Understanding the Process: Natural vs Washed

Specialty coffee has become increasingly popular as coffee aficionados seek out unique and high-quality brews. One of the key distinctions in the world of specialty coffee lies in the processing methods used to prepare the beans. Two prevalent methods are the natural process and the washed process.

Natural processed coffee involves drying the coffee cherries whole, allowing them to ferment and develop unique flavours before removing the outer fruit.
This method often results in a fruitier, full-bodied cup with pronounced sweetness.

On the other hand, the washed process involves removing the cherry from the bean immediately after harvesting and then fermenting and washing the beans to remove excess mucilage. This often leads to a cleaner, brighter cup with more pronounced acidity.

Both methods impart distinctive characteristics to the coffee, appealing to different palates and preferences. Exploring the nuances between natural and washed process coffees can open up a world of flavours for any coffee enthusiast.

Natural and Washed process are only 2 of many processes used in the speciality coffee industry, others include; Fully washed, Honey, Fermentation and more, but thats a whole other post..