What is White Coffee?

The term seems simple enough: white coffee. But depending on where or who you ask, the answer to “What is white coffee” can be different things.

For some, especially in Europe, the term simply means roasted coffee with some kind of dairy or nut milk. In Australia, a flat white is an espresso drink with a smaller ratio of milk than a latte. That term is also catching on in the U.S.

The Malaysian White “Ipoh” Coffee refers to a way of roasting the coffee bean in margarine. It is then served with sweetened, condensed milk.

For this article, we are referring to a coffee drink made with barely roasted coffee beans. And by the way, it’s not actually white. The so-called white coffee bean is more of a yellowish color. The drink it produces is a light tan.

This ultra-light roast is one of the more recent trends to hit American coffee shops. While it’s fairly new to the U.S., white roast coffee has been around in other countries for a very long time.

About its origins, many references point to Yemen. The truth is, almost any European coffee style originally came from Yemen. They held a monopoly on coffee production in the 1500s and 1600s.

But it is true that Yemeni coffee does have a tradition of brewing low-roasted coffee. The ancient tradition uses a spice blend known as hawaij. This blend includes may include ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, or cloves.

Hawaij as a spice blend dates back over 5,000 years. People used it in savory dishes, like soups, as well as giving white roast coffee a distinctive flavor.

The first crack is when the volume of the coffee bean expands and the bean becomes more brittle. If you want to try white roast coffee at home, you’ll want to buy pre-ground beans. Because of the under roasting, the beans remain very hard and will destroy most home grinders.

How About the Taste?

Even if you don’t like the taste of coffee, you might want to give a white roast a try. In general, people tend to compare the taste of a white roast to tea rather than a regular cup of coffee.

Much of the deep flavor of coffee comes from the roasting process. Thus, this lighter coffee won’t have the taste you might crave. This ultra-light roast has a mellow, somewhat nutty flavor.

Another distinction is that the white roast keeps more of the flavor of the original bean. Flavor varies widely depending on the varietal and growing location. That’s why white roast coffee from one company may vary from another.

If you love the smell of coffee but think it tastes too bitter, then the ultra-light roast may be a good option for you. This light-colored coffee has a bright, nutty, herbal flavor. It’s often compared to peanuts or peanut butter.

You may have read claims that white roast coffee is a healthier choice. This is primarily due to chlorogenic acid (CGA). Scientists believe that this compound has antibacterial, antioxidant, and anticarcinogenic properties.

CGA is abundant in green coffee beans, but the roasting process destroys the compound. A medium roast bean has about half the CGA as a green coffee bean. So, the lighter the roast, the more you get of this healthful nutrient.

In the end, you should go with whatever you prefer. While there may be some health benefits with under-roasted coffee, is it enough to switch? If you really love the taste of roasted coffee, nothing else will do.

But when reviewing the literature over the last five years or so, it seems that darker roasts lose only about 5 percent of their caffeine. That would give white roast coffee only a slight caffeine edge.

In contrast, a 2019 study found that darker roasts actually have more caffeine than lighter roasts. This study looked at a huge range of variables, including if you measure by the number of beans, weight, or volume.

The study concluded that, when measured by volume, darker roasts had about 9 percent more caffeine. When you measure by weight, that number goes up to 32 percent. That’s a pretty big difference.

Regardless of the caffeine in the bean, deciding how to make white coffee will affect the caffeine content. In general, espresso coffee has less caffeine than drip or French Press coffee.

Also, keep in mind that the bean used makes a huge difference in caffeine content. Different brands will use different varietals, so if it’s a big concern for you, you should probably check with the company. You can also judge caffeine content based on your personal experience.

White roast coffee commonly comes in the form of a latte. For more flavor, you can add white chocolate, vanilla, or caramel. Nutty flavors like hazelnut also go well with a white roast.

My local coffee shop introduced white roast coffee as a brown sugar cinnamon breve. It was a heavenly treat!

How to Make White Coffee

We’ll assume that you’re starting with ground beans. Unless you have a super industrial-strength grinder, you should buy pre-ground beans. The ultra-light-roasted beans are more like pebbles and eat regular home grinders for lunch.

Do you want the higher CGA that white roast has but would miss the roasted flavor? You can mix white roast with a darker roast to get the best of both worlds.

One important point when brewing white roast is that the grounds will expand. Especially when making espresso, you need to use fewer grounds. Do not tamp down the grind, or you might end up with a huge mess on your counter.

Depending on the grind, you may want to run the water through the grounds twice. I know how horrifying this might sound. But a white roast needs a bit more coaxing to get the full flavor out.

A Moka pot or Aeropress also uses pressure, so they would work well, too. Remember, the under-roasted bean has very different qualities than the darker roasts. You may need to experiment a bit to get the end result that suits your taste.