Bean temperature during drum roasting ranges from 180 to 240 °C. First Crack happens at around 196 °C — that's where the actual roasting begins.

At What Temperature Is Coffee Roasted?

Bean temperature during drum roasting ranges from 180 to 240 °C. First Crack happens at around 196 °C — that’s where the actual roasting begins.

Why that matters

In coffee roasting, two temperatures matter: the drum temperature (the heat of the environment) and the bean temperature (the actual temperature inside the bean). For the flavour outcome, bean temperature is what counts — it determines which chemical reactions occur.

During the drying phase (bean temperature 100–160 °C), the water bound in the bean evaporates. The bean changes colour from green to yellow and smells of bread or grass. In the Maillard phase (160–196 °C), amino acids and sugars begin to react — the bean browns and the first coffee aromas develop.

At First Crack (around 196–205 °C), the bean audibly pops: steam and CO₂ escape suddenly, and the bean nearly doubles in volume. From this point, the roaster decides how far to go. Light roasts are finished shortly after First Crack (around 205 °C), medium roasts at 210–220 °C, dark roasts reach Second Crack at 224–228 °C or beyond.

Industrial hot-air roasters work with air temperatures of 400–600 °C — the beans pass through the hot air stream so quickly that they don’t burn, but the heat reaches the bean’s interior unevenly. Professional drum roasters often start at 180–200 °C drum temperature and adjust heat continuously throughout the roast — a process that requires experience and constant attention.

At Green Wall Coffee

At our café on Sophienstraße 27 in Berlin-Lichtenberg, guests rarely ask about roasting temperature — but when they do, I’m happy to explain the connections. One degree more or less at the endpoint can mean the difference between a fruity, lively espresso and a bitter, flat one. The roasters we work with log every batch meticulously — temperature curves that are like a fingerprint for each coffee.

Related Questions

• How long is coffee roasted?
• What is First Crack and Second Crack?
• What is the difference between light, medium, and dark roast?

More depth on this topic in the article How to Make Perfect Espresso. Or stop by at Sophienstraße 27 — Mon–Fri 8am–5pm, Sat 10am–5pm.