, and Yellow Catuai make up about 80% of the coffee grown on the Kauai Coffee Farm, with 5% Red Catuai and nearly 76% Yellow Catuai. 100% Kauai Coffee Red Catuai is a mild to medium-bodied coffee, touched by a smooth, sweet finish and a hint of cardamom.Red Catuai Specialty Peaberries
Looking for something extraordinary? Our Estate Reserve Red Catuai Peaberry makes for a smooth cup with sweet citrus notes and buttery mouthfeel and is available now for a limited time.
Suggested Pairing: Red Catuai has chocolatey notes and nutty undertones. To enhance these flavors and add depth, you can pair it with foods that also have chocolate and nutty notes, such as chocolate chip muffins or toasty banana nut bread. For a bright and acidic contrast to the smooth and mellow coffee, try sipping Red Catuai alongside a ripe berry and yogurt parfait.
Roast Master's Choice Kope Olenalena
Kope is the Hawaiian word for coffee and this brew is a taste of paradise. It is smooth and mellow with a good body and mouthfeel.
Suggested Pairing: Pair this smooth and mellow coffee with something punchy and spicy – a ginger scone or cinnamon coffee cake should do the trick!
Roast Master's Choice McBryde Estate
If you were asked to describe a perfect day in Hawaii, you might include the sound of waves lapping gently on sandy shores and the pleasant floral scent carried on cooling trade winds. Our Estate Reserve McBryde Estate coffee is the perfect Hawaiian day in coffee form! It is pleasantly sweet with rounding hints of chocolate, nuts, dry berries, and floral notes, just like a gentle Hawaiian breeze.
Suggested Pairing: The floral notes in McBryde Estate work well with citrus. Sip McBryde Estate with a lemon cream-filled pastry or orange glazed French toast.
Estate Reserve Peaberry
Because peaberries are the only seed inside the coffee cherry, they tend to be smaller, rounder, and denser than their two-seeded counterparts. Peaberry lovers and some professional coffee graders also believe that because the single peaberry bean receives all the nutrients of the coffee cherry rather than sharing with another seed, peaberries can have more caffeine and taste sweeter than other beans as well. Kauai Coffee Medium Roast Peaberry makes a rousing cup of coffee! It has bright, sweet flavors and a tease of tropical citrus. The acidity is enveloped in sweetness and lingers through into the finish. This coffee is a true expression of aloha and an 'ohana favorite!
Suggested Pairing: Peaberry coffee is bursting with tropical citrus flavor. Pair it with light floral notes like a lavender scone or rose and cardamom morning bun.
Estate Reserve Poipu Estate
Poipu Estate Medium Roast has a delicately bright aroma, light floral qualities, and a sweet finish. You'll be transported to the Kauai Coffee orchard in bloom after just one sip.
Suggested Pairing: The sweet finish of Poipu Estate holds up well against earthy flavors. Serve with savory mushrooms on sourdough toast or roasted potatoes and poached eggs.
Estate Reserve Typica
Drinking Typica Coffee from Kauai is anything but typical. This medium roast coffee is sweet toned with a delicately complex flavor and lingering hints of ripe, sweet berries. It's a symphony of flavor in one cup!
Suggested Pairing: What's better than berries and chocolate? Almost nothing! Pair the ripe berry notes of Estate Reserve Typica with chocolate cake, muffins, or bread!
Flavored 100% Hawaiian Coffee
If you're a medium roast coffee lover who enjoys a hint of flavor added to your morning cuppa, you're in luck! Our flavored coffee is medium roast 100% Hawaiian coffee with a dash of island-inspired flavor. So, enjoy one of our many standard and seasonal flavors with your favorite breakfast, afternoon snack, or dessert today!
- Coconut Caramel Crunch: A hint of sweet, nutty caramel blended with tropical coconut. Also available in decaf.
- Vanilla Macadamia Nut: Vanilla bean and toasted macadamia nut combine for an authentic taste of Hawaii.
- Chocolate Macadamia Nut: A classic Hawaiian combination of rich milk chocolate and toasted macadamia nuts.
- Hawaiian Toasty Banana Nut Cream: Like fresh Hawaiian banana bread, this coffee tastes like sweet tropical banana, creamy vanilla, and toasted hazelnuts. It's a must-try!
- Hazelnut: Coffee and hazelnut is a classic combination. Hazelnut plus our 100% Hawaiian coffee is a rich, smooth, and decadent taste of paradise.
- Salted Caramel: The perfect combination of sweet and savory. Rich caramel flavor with a hint of salt and 100% Hawaiian coffee.
- Paradise Mango Twist (seasonal): An unexpected delight! Paradise Mango Twist combines 100% Hawaiian coffee and tart, juicy mango, with a trace of chocolate and vanilla flavors. It's tropical, creamy, earthy, and delicious on ice. This seasonal summer flavor won't last long! So, get it now before it's gone.
- Hawaiian Pumpkin Pie (seasonal, returns August 29!): Your favorite Fall flavors elevated with 100% Hawaiian coffee. Hawaiian Pumpkin Pie blends subtle notes of cinnamon, caramel, and pecan for an enticing aroma and cozy cup of coffee.
- Irish Creme (seasonal, returns in March): Sweet Irish creme with a dash of tropical vanilla. Our Irish Creme is a beautiful combination made from the best Garden and Emerald Isle flavors!
- Apple Cinnamon Malasada (seasonal): This 100% Hawaiian coffee is a dessert lover's dream! Malasadas are a Portuguese doughnut and favorite island dessert. With a hint of cinnamon and sweet pastry, a cup of Apple Cinnamon Malasada Coffee will instantly transport you to Hawaii.
