11 Of The Best Light Roast Coffee Beans – Smooth And Sleek Taste

With dark roasts ruling the shelves for most of these past years, light roasts are now a thing. Whether you call it light roast coffee, light city, half city, New England Roast, or cinnamon roast, all these terms refer to the coffee beans that are light brown in color and roasted to a level until a single crack is heard, called the “first crack.”

Light roasts preserve a coffee bean’s natural aromas and flavors, so they are becoming the preferred choice for most coffee connoisseurs. The flavors in light roast coffee beans are more vibrant and unique with fruity and floral aromas.

It’s not just for people who don’t like bold, smoky, earthy dark roasts anymore; it’s also for those who want to enjoy their morning cup of joe without that heavy feeling in their stomach.

But, what are the best light roast coffees to choose from? It can be daunting having to navigate through all the different options, which is why I’ve created a list of the best light roast coffee beans to help you get started.

Give them a shot!

Best Light Roast Coffee To Buy In 2022

On the lookout for the best light roast coffee beans? Don’t worry!

Let me walk you through some of the best light roast coffee brands so that you can make an informed decision that’s right for your tastes.

1. Lifeboost Low Acidic Whole Bean Coffee – Best Light Roast Coffee Beans

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Specs: Brand: Lifeboost Coffee | Caffeine Content: Caffeinated | Item Weight: 12 Ounces | Speciality: GMO-Free

A nutrition health expert Dr. Charles Livingston founded Lifeboost coffee. The primary purpose was to provide top-quality beans, which count in only 0.5% of beans grown worldwide, meeting their strict standards. Lifeboost only sells low-acidic coffee, as it’s pretty gentle on users’ stomachs.

This Organic Lifeboost Light Roast Coffee contains top-notch 100% Arabica beans grown at the altitude of 5,700 ft+ to reduce Bacteria and Fungi. No chemical fertilizers are used during the growing process. They are also non-GMO, shade-grown, and Fair Trade. 

To further preserve the quality of coffee, the beans are sun-dried, spring water washed, and roasted to eliminate Bacteria and Mycotoxins. Before departure, final approval is also done by the country’s agriculture department. The final result is a pleasantly bright coffee with a medium body and low acidity with a delicious, in fact, exceptional flavor profile. You’ll notice hints of milk chocolate, caramel, and nuts in the aroma.

The only noticeable downside is that Lifeboost is a gourmet coffee brand and the prices reflect that. But if budget is not an issue, then I’d say it’s the best light roast coffee you can get with your money right now.

Lastly, if you’re a coffee drinker who cares both for the coffee and the environment, then Lifeboost is a product worthy of strong consideration.

2. Kicking Horse Coffee By Lavazza – Best Light Roast Ground Coffee

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Specs: Brand: Lavazza | Caffeine Content: Caffeinated | Item Weight: 10 Ounces | Speciality: Kosher Certified

Kicking Horse coffee company only uses coffee that is certified, fresh, and Fair for both coffee drinkers and farmers. The brands’ Fairtrade practices use profits from coffee to empower and train farmers and invest in their community’s future.

This particular Light Roast Coffee from Kicking Horse is a sweet and fruity blend from Central and South America. The coffee is freshly roasted in their facility along the Canadian Rocky Mountains in British Columbia. For buyer’s convenience, it also comes pre-grounded, hence a perfect choice for those who don’t own a grinder or simply don’t want to invest in one. I recommend trying this coffee as a drip, pour-over brewing, or cold brew to bring out the best flavors possible.

There are two separate profiles I discover worth highlighting, i.e., the ‘aroma’ and the ‘taste’. Sourcing is done from Central and South America, which the beans certainly harken back to with their fragrance of brown sugar, nougat, & cocoa powder. Similarly, when it comes to savoring that first sip, you’ll discover rich tasting notes of juicy red fruit and creamy honey body that’s responsible for a completely balanced profile.

To sum up, it’s an excellent choice to fuel up your morning.

3. Coffee Bros. Light Roast Whole Bean Coffee – Top-Quality Arabica

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Specs: Brand: Coffee Bros. | Caffeine Content: Caffeinated | Item Weight: 12 Ounces | Speciality: Shade-grown

Coffee Bros. was founded in the year 2019 by two brothers named Nick and Dan Hunnewell. According to Coffee Bros., light roasts are often overlooked due to the fact that many people are in search of a “punch” of flavor, and that’s what light roasts usually don’t offer. But that’s not the case with this Coffee Bros. Light Roast coffee. It’s an extremely flavorful and exceptional coffee with sweet and delicious notes of honey, citrus fruit, and florals.

It’s a blend of high-quality beans from the regions of Keffa, Ethiopia, and Nariño Columbia. Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee, and the Arabica varieties available here are characterized as the best worldwide. Meanwhile, the popularity of Columbian Coffee is due to the strict quality control done by the country’s National Federation of Coffee Growers.

The beans are handpicked from small farms and hand-roasted using the latest software & technology to ensure consistent and even roast profiles each time.

4. Peet’s Coffee Colombia Luminosa Light Roast – Best For Cold Brew

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Specs: Brand: Peet’s Coffee | Caffeine Content: Caffeinated | Item Weight: 12 Ounces | Speciality: Single Origin

The Columbia Luminosa by Peet’s Coffee is its first signature light roast blend, produced after years of experimentation and testing. Luminosa means “shining or bright” in Colombia, which is undeniably the defining feature of this enlightened blend. Each order is hand-roasted in small batches in their roasting facility at Almada, CA, to ensure optimal freshness.

Grown at high altitudes of 4500 ft +, the beans of this region have a sweet and smooth character. Although this light roast blend is best suited for pour-over brewing, I recommend trying it as a cold brew. Why? It’s because the long-steeping time reveals more subtle tasting notes of both regions Columbia and Ethiopia.

The smooth taste of the Luminosa Breakfast blend will give your tastebuds a pleasant offering. It’s nowhere near harsh and bold like regular coffee, and so people of all ages can enjoy it without any dilemma. Other flavor offerings by Peets are medium and dark roasts, whereas medium for smooth, exotic experience and Dark for Smokey and harsh taste.

To conclude, Fuel your everyday morning with a cup of Columbian and Ethiopian floral aromatics, and you’ll be fully charged for the day.

5. Coffee Bean Direct Hawaiian Kona Coffee – Best Light Roast Blend

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Specs: Brand: Coffee Bean Direct | Caffeine Content: Caffeinated | Item Weight: 5 Pounds | Speciality: Single Origin

When finances are tight, a more affordable option has to suffice, and that’s where Hawaiian Kona Blend comes in. It’s designed in such a way to give you the most authentic taste of 100% Kona without breaking the bank. Kona is quite costly, and this blend by Coffee Bean Direct contains 10% of genuine Kona combined with a specialty blend of other high-quality Arabica beans sourced from Brazil, Costa Rica, Sumatra, Kenya, and other popular regions. All bean types are able to create an exceptional blend that resembles the flavors and fragrance of a 100% Kona coffee.

Coffee Bean Direct is a top coffee roaster located in New Jersey, United States, and has had the expertise of roasting for more than ten years. Their small-batch roasting extracts the richest flavors & aromas from each bean. Furthermore, it’s suitable for all brewing methods, but I recommend trying it out as a cold brew, French press, Aeropress, or with a Pour-over. Coarse, fine ground and whole bean options are available with the product as well.

The coffee you order arrives in foil-lined valved bags to preserve the ultimate freshness. Obviously, you don’t want your coffee to get stale. Would you?

Expect more than just a regular jolt of caffeine with the great Hawaiian Kona Coffee.

6. Fresh Roasted White Knight Blend – Best Organic Light Roast Coffee

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Specs: Brand: Fresh Roasted Coffee | Caffeine Content: Caffeinated | Item Weight: 2 Pounds | Speciality: Certified Organic

Fresh Roasted Coffee was founded in 2009 with the commitment to deliver the best organic coffee in the most eco-friendly way. Their sustainable and smokeless roasting process also accommodates the elimination of carbon by 80%.

This particular Fresh Roasted White Knight Organic coffee is a remarkable Artisanal blend with an exotic flavor that is unique in taste, along with a nice level of acidity. White Knight has a bold offering with flavor notes of cherries and cocoa. With a mild body, fruity acidity, & intense sweetness, the Fresh Roasted White Knight is a cup of royal gold enough to steal your heart.

To lock in freshness for the long-term, Fresh Roasted Company Coffee bags are made reusable and feature a one-way valve to squeeze away all the unwanted air.

From sourcing, roasting to the packaging, you are getting a cup that’s well worth your money.

7. Real Good 100% Arabica Light Roast Coffee – Best Whole Bean Option

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Specs: Brand: Real Good Coffee | Caffeine Content: Caffeinated | Item Weight: 32 Ounces | Speciality: Kosher Certified

Originating from high altitudes of Central and South America, the Real Good Coffee Breakfast Blend is a light roast coffee that has earned quite some attention from coffee lovers in recent years. And despite the fact that this coffee contains beans from Central & South American origins, Seattle is the place where it is freshly roasted.

This Whole Bean Breakfast Blend delivers a series of high caffeine kicks with sweet notes of citrus, milk chocolate, and cream. Unlike others, this classic whole bean light roast blend works well with all coffee brewers. So, any of your favorite brewing methods is acceptable with this tasty blend. In addition, all of their packaging is 100% recyclable as well.

To summarize, if you are a coffee fanatic, who loves getting the strongest brew to get awake in the early morning, then the Real Good Coffee is a well-liked light roast blend suited for your needs.

8. Cafe Don Pablo Subtle Earth Organic Coffee – Customer’s Choice

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Specs: Brand: Cafe Don Pablo | Caffeine Content: Caffeinated | Item Weight: 2 Pounds | Speciality: Certified Organic

For coffee fanatics who love keeping things natural, Café Don Pablo is a great option. It’s one of the best light roast coffees that’s completely organic. The beans are grown at altitudes greater than 3500ft and belong to the Catuai Varietal.

Café Don Pablo is a family-owned business that is committed to delivering quality beans to every customer. They pay close attention at each stage of production, and their slow roasting-to-order process also assures ultimate freshness. The fresher the beans, the fresher the brew!

This Subtle Earth Organic Gourmet coffee is ideal for all types of brewing methods, either be drip, espresso, french press, or a pour-over. The final brew is rich, smooth, and velvety, with rich tasting notes of milk chocolate, honey, cocoa, and caramel.

It’s a low acidic, light roast coffee with all those lovely, toasty flavors that old-school coffee drinkers crave.

9. Caribou Light Roast Ground Coffee – Best Morning Blend

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Specs: Brand: Caribou Coffee | Caffeine Content: Caffeinated | Item Weight: 1.35 Pounds | Speciality: Rainforest Alliance Certified

Caribou Coffee Company is the first US coffee house that is rainforest alliance certified. This means every bag of coffee you buy they do something exceptional for the betterment of the rainforest.

This Daybreak blend is grown in the best places to source Arabica coffee from, i.e., the Middle East and America. After carefully collecting the top 1% beans worldwide, the beans are roasted in 6 basic blends at their state-of-the-art roasting facility in Minneapolis. Among these blends, two are light, three are medium roasted, and the last one is dark. The light roast version offers a sweet, subtle flavor with fruity overtones and a caramel, nutty finish.

Available at an affordable price tag, this one is hard to beat.

10. Starbucks Blonde Roast Whole Bean Coffee – Best On Amazon

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Specs: Brand: Starbucks | Caffeine Content: Caffeinated | Item Weight: 5.03 Pounds | Speciality: Veranda Blend

If you live in the U.S., there is no way you haven’t tried Starbucks before. Starbucks is a worldwide coffee shop chain operated in over 60 countries. In the coffee industry, it’s the best brand with a total market share of 36.7%. It’s also ranked 91st of the best global brands of 2013.

This Starbucks Veranda Blend is a light roast and comes from Latin American small farms. The beans are roasted with close attention to extracting all the pleasant flavors hidden inside the beans. It is also the most sold light roast coffee worldwide, both online and offline.

Veranda prides itself on its mellowness without being overly bold. You can enjoy this blend with any brewer type. To achieve the most delicate taste, here are some official recommendations by Starbucks. Always clean your brewer before using; try using clean, filtered war; grind the beans just before brewing.

11. Volcanica Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Whole Bean Coffee – Best Ethiopian Coffee

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Specs: Brand: Volcanica Coffee | Caffeine Content: Caffeinated | Item Weight: 16 Ounces | Speciality: Certified Organic

Volcanica is a family-owned company that offers more than 130 coffee varieties grown all around the world. The founders were inspired by their home country of Costa Rica, which is at 13th of the world’s largest coffee-producing countries. Roasting is done by professionals at their state-of-the-art roasting facility in Atlanta, Georgia.

This choice of Ethiopian Yirgacheffe by Volcanica is a top-selling product, and for a good reason. It features a thick body and earthy aroma with accents of chocolate or nutmeg. Similarly, you can feel notes of blueberry & blackberry with a slice of lemon acidity all in your cup. I placed it as the last option because it isn’t completely light roast; in fact, it’s a medium-light roast blend, so keep this fact in mind before making a purchase.

To summarize, I’d say, It’s a coffee that’ll act as an alarm while keeping you excited to wake up in the morning.

Things To Keep In Mind When Choosing Best Light Roast Coffee

It can be somewhat overwhelming trying to figure out where to start if you’re new to light roasts. Here are a few tips you should take advantage of when choosing between the best light roast coffee blends.

Look Into The Bean’s Origin

The origin of the coffee beans is a meaningful thing to pay attention to. The quality and flavors of coffee beans are strongly influenced by the climate, soil, and processing methods, which is more true in case of a light roast.

It is because lightly roasted beans are roasted for a shorter time, and at a lower temperature, they tend to retain the flavors inherent from the original green coffee bean.

A bag of coffee beans grown and processed from only one location is known as ‘single-origin‘, while ‘blends‘ are a combination of single-origin coffee beans. Many java junkies enjoy blends for their consistency in flavor and their relative uniqueness. Some prefer single-origin coffee due to its unique and exotic tasting notes. The flavor from its original location is preserved in the single-origin coffee.

Mexican coffee is known for its chocolate and nutty flavors. Beans from Africa are more fruity, floral, and earthy. Colombian coffee features chocolate, caramel, and fruity flavors. South America produces beans that have an aromatic milder taste. And Indonesian beans are a little more exotic, spicy, and intense. 

Whole Bean Vs Ground Coffee

Which is Right For You: Whole Bean or Ground Coffee? There is no objectively better coffee between whole beans and grounds. At the end of the day, you’ll be getting a caffeine fix from both types. What is “better” depends on your personal preference and convenience.

Pre-ground buyers love the ease of not having to grind their coffee first thing out of bed. Whole bean buyers say with fresh-ground coffee; you’ll get a sweeter, livelier cup which will make up for that extra time used to grind the whole beans. With whole beans, you’re in control of your brew, and that’s really the thing that you’re paying for. In short, both pre-grounds and whole beans have their perks!

Do you prefer a few extra minutes of sleep and taking advantage of the convenience of pre-ground coffee or the freshness of a cup of whole-bean coffee? Either way, the choice is entirely yours.

Keep Beans Airtight and Cool

Your light roasted beans’ greatest enemies are air, moisture, and light. Be sure to keep your beans in an opaque, airtight container (View at Amazon), away from light, and at room temperature. Exposure to air, sunlight, and moisture can affect the taste profile of your coffee. To preserve their fresh roasted flavor for as long as possible, invest in the canisters with an airtight seal.

RELATED : How To Store Coffee Beans

To Freeze or Not to Freeze

Freshness is vital for a quality cup of coffee. It is always advised to consume coffee as quickly as you can once it is roasted. Coffee waits for none.

Coffee is kind of like bread. It is hygroscopic and absorbs the moisture and odors from its surroundings, causing the coffee to condensate and pushes oils to the surface. As a result, the original flavors get muddy, sad, plain weird, and taste “off.”

If you choose to freeze your coffee (e.g., you end up with more coffee for whatever the reason, and know that you won’t be able to drink all of it in 2-3 weeks), divide coffee into small batches and make sure the bag is sealed and unopened. Put them in the freezer. When you take the coffee out of the freezer, let your beans thaw to room temperature for some time. Or else, your hard work will go in vain.

Debunking Light Roast: Frequently Asked Questions

To keep your light roasted beans flavor fully intact for the best cup, store them properly to maximize freshness and flavor.

Keep beans airtight and store them in a dark and cool location avoiding sunlight and moisture areas as light and humidity can compromise the taste of your coffee.  

In terms of flavor, light roasts preserve more of their original flavors, reflecting the quality of the coffee itself. The lighter the coffee is roasted, the more complex the taste will be, ranging from fruity, sweet, and citrus and floral aromas. Light roasts have a soft body since they aren’t cooked at high temperatures for a long time. Light roasts don’t have any oil on the surface of the beans.

If you prefer light, floral, or more delicate notes or even an earthy moss taste, then light roast is definitely worth the move.

Lighter blends offer much more health benefits. According to the Journal of Medicinal Food, light roasts have more antioxidants than dark roasts. This is because the lighter roasts are roasted for a shorter period and at a lower temperature. Strong anti-inflammatory substances protect against chronic problems like diabetes, heart disease, cancer, or neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s.

If you love dark roasts, you’ll still get some of the benefits. But light roasting has more powerful benefits compared to its dark roast counterpart.

So, if you want the most nutrition out of your bean, light roasts are the way to go!

Lightly roasted coffee is usually less bitter than darker because they see less heat than a dark roast. Since these beans are roasted for a shorter time period, they are left with more moisture, making them denser, more caffeinated, and less bitter.

Apart from roast, other factors also affect the taste of your java, like roasting time, temperature, beans quality, the coffee-to-water ratio, and grind size.

If you like coffee that tastes much sweeter, with more delicate flavors, these are the coffee beans for you.

Final Verdict

The secret of perfect coffee lies in choosing the best light roast coffee beans. With our detailed guide, you can choose from a wide range of options based on your liking.

With that said, the Lifeboost Light Roast Whole Bean Coffee is our top recommendation of best light roast coffee, and for a good reason. Their beans have a light body, with soft notes of chocolate, caramel, toasted nuts, along with medium acidity.

Give it a shot & Happy caffeinating!

Habiba S.

A die-hard coffee aficionado, Habiba has been crazy about caffeine for almost as long as she can remember. For her morning brew, she relies on a French Press, which is a part of her daily morning ritual that also involves grinding and meticulously weighing coffee and water for the perfectly crafted morning cup. To better inform this article, she included insights from various coffee experts.