14 Barista-Approved Brands For Light Roast Coffee Beans

Not all coffee is created equal — and there's a lot more to coffee than the humble bean initially lets on. Of course, while the type of beans used (along with the roasting time and temperature) plays a dramatic role in the flavor profile of your morning cup of Joe, even non-bougie coffee drinkers know the most important difference lies in the roast level. After all, when coffee beans are prepared for sale, they're done so with specific roast levels in mind, ranging from light roast coffee to dark roast coffee (and a slew of more specific roasts in between).

Unlike darker roasts, which are more bitter, rich, and earthy, light roasted coffee beans tend to have a bright, fruity profile. In fact, anyone can appreciate light roasted coffee for its ability to highlight the intricate nuances and natural flavors of the beans – whether or not they know the ins and outs of the caffeinated beverage.

As a former barista and coffee superfan with nearly a decade of commercial brewing experience in the New York metro coffee scene, I've used my expertise to compile a list of both micro-roasteries and big-name, nationwide brands that boast first-rate, delicately roasted beans. In short, these companies will ensure your introduction into the lighter side of the roasted coffee universe is memorable. Here are the 14 best brands for light roast coffee beans.

Coffee fanatics in the Big Apple are bound to know Sey. A contemporary micro-roastery located in the swank borough of Brooklyn, Sey's artisanal coffees stand out among the crowded cafe and coffee-roasting scene in the city — with some even considering Sey one of the best roasters in the entire U.S.

Unlike other roasters (which often only offer mostly medium to dark roasts only), Sey roasts all of its coffee on the lighter side. It does this in order to showcase the top-quality small batch beans that it uses, ensuring the high-temperature and long roasting times don't influence their flavor. Since darker roasts tend to cover up defects in coffee, Sey aims to show, loudly and proudly, that its coffees are near flawless — and whatever flaws do exist are something to be celebrated rather than masked.

Sey's coffees are often described as delicate and earthy, and drastically unlike any other roaster's coffee. The company offers a selection of clean-tasting, honey-processed coffees, as well as blends designed for subtle berry-like sweetness on a rotating, seasonal basis. However, its washed coffees offer the brightest taste profile with the most distinct flavor highlights, so try Sey's washed coffees in your V60 brewer to enjoy this outstanding brand at its best.

Passenger consists of a roastery and two coffee shops (specializing in both coffee and tea) as of 2024 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Since its inception in 2014, the company has made a mark on the world of coffee in the United States with its high-quality roasted beans. These tend to be lighter than average to highlight the specific flavors from the beans it uses, which are sourced from all over the world.

For a light roast coffee with countless flavor notes that all magically mesh into one delicious cup, go with Passenger's Burundian Heza. This bright and sugary coffee has notes of baking spices, raisin, and florals, along with a hint of molasses-like sweetness and a slightly zesty, citrus aftertaste.

Beyond high-quality light roast coffee beans, Passenger provides its customer base with transparent pricing and sourcing, publishing the prices it pays for its coffees, as well as noting the specific origins and farms where its beans are purchased. Each coffee from Passenger is unique, and much of that originality lies in their source. Coffees from Brazil, El Salvador, Yemen, Ethiopia, and beyond are found here, with flavor notes ranging from cooked fruit and clementine to marzipan and caramel.

Olympia coffee calls the Pacific Northwest home — an area known around the globe for its famed coffee scene. Yet Olympia has managed to make a name for itself in that saturated market as an independent roaster for the last two decades. Olympia boasts an impressive collection of regional and national awards for its coffee, with cafes across the state of Washington. This includes a bakery in Seattle where its coffees get to shine alongside freshly-baked treats, as well as some delicious light roast coffee bean options.

While Olympia offers coffees at a range of roast levels to suit the preferences of all coffee lovers at varying levels of experience — including its most famous coffee, Big Truck, which is a medium-to-dark roast — its light roasts also make a splash in the coffee scene. Try Little Buddy, an award-winning African blend with flavors of sweet berries, stone fruit, and florals that's designed to excite the palate of those new to the coffee world. This light roasted coffee makes an excellent cold brew, where the sweet, floral tasting notes offer a refreshing respite from the summer's heat.

La Cabra is a Danish roastery founded in Aarhus, Denmark. Despite its small-town roots, La Cabra is recognized all over the world as one of the most exquisite roasters, regularly delighting baristas with exciting new products, including limited releases. La Cabra's coffees are known to be roasted lightly, so those who prefer intricate and bright flavors in their cup tend to gravitate towards this roaster.

Now, La Cabra coffee tends to be on the pricier side, but you also get what you pay for. The company makes use of natural processing for its coffees, which involves letting coffee beans rest in the sun with the fruit still intact rather than drying them on machinery. This method is considered the most traditional and produces a very particular flavor in some coffees (akin to that of wine).

Since all of its light roast coffee beans are top-notch, many La Cabra lovers opt for one of the company's coffee subscriptions to receive deliveries on a monthly basis. You can put your trust in the experts this way and enjoy different varieties of coffee to experiment with brewing methods and techniques. Additionally, unlike most coffee companies, La Cabra offers its coffees in individual, ready-to-brew bags (similar to tea bags) that keeps coffee fresh and makes travelling with your gourmet coffee a breeze.

It's impossible not to be intrigued by a coffee company started by two U.S. Barista Champions. Black & White was founded in North Carolina in 2017 in an attempt to bring championship-worthy coffee to the masses, and to say the endeavor has been a success is an understatement. Less than a decade after its launch, cafes across the country serve Black & White's brews, and the brand has become a household name among small batch, gourmet coffee enthusiasts. More than that, it hosts more light roasted coffees than many competing artisanal brands.

Although the company also offers dark and medium roasts, its naturally processed light roasts are favored by Black & White fans, especially the Raro Boda. This variety boasts unique sweet flavors, such as red grape and raspberry, plus a self-proclaimed funky taste profile. For something particularly delectable, Black & White's Panamanian geisha coffee is a light roast for the ages. This coffee is a quintessential example of a classic geisha coffee, with light tropical notes and an incredibly clean finish (especially for a naturally processed coffee).

Apollon's Gold started as a small Tokyo-based roaster inspired by ancient mythology and the famously precise and intricate workings of Japan's cafe and coffee culture. The company aims to involve Japan's reputation as the land of the rising sun in its name, logo, and — most importantly — by showcasing the importance of the sun in the growth, preparation, and overall quality of its coffee beans. Coffee lovers across the globe enjoy Apollon's Gold's artisanal brews, especially when it comes to its delicate and fruity light roasts.

Apollon's Gold coffees are ideal for a pour-over, iced coffee, or espresso, and also work with either an Aeropress or V60 coffee maker. The company's coffees are known to be light, and many require a whopping 45-day rest period before they reach their taste pinnacle. For a classic washed light roast with vibrant flavors reminiscent of renowned pink bourbon beans, try Apollon's Gold's Elkin Urrego Chiroso. If naturals are more appealing, the Gargari Gutity is a must-try for its unique spiciness, along with its fresh, fruity, and floral taste and aroma.

The second New York City roaster on this list comes from Irving Farm. A powerful force in the world of NYC coffee, Irving Farm has been on the scene since 1996, with multiple cafes opening in the city since then. Its owners opened a roastery in a converted carriage house in upstate New York before bringing the locally roasted coffee into the city, and it quickly became a staple for New York's coffee lovers. But the brand earns its spot on this list of light roasts for one product in particular: Highline.

This balanced blend is ideal for any of your light roast needs. However, it shines as an unorthodox espresso. Like most of Irving Farm's blends, this coffee is sweet and balanced, but stands out with notes of honey, hibiscus, and wildflower. Additionally, Irving Farm offers hand-picked, seasonal single-origins, noteworthy blends, and a subscription service so you (or a beloved coffee fanatic in your life) can enjoy a variety of artisanal coffees delivered right to your door.

Unlike most coffees on this list, Counter Culture is one of the few gourmet coffee brands available at chain grocery stores across the nation. So even if you're not a coffee purist, you may have come in contact with the company in one form or another. Counter Culture stays true to its name by committing itself to social and environmental sustainability through education and transparency, with dedicated customers even able to track their coffee from seed to cup. Now, Counter Culture offers coffees at all roast levels. But one particular light roast stands out among every coffee in its repertoire.

Apollo is a classic example of Ethiopian coffee — as bright and citrusy as it is refreshing until the last sip. This blend was designed to highlight the natural nuances and complex aromas of a classic Ethiopian roast, almost imitating the taste of a single-origin. If you can, try Apollo black and on ice to accentuate its tangy, citrus notes.

Named for its founder (and 2004 World Barista Champion Tim Wendelboe), this micro-roastery in Oslo, Norway is considered by many to be one of the best in the world. Tim Wendelboe roasts its coffees — which are carefully and ethically sourced from the world's most famous coffee-producing regions — to order, and ships to individuals and residences all over the world. And Tim Wendelboe's eponymous cafe, coffee school, and roastery are all famous for lightly roasted artisanal coffees.

Most of Tim Wendelboe's coffees are washed, resulting in more subdued and slightly sweet flavors, with less funk and more finesse than natural coffees. Echemo shines as a particularly light and sweet Ethiopian brew with delicate floral notes and a white tea essence. Tim Wendelboe's smallholder Kenyan coffees are also a favorite among fans of the roaster. Gachatha brews an unparalleled espresso, with hints of rhubarb, hibiscus, and rose hips. Make an extra dry cappuccino with this coffee to accentuate its natural sweetness.

In 2018, Alma was launched to bring direct trade, ethically sourced coffee to the U.S. The company stands out in a crowded coffee scene by providing full vertical integration with its family farms in Honduras, meaning Alma Coffee oversees and reports on the full coffee cultivating, roasting, and selling process. In other words, it's a true farm-to-cup establishment. Alma calls Canton, Georgia its home as of 2024, where you can choose from a carefully curated selection of light roasts, deemed "bright roasts" to keep with the company's energetic and inviting aesthetic.

The sweet and tangy San Sebastián is an invigorating summertime drink, with notes of lime, lemongrass, and a light, syrupy finish. Although slightly darker than a typical light roast, Belen Gualcho is comforting and nutty with a sweet tea-like aftertaste that combines its Honduran roots with its newfound home in the American South. Alma roasts its specialty coffees at a variety of levels, as well, to please the palate of expert baristas and coffee novices alike.

Situated in Arkansas, Onyx Coffee Lab adds to the U.S.'s booming gourmet coffee scene with its dedication to transparency and sustainability. Its owners started Onyx after spending years in the coffee industry and finding the lack of transparency unnerving. The company is defined by a tell-all business model, as well as a commitment to sourcing high-quality coffees from around the world. Plus, most of Onyx Coffee Lab's coffees are roasted lightly (with only a few exceptions), making it a light roast lover's dream roastery.

I recommend trying Tropical Weather as your next espresso to experience a fruity delight that whisks you away to the shores of paradise. This blend of natural and washed Ethiopian beans is the perfect mix of complex and balanced. For an artisanal take on a more standard light roast, opt for Onyx's well-rounded Geometry. This blend of Colombian and Ethiopian beans is an ideal representation of all of the company's coffee: Light and clean, with a sweet finish and subtle burst of unique flavors that make it something to be savored.

Of course, every coffee at Onyx is crafted with precision and high standards in mind, as well as roasted and shipped using solar energy harnessed from the business' own roof. The coffee's elegant packaging is also sure to dazzle you before you've even had your first sip.

Elixr is a Pennsylvania roaster founded in 2010 by Evan Inatome. Impressed by Philly's thriving food scene at the time, Inatome decided it would be the perfect home for his business. His roastery quickly gained notoriety in its hometown, spawning several cafes and a reputation as one of Philadelphia's best coffee shops. Not only does Elixr Coffee Roaster boast a 2018 second-place award from the United States Barista Championship (along with a host of other awards for its exceptional brews), but it specializes in light roasts, too.

Elixr's Lunar Lander seasonal espresso blend should not be missed. Its recipe changes depending on the time of year, but the flavor is always consistent. This coffee hits the spot as a black espresso, or as a filter-made coffee with a dash of milk or cream to liven up the flavors and make it extra sweet. You should also consider the Beekeeper espresso blend for another seasonal option with rotating components. This mellow espresso is creamy and smooth and makes a superb milky latté. Each of its coffees showcases distinct nuances, while still being versatile enough to have as your everyday morning cup or use when crafting cafe-worthy concoctions.

Indiana-based (and online-only), S&W Craft Roasting has cultivated an impressive reputation for dishing out artisanal coffee that's both affordable and exceptional — an impressive feat considering the company doesn't have an actual location. S&W Craft Roasting focuses on single-origin coffees in an effort to highlight specific characteristics that naturally occur in coffee beans, while roasting them lightly to prevent the roast from imparting flavors that might mask those natural nuances. After all, what some may call flaws in the coffee, the founders of S&W call attributes.

The East Timor Letefoho is a naturally processed light roast that's as comforting as a cup of tea, but with the explosion of flavor that only expertly curated coffee can provide. Notes of plum, lemongrass, peach, and berry are subtle and make a cup of this black coffee perfectly sweet. For a more complex brew, go with the Colombian Huila Aguazul pink bourbon. This classic pink bourbon coffee (which does not contain alcohol) offers hints of slight acidity, along with other tropical notes like guava and apricot. This roast is extremely light, so be sure to let it rest for at least three to four weeks. Trust me: it will be well worth the wait.

Additionally, although it's known for its single-origin light roasts, S&W Craft Roasting also offers blends and medium roasts. All of its coffees are roasted to order, as well, ensuring the freshest possible beans.

While most coffees are roasted using a drum roaster (a cylindrical container where beans are spun and heated), Colorado-based Mountain Air Roasters toasts its beans in a different way. The company has made a substantial mark on the American coffee scene by slowly air roasting its beans to create light coffee that's bursting with natural flavor. Here, the natural essence of its high-quality coffee beans is never masked by over-roasting or any potential burnt flavors. Instead, the slow process of air roasting ensures the coffee tastes as natural and clean as possible.

For a prime example of Mountain Air Roasters' illustrious brews, try its light, fruity, and refreshing organic Ethiopian coffee. Its expansive coffee collection also includes flavored coffees — like hazelnut, butterscotch toffee, and pumpkin spice — as well as regional varieties, house blends, barrel-aged coffee, and cold brew. The company even offers Keurig-style pods for artisanal coffee at the push of a button. For the dedicated fan of sugary-sweet coffee in your life, consider grabbing a flavored coffee variety pack as a gift, where an assortment of high-quality flavors shine boldly in Mountain Air's famous light roasts.