Coffee processing methods

When you read a specialty coffee product sheet, there's often a discreet but crucial word: the processing method . Washed, natural, honey... These terms, sometimes mysterious, are actually essential for understanding why two coffees from the same origin can have radically different tastes. Here's a simple guide to help you understand and choose your coffee with full knowledge of the facts.

What exactly is treatment?

Once the coffee cherries are picked, the pulp must be removed, the beans fermented, washed, and then dried. This is called post-harvest processing . This process, carried out in the country of origin, has a huge influence on the final flavor of the coffee.

Washed treatment

This is the most common method used in specialty coffees. Here, the pulp is mechanically removed, and the beans are then fermented in water for 12 to 72 hours to remove any remaining mucilage. They are then washed and dried.

Cup result:

• Clear, precise profile, often floral or fruity
• Bright, cleaner acidity
• Excellent traceability and consistency

Typical regions:

Ethiopia (Yirgacheffe), Colombia, Kenya, Rwanda

Natural treatment (dry)

Here, there's no water. The cherries are dried whole, with their pulp, on African beds or on the ground. After several days or weeks, the pulp is removed dry. This is the oldest method, but also the riskiest.

Cup result:

• Rounder and denser body
• Very fruity notes, sometimes fermented
• Less clarity, more originality

Typical regions:

Brazil, Ethiopia (especially in drier regions like Sidamo or Harrar)

Honey treatment

A hybrid method between washed and natural. Some of the mucilage is left on the grain during drying, without fermentation in water. There are several variations (yellow, red, black honey) depending on the amount of mucilage left.

Cup result:

• Natural sugar in the mouth, balance between acidity and sweetness
• More or less body depending on the type of honey
• Complex flavors, very interesting for connoisseurs

Typical regions:

Costa Rica, Salvador, Nicaragua

Quick comparison

Why is this important to you?

Understanding processing is like knowing how to cook food. The same ingredient can reveal completely different flavors depending on the method. Do you like clean, crisp, and very "clean" coffees? Washed coffee is for you. Are you looking for gourmet, fruity, and sometimes exotic aromas? Try natural coffee. And if you're unsure, try a honey coffee: it's often the perfect balance.

Conclusion

Choosing a coffee isn't just about country of origin or roasting. Post-harvest processing is a key factor in understanding what you're about to taste. And that's precisely what makes specialty coffee so exciting: behind every cup, there are endless choices, gestures, and stories. Now it's up to you to discover what speaks to you most.

And to enhance your coffee, is it better to use an automatic machine or a manual method?