Coffee Processing Methods

Have you ever wondered how your coffee was processed and what each type of processing involved? Wonder no more! We are here to educate you on the three main coffee processes: washed, natural, and honey. We will break each process down for you!

Each process affects the taste of the green coffee beans. How your coffee bean was processed is just as important as where your coffee originated from.

The majority of Koffee Kult coffee beans are washed. This process focuses on removing the whole cherry including skin and pulp, the mucilage, washing with water, fermenting for 12-72 hours, and then drying. With this process, the cherry is of high importance during the growing cycle. Of the three processes, this typically produces less fruity notes and relies on the bean.

With the natural process, the whole cherry is left on the bean and dried. During this process, the cherry naturally ferments producing more complex fruity notes. This process is typically seen in climates where water is not as accessible. Fruit is dried wherever the sun is optimal and the process can take longer.

The honey process relies on the mucilage. During this process, only a part of the cherry remains around the bean, called the mucilage, essentially the sticky inside of the cherry. This is where the term honey comes from. The coffee bean is then dried typically on a raised bed or on a patio. Between the three processes, the honey process is in the middle of producing fruity notes.

Within the honey process, there are three processing levels: red, yellow, and black. Red honey takes around 12 days to dry while yellow honey takes 8 days, and black honey 15 days. Since black honey takes the longest to dry, includes more mucilage, and has a longer fermenting process, this typically produces the most complex notes.

We recently introduced our limited release Cumbres del Poas Black Honey Costa Rica. This amazing black honey coffee comes from one of our favorite micro coffee mills Cumbres del Poas  located in Sabanillia de Alajuela Costa Rica. Owners Dona and Oscar are known for being one of the original pioneers for honey processed coffee.

Get yours today!