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
Corby KummerDark 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
BostonBean Coffee CompanyExamples of dark roast in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This rum spent a quarter century aging in American oak ex-bourbon barrels, and is the drier of the two with notes of black pepper, tannic oak, butterscotch, orange, dark roast espresso, crème brûlée, licorice, and menthol.
—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
24 June 2026
Light, medium, or dark roasts all work fine for espresso; just keep in mind that the lighter the roast, the more acidic the finished product.
—
Karla Walsh,
Better Homes & Gardens,
16 June 2026
Available in light, medium and dark roasts, the initial range of offerings will debut at the grand opening of Dolly’s Tennessean Travel Stop in Cornersville, Tennessee, about 60 miles south of Nashville off Interstate 65 at Exit 22, on June 24.
—
Amaris Encinas,
USA Today,
11 June 2026
The coffee is made from medium and dark roast Arabica beans from regions in Latin America, per the release.
—
Chiara Kim,
PEOPLE,
21 May 2026
The coffee offered at Julie’s Cup of Joe include organic dark roast Sumatra, medium blend Kona blend, medium roast Jamaican Blue Mountain blend and French Roast decaf.
—
Sarah Kyrcz,
Hartford Courant,
6 Apr. 2026
My current jam is a medium-ground dark roast, brewing two minutes in water that’s 190 degrees Fahrenheit.
—
Joe Ray,
Wired News,
12 Mar. 2026
The new medium dark and dark roasts meet consumer requests for bolder coffee.
—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
24 Feb. 2026
The February menu additions include six bakery items — including new loaf, tart and croissant flavors — and a dark roast coffee.
—
Mary Cunningham,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2026
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Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
24 June 2026
Light, medium, or dark roasts all work fine for espresso; just keep in mind that the lighter the roast, the more acidic the finished product.
—
Karla Walsh,
Better Homes & Gardens,
16 June 2026
Available in light, medium and dark roasts, the initial range of offerings will debut at the grand opening of Dolly’s Tennessean Travel Stop in Cornersville, Tennessee, about 60 miles south of Nashville off Interstate 65 at Exit 22, on June 24.
—
Amaris Encinas,
USA Today,
11 June 2026
The coffee is made from medium and dark roast Arabica beans from regions in Latin America, per the release.
—
Chiara Kim,
PEOPLE,
21 May 2026
The coffee offered at Julie’s Cup of Joe include organic dark roast Sumatra, medium blend Kona blend, medium roast Jamaican Blue Mountain blend and French Roast decaf.
—
Sarah Kyrcz,
Hartford Courant,
6 Apr. 2026
My current jam is a medium-ground dark roast, brewing two minutes in water that’s 190 degrees Fahrenheit.
—
Joe Ray,
Wired News,
12 Mar. 2026
The new medium dark and dark roasts meet consumer requests for bolder coffee.
—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
24 Feb. 2026
The February menu additions include six bakery items — including new loaf, tart and croissant flavors — and a dark roast coffee.
—
Mary Cunningham,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dark roast.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dark%20roast. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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