Skip to main content
About Starbucks
    • Coffee Coffee
    • Cups & Merch Cups & Merch
    • Customer Experience Customer Experience
    • Drinks & Food Drinks & Food
    • Annual Impact Report (ESG) Annual Impact Report (ESG)
    • Belonging at Starbucks Belonging at Starbucks
    • Communities Communities
    • Farmers Farmers
    • The Starbucks Foundation The Starbucks Foundation
    • Sustainability Sustainability
    • Partners (Employees) Partners (Employees)
    • Contact us
    • Media Library
    • News Blog
    • Press Releases
    • Starbucks for the Record
  • Stories

Starbucks® Coffee roast spectrum explained

The art and science of the Starbucks® Roast Spectrum.

Roasted Coffee in a roasting machine
A variety of roasted coffee on display
A Starbucks partner roasting coffee at the Roastery in Chicago
  • Share this post on Facebook
  • Share this post on Threads
  • Share this post on LinkedIn
  • 1 min read
  • February 27, 2025

The alchemy of roasting coffee 

Each coffee requires a distinctive roast to bring out its unique characteristics – transforming green coffee beans into shiny, fragrant gems. This alchemy is a balance of art and science, knowledge, and intuition, developed more than 50 years by Starbucks master roasters. Together, all Starbucks® coffees create a spectrum of flavors – from light-bodied blonde roasts to smooth and rich medium coffees to the darkest roasts. 

  • Starbucks® Blonde Roast 

    Starbucks® Blonde Roast coffee beans have a shorter-roast time, allowing for an easy-drinking cup of more mellow flavors. Lighter-bodied and mellow, these coffees awaken the senses gently and deliver an approachable and flavorful cup with slight hints of roast. 

  • Starbucks® Medium Roast 

    Medium-roasted coffee beans are in the middle of the Starbucks® roast spectrum. Smooth and balanced, these coffees have rich, approachable flavors. 

  • Starbucks® Dark Roast 

    Dark-roasted coffees have a fuller body with robust, bold taste with the characteristic essence of an intense roast. 

More like this

Starbucks Iced Shaken Oatmilk Espresso on a beige background
Coffee & Products

All about horchata: Introducing Starbucks new Iced Shaken Espresso

3 min read
An assortment of Starbucks Summer Berry Refresher and Iced Horchata Shaken Espresso and Strawberry cake up on a light green background
Drinks & Food

Summer-Berry Refreshers are back alongside new Iced Horchata Oatmilk Shaken Espresso

3 min read
An assortment of FARM Rio and Starbucks collaboration reusable cold cup, tumbler and mug
Cups & Merch

FARM Rio + Starbucks unveil limited-edition merch collab

3 min read
Our Values & Commitments

Stay In Touch

Subscribe to all the latest Starbucks stories and news delivered right to your inbox.

  • Instagram
  • Threads
  • TikTok
  • YouTube

Press Center

All the latest company news and leadership perspectives.

  • Press Releases
  • Company News
  • Starbucks For The Record
  • Leadership
  • Starbucks.com
  • Career Center
  • Reserve
  • At Home
  • Canada
    • English
    • Français
  • USA
    • English
  • EMEA
    • English
  • Latin America
    • English
    • Español
    • Português
  • Asia
    • English
  • Japan
    • 日本語
  • Starbucks.com
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy Notice
  • Do Not Share My Personal Information

© 2025 Starbucks Coffee Company

Opens in a new window