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Processing Method

How coffee cherries are processed after harvest to extract the bean. This drastically affects flavor even before roasting.

Minimum

1 methods

Optimal

1 methods

Maximum

4 methods

Difficulty

Easy to try

How It Affects Your Coffee

Natural process creates more oils/sediment, may extract faster. Washed is cleaner extraction.

Washed = clean, bright, acidic. Natural = fruity, funky, full body. Honey = in-between.

Easy to try - just buy different beans. Understanding differences takes multiple tastings.

•Washed/Wet Process: Clean, bright, showcases origin. Most common. Great for beginners.
•Natural/Dry Process: Fruity, funky, wild flavors. Coffee cherry dried with bean inside. Polarizing.
•Honey/Pulped Natural: Sweet, fruity but cleaner than natural. Mucilage left on during drying.
•Anaerobic Fermentation: Experimental, intense flavors (wine, fruit). For adventurous drinkers.
•Start with washed process - it's most predictable and showcases brewing skill
•Natural process hides brewing mistakes (funkiness masks under-extraction)

✗Buying natural process as first coffee and thinking all coffee tastes "weird"
✗Expecting washed coffee to be as "bold" as natural - it's meant to be clean
✗Not adjusting brewing - natural process can handle shorter steep/higher temp
✗Confusing processing with roast level - natural ≠ dark roast
✗Overpaying for "anaerobic fermentation" without understanding if you like funky flavors