Kilimanjaro coffee comes from the Tanzanian foothills near Mount Kilimanjaro, for example, while Java coffee derives from the Indonesian islands. For many years, consumers purchased green coffee beans and roasted them at home. Today nearly all beans are roasted by the manufacturers who possess the appropriate equipment. Roasting the beans enhances the coffee s flavor and releases pungent oils. Although there exist no strict conventions for classifying different types of roasts, there are some well-known roasts that have maintained a certain consistency between manufacturers.
American roast produces a medium bodied coffee.
This roast is used almost exclusively in average American store brands and in restaurants across the country. Brazilian roast is a slightly darker roast than the American roast. Despite its name, the roast has no connection to Brazil. An increasingly popular roast is the French roast. French roasted beans are the color of dark chocolate.