How Is Coffee Processed? A Guide to Washed, Natural & Honey Coffees (and Why It Matters)

"Processing" might sound like something you'd hear in a factory or while waiting for your computer to load... but in the world of coffee, it's one of the most important parts of what makes your brew taste like chocolate, berries, honey, or even flowers.

So you may have heard of "washed" coffee. Or maybe someone told you to try a "natural" Ethiopia. Yet still, a barista may have geeked out about a "red honey" micro-lot that tasted like mango syrup.

What are they all talking about?

If you’ve ever wondered how coffee goes from cherry to bean to cup (and why some cups taste super fruity while others are crisp and clean), this blog is for you.

Let’s dive into the world of coffee processing!

 

What Is Coffee Processing?

Imagine biting into a fresh stone fruit. Inside that juicy fruit is a small seed.

The same is true for coffee.

It starts as a cherry and inside that cherry is the bean we roast and grind.

But you can’t just pick a cherry and roast it.

First, you have to get the seed out, clean it up, and dry it so it doesn’t rot. Those sets of steps involved in removing the fruit layers and drying the bean is what we call processing.

How a producer chooses to process that coffee has a huge impact on what it tastes like. And while we outline general characteristics of each processing approach, it is worth noting that there are many variations and adaptations used for each.

Before we get started, let’s familiarize ourselves with the coffee cherry.

Source: Coffee Lab Roasters

 

Natural Process (aka Dry Process)

In this OG method (it's been around for centuries), producers don’t remove the skin and pulp right away.

Instead, after the cherries are picked, they are:

1. Laid out to dry with all their fruity skin and pulp intact

2. Turned routinely so they don’t mold or rot

3. Dehulled to remove the dried skin, pulp, mucilage, and parchment, once the cherries reach target dryness

This is like turning grapes into raisins. The fruit gets wrinkly and sweet, and the bean soaks up all that deliciousness.

What It Tastes Like:

• Dried fruit, jammy

• Full-bodied, syrupy

Where It’s Popular:

• Ethiopia

• Brazil

Washed Process (aka Wet Process)

With this method, producers remove the skin and fruity flesh (pulp and mucilage) before drying the beans.

Here’s how it works:

1. Pick and sort the cherries for ideal ripeness.

2. Remove the skin and pulp (this is called "depulping").

3. If the mucilage is not removed in step 2, ‘ferment’ the beans with water and microorganisms to break down the mucilage and clean the beans.

4. Dry the cleaned beans in their parchment

5. Remove the parchment via dehulling.

What’s left? A beautiful, clean bean ready to be roasted!

What It Tastes Like:

• Bright, fruity

• Clean, precise flavors

Where It’s Popular:

• Central America (like Guatemala or Costa Rica)

• East Africa (like Kenya)

 

Honey Process (aka Semi-Washed or Pulped Natural)

Nope, there’s no actual honey involved. It gets its name because the beans feel sticky, like honey, when drying.

Here’s what happens:

1. Cherries are picked and depulped (like washed processing)

2. Beans are dried with the sugary and sticky mucilage layer intact

3. Dried mucilage and parchment are removed (hulling)

And, depending on how much of the fruit they leave on, you’ll hear terms like yellow honey, red honey, or black honey.

What It Tastes Like:

• Sweet

• Smooth, balanced

Where It’s Popular:

• Costa Rica

• Nicaragua

 

Wet-Hulled (aka Giling Basah)

This method is mostly used in places with extremely humid climates, like Sumatra and Sulawesi in Indonesia.

Here’s how it works:

1. Cherries are picked and depulped leaving the mucilage intact.

2. Beans are fermented briefly while still covered in mucilage.

3. The mucilage and parchment layers are removed while the beans are still ‘wet’ and high in moisture, ~30% (wet-hulling).

4. Beans are then fully dried after hulling.

What It Tastes Like:

• Earthy, spicy

• Heavy body

Where It’s Popular:

• Indonesia

• Timor-Leste

 

Other Emerging Methods

As specialty coffee evolves, some producers are getting innovative with how they process beans. Here are a few interesting ones:

Anaerobic Fermentation

Beans are fermented in sealed tanks with no oxygen, creating intense and complex flavors. Think spicy, boozy, or floral.

Carbonic Maceration

Borrowed from winemaking! Cherries ferment whole in pressurized tanks. Expect notably juicy, candy-like coffees.

Experimental Fermentations

Some farms add specific yeasts, fruits, or bacteria to manipulate flavors. These are very small-batch and usually pretty wild.

Why Processing Matters (Flavor, Sustainability, and Value)

Processing isn’t just a behind-the-scenes step. It affects everything:

1. Flavor

From fruity to floral to chocolatey, processing is what helps turn beans into liquid art. Same farm, same tree, different process? You can expect differences in the cup.

2. Sustainability

Some methods use a lot of water (washed). Others use almost none (natural). Some farms even recycle their water or use solar drying to help the planet.

3. Value

Well-processed coffee = higher quality. Higher quality = higher score. Higher score often means higher price for farmers and producers.

 

So, What Should You Look For?

When shopping for specialty coffee, check the label. It’ll often say how it was processed:

• Natural = bold and fruity

• Washed = crisp and clean

• Honey  = sweet and smooth

• Wet-hulled = earthy and heavy

Try different ones and see what YOU love!

And remember: There’s no wrong answer.