Coffee is one of the world’s most popular drinks, enjoyed by millions of people every day. At its heart, coffee is a brewed beverage made from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant. These seeds, which we know as coffee beans, are found inside the fruit of the coffee tree, known as a coffee cherry.

Although we often call them beans, coffee beans aren’t actually beans at all—they’re the seeds of the coffee cherry. Once harvested, the fruit is removed, the seeds are processed and dried, before being roasted to develop the rich aromas and flavours that make coffee so distinctive.

Today, coffee is grown in more than 70 countries around the world, with each region producing beans that have their own unique flavour characteristics. Factors such as altitude, climate, soil and processing methods all influence the final taste in your cup, which is why no two coffees are exactly the same.

At Acorns Coffee, we source high-quality single origin coffees from around the world before roasting them in small batches in Hampshire. Roasting allows us to bring out each coffee’s natural character, whether that’s rich chocolate notes, bright citrus flavours or delicate floral aromas.

Whether you enjoy a smooth espresso, a cafetière at breakfast or a carefully brewed V60, every cup begins its journey as a small seed growing on a coffee tree.

Key Facts

• Coffee comes from the seeds of the coffee cherry.
• Coffee trees grow in tropical regions around the world.
• Every coffee bean is roasted before it can be brewed.
• Flavour is influenced by where the coffee is grown, how it’s processed and how it’s roasted.
• The two most common coffee species are Arabica and Robusta.

Did You Know?

A coffee tree can take three to four years before producing its first harvest, and a healthy tree can continue producing coffee cherries for more than 20 years.

Related questions

• Where does coffee come from?
• What is a coffee cherry?
• What is the Coffee Belt?
• What is Arabica coffee?
• What is Robusta coffee?
• How is coffee grown?

Coffee grows in some of the world’s most beautiful tropical regions, where warm temperatures, rich soils and regular rainfall create the ideal conditions for coffee trees to thrive. Today, coffee is produced in more than 70 countries, but the vast majority is grown within a narrow band around the Equator known as the Coffee Belt.

Some of the world’s most famous coffee-producing countries include Brazil, Colombia, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Kenya, Peru, Indonesia, Mexico and Rwanda. Each country, and often each individual farm, produces coffee with its own distinctive flavour profile.

The taste of coffee is influenced by many factors, including altitude, rainfall, soil composition, climate and the way the coffee is processed after harvest. That’s why a naturally processed Ethiopian coffee can taste bright and fruity, while a Brazilian coffee is often known for its smooth chocolate and nut flavours.

At Acorns Coffee, we source carefully selected single origin coffees from across the Coffee Belt, allowing you to explore the unique flavours each growing region has to offer.

Key Facts

• Coffee is grown in over 70 countries.
• Most coffee grows between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.
• Brazil is the world’s largest coffee producer.
• Every coffee-growing region produces its own distinctive flavours.
• Climate, altitude and soil all influence the taste of coffee.

Despite what many people think, coffee doesn’t begin life as a bean—it begins as a fruit.

A coffee cherry is the fruit that grows on the coffee tree. As it ripens, it changes from green to bright red, although some varieties can ripen to yellow or even orange. Farmers carefully harvest these ripe cherries by hand or machine, depending on the farm and terrain.

Inside each coffee cherry are usually two seeds. These seeds are what we know as coffee beans. Before they can be roasted, the beans must first be removed from the fruit, cleaned and dried using one of several processing methods.

The quality of the coffee cherry is incredibly important. Healthy trees, ideal growing conditions and harvesting only fully ripe cherries all contribute to producing exceptional coffee. Picking cherries too early or too late can have a noticeable impact on the flavour of the finished cup.

Interestingly, not every cherry contains two beans. Occasionally, a cherry develops just one rounded bean, known as a Peaberry. These are relatively rare and are often separated during processing because they roast slightly differently.

At Acorns Coffee, every coffee we roast started life as a carefully grown coffee cherry on a farm somewhere within the Coffee Belt, before beginning its journey through processing, roasting and finally into your cup.

Key Facts

• Coffee cherries are the fruit of the coffee tree.
• Most ripe cherries are deep red when ready to harvest.
• Each cherry usually contains two coffee beans.
• The fruit is removed before the beans are dried and roasted.
• Around 5–10% of coffee cherries produce a single Peaberry instead of two beans.

Did You Know?

Unlike many crops, coffee cherries don’t all ripen at the same time. On many specialty coffee farms, pickers return to the same trees several times during the harvest season, selecting only the ripest cherries each time. This careful hand-picking is one reason why high-quality specialty coffee takes so much time and skill to produce.

Growing coffee is a slow process that requires patience, expertise and the right environment. Coffee trees thrive in warm tropical climates, where they receive plenty of rainfall, fertile soil and consistent temperatures throughout the year. These ideal conditions are found within the Coffee Belt, which stretches around the Equator.

Most coffee begins life in a nursery, where young seedlings are carefully nurtured before being transplanted into coffee plantations. Depending on the variety, it can take three to four years before a coffee tree produces its first harvest of cherries.

Once mature, the trees burst into life with delicate white flowers, often described as smelling similar to jasmine. These blossoms last only a few days before developing into small green cherries, which slowly ripen over the following months. As they mature, the cherries turn bright red, signalling they’re ready to be harvested.

Unlike many crops, coffee cherries rarely ripen all at once. On specialty coffee farms, skilled pickers often return to the same trees several times during the harvest season, selecting only the ripest cherries by hand. This careful harvesting helps ensure only the highest quality fruit continues its journey towards becoming great coffee.

A healthy coffee tree can continue producing cherries for 20 to 30 years, although many are capable of producing for much longer when well cared for. Throughout its life, the tree requires ongoing pruning, fertilisation and protection from pests and changing weather conditions.

At Acorns Coffee, every coffee we roast starts with the dedication and expertise of farmers who spend years caring for their trees before the beans ever reach our roastery.

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Key Facts

• Coffee trees take 3–4 years to produce their first harvest.
• Coffee plants grow best in tropical climates with consistent rainfall and temperatures.
• White coffee blossoms appear before cherries develop.
• Cherries often ripen at different times, making multiple harvests necessary.
• A healthy coffee tree can produce coffee for 20–30 years or more.

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Did You Know?

Each coffee tree produces only a relatively small amount of coffee each year. On average, a single mature tree yields enough cherries to produce around 0.5–1 kg of roasted coffee, depending on the variety, growing conditions and processing methods. That’s why every bag of specialty coffee represents months of careful work by farmers long before it reaches the roastery.

The Coffee Belt is the region of the world where almost all coffee is grown. Rather than being one specific place, it’s a band of tropical countries that sits between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, stretching around the Equator.

This part of the world provides the warm temperatures, seasonal rainfall and fertile soils that coffee trees need to thrive. Outside of the Coffee Belt, climates are generally too cold or too dry for commercial coffee production.

More than 70 countries grow coffee within this region, including Brazil, Colombia, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Kenya, Peru, Indonesia, Mexico and Vietnam. Each country, and often each individual farm, has its own unique combination of altitude, climate, soil and growing conditions, giving every coffee its own distinctive character.

For example, coffees grown at higher elevations often develop brighter acidity and more complex fruit flavours, while lower-grown coffees tend to produce richer, smoother and more chocolate-forward cups. That’s one of the reasons coffee from different parts of the world can taste so dramatically different.

At Acorns Coffee, we source single origin coffees from across the Coffee Belt, allowing us to showcase the incredible diversity of flavour that coffee-growing regions have to offer.

Key Facts

• The Coffee Belt circles the Earth around the Equator.
• It lies between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.
• More than 70 countries grow coffee within the Coffee Belt.
• Climate, altitude and soil all influence flavour.
• Every coffee-growing country has its own unique characteristics.

Did You Know?

Although Brazil is the world’s largest coffee producer, coffee was first discovered in Ethiopia, where legend tells of a goat herder named Kaldi noticing his goats became unusually energetic after eating coffee cherries. While the story can’t be confirmed, Ethiopia is widely recognised as the birthplace of Arabica coffee.

Altitude is one of the most important factors influencing how coffee develops and, ultimately, how it tastes in your cup.

Coffee plants generally grow best at higher elevations in tropical regions, where cooler temperatures cause the coffee cherries to ripen more slowly. This extended maturation gives the developing coffee seed more time to build sugars and complex flavour compounds.

But higher altitude doesn’t automatically mean better coffee. The ideal elevation depends on the coffee variety, climate, soil and farming practices. It’s the combination of these factors that makes each growing region unique.

What happens at higher altitude?

As elevation increases, temperatures generally become cooler. Coffee cherries take longer to mature, and this slower development can contribute to coffees with:

• Brighter acidity
• Greater sweetness
• More complex flavours
• Floral and fruity characteristics
• A lighter, more vibrant character

Lower-altitude coffees often mature more quickly and can produce fuller-bodied, smoother and more chocolate or nut-forward flavours.

This is one reason coffees from different parts of the world can taste so dramatically different, even when they are brewed in exactly the same way.

Altitude in our coffees

You can see the influence of growing conditions across the coffees we roast at Acorns.

Colombia Finca Sofia, for example, is grown at altitude in the Colombian Andes, contributing to its smooth, balanced character and notes of toffee and chocolate.

Our Ethiopia Yirgacheffe comes from the highlands of Ethiopia, where altitude and growing conditions help produce the bright, aromatic and often floral and fruity characteristics associated with Ethiopian coffee.

These differences are part of what makes exploring single origin coffee so fascinating. The coffee isn’t simply from a country — its flavour is a reflection of the particular environment in which it was grown.

It’s more than just altitude

It’s tempting to think of coffee quality as a simple equation:

Higher = better

But that’s not really how coffee works.

Altitude interacts with temperature, rainfall, sunlight, soil, coffee variety, farming practices and processing. Two farms at exactly the same elevation can produce completely different coffees.

That’s why we look at the whole story behind a coffee when selecting what to roast at Acorns.

Key Facts

• Higher elevations generally mean cooler temperatures.
• Cooler temperatures can slow cherry maturation.
• Slower maturation can allow more time for sugars and flavour compounds to develop.
• Altitude can influence acidity, sweetness, body and complexity.
• Higher altitude doesn’t automatically mean better coffee.

Did You Know?

Altitude is usually measured in metres above sea level, but elevation alone doesn’t tell the whole story. A coffee grown at 1,500 metres in one part of the world may experience very different temperatures, rainfall and sunlight from a coffee grown at the same elevation elsewhere.

Arabica, or Coffea arabica, is one of the most important species of coffee plant in the world. It accounts for a large proportion of the coffee produced globally and is particularly important within the specialty coffee industry.

Arabica coffee is believed to have originated in the highlands of Ethiopia, where the species developed naturally before being cultivated and spread to other parts of the world.

Arabica plants generally prefer higher elevations, cooler temperatures and stable growing conditions. They can be more demanding to grow than other coffee species, but when carefully cultivated they can produce remarkably complex and distinctive coffees.

What does Arabica coffee taste like?

There isn’t one single “Arabica flavour”.

That’s one of the most interesting things about coffee.

Arabica coffees can be:

• Fruity and vibrant
• Floral and delicate
• Sweet and caramel-like
• Chocolatey and nutty
• Bright and acidic
• Smooth and balanced

The final flavour depends on far more than the species itself. Variety, altitude, climate, soil, farming, processing and roasting all play a role.

This is why an Ethiopian Arabica can taste completely different from a Brazilian or Colombian Arabica, despite technically being the same coffee species.

Why is Arabica considered special?

Arabica plants generally produce coffee with a greater range of delicate and complex flavours, which is one reason they’re so highly valued in specialty coffee.

However, Arabica doesn’t automatically mean better coffee.

A poorly grown or poorly processed Arabica can produce a disappointing cup, while a carefully grown and processed Robusta can be exceptional in its own right.

At Acorns Coffee, we don’t choose a coffee simply because it is Arabica. We look at its origin, variety, farming, processing and flavour potential before deciding whether it’s something we want to roast.

Arabica at Acorns

Many of the single origin coffees we roast at Acorns are Arabica coffees, including coffees from Colombia, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Kenya, Rwanda and Brazil.

Exploring these coffees side by side is a great way to understand just how diverse Arabica can be.

A Colombian coffee might give you smooth toffee and chocolate, while an Ethiopian coffee can be bright, floral and fruit-forward. The species is the same — but the environment and journey from farm to cup are very different.

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Key Facts

• Arabica’s scientific name is Coffea arabica.
• It originated in Ethiopia.
• Arabica generally prefers higher elevations and cooler growing conditions.
• It can produce highly complex and diverse flavours.
• Arabica doesn’t automatically mean better quality.
• Growing conditions, processing and roasting all influence the final cup.

Did You Know?

Arabica coffee contains less caffeine than Robusta. This isn’t because it is deliberately grown to be lower in caffeine — it’s simply a natural difference between the two species.

Robusta, commonly known as Coffea canephora, is one of the world’s most important coffee species. While Arabica tends to dominate specialty coffee, Robusta makes up a significant proportion of global coffee production and plays an important role in espresso, instant coffee and blends.

Robusta is native to central and western sub-Saharan Africa and is now grown in many tropical coffee-producing countries, particularly in Africa, Southeast Asia and parts of South America.

The name “Robusta” is fitting. The plant is generally hardier and more resistant to disease and pests than Arabica, and it can grow successfully in warmer conditions and at lower elevations.

What does Robusta coffee taste like?

Robusta has a very different flavour profile from Arabica.

It can often have:

• Strong, powerful flavours
• Earthy or woody characteristics
• Nutty and chocolate notes
• A heavier body
• More pronounced bitterness
• A long, intense finish

However, just like Arabica, there is no single Robusta flavour. Growing conditions, variety, farming, processing and roasting all have a significant influence on the finished coffee.

High-quality fine Robusta can be surprisingly sweet, clean and complex — very different from the harsh, bitter Robusta that has sometimes given the species its reputation.

Why does Robusta contain more caffeine?

One of Robusta’s most noticeable differences is its caffeine content.

Robusta naturally contains considerably more caffeine than Arabica, which the plant uses as part of its natural defence against insects and pests.

This extra caffeine, combined with Robusta’s heavier body, can make it particularly useful in espresso blends, where it can contribute intensity, body and a rich crema.

How is Robusta grown?

Robusta is generally more tolerant of heat, lower elevations and challenging growing conditions than Arabica.

It can produce good yields in environments where Arabica would struggle, making it an important crop for farmers in warmer regions.

The plant can also be more resistant to some of the diseases and pests that affect coffee production.

But being hardy doesn’t mean producing ordinary coffee.

As the specialty coffee industry has developed, more attention has been given to fine Robusta, with producers experimenting with varieties, farming techniques and careful processing to reveal the quality and complexity that Robusta can offer.

🇻🇳 Robusta at Acorns

We currently roast Vietnam Son La Robusta, giving us a great opportunity to experience Robusta as a single origin coffee rather than simply as part of a commercial blend.

Vietnam is the world’s leading producer of Robusta, and the Son La region in northern Vietnam is becoming increasingly interesting for specialty coffee.

Our Son La demonstrates why it’s worth looking beyond the traditional Arabica-versus-Robusta debate. It has the strength and character you’d expect from Robusta, but its origin and careful roasting reveal a much more interesting side of the species.

Harvesting coffee is one of the most important stages in the journey from coffee tree to coffee cup. Once coffee cherries have ripened, they need to be carefully picked from the trees and collected before they can be processed.

Unlike many agricultural crops, coffee cherries don’t necessarily ripen at the same time. A single coffee tree can have green, yellow and fully ripe red cherries growing alongside each other. This makes harvesting high-quality coffee a careful and often labour-intensive process.

How are coffee cherries picked?

There are three main approaches to harvesting coffee: selective hand-picking, strip picking and mechanical harvesting.

Selective hand-picking

This is commonly used for specialty coffee and on farms where the terrain makes machinery difficult to use.

Pickers move through the coffee trees, selecting the ripe cherries while leaving unripe fruit to mature. They may return to the same trees several times during the harvest season.

It’s slow, demanding work, but it allows farmers to select fruit at the ideal stage of ripeness.

Strip picking

With strip picking, the cherries are removed from a branch in one movement, often by hand. Ripe and unripe cherries can therefore be collected together and separated later.

This method can be quicker than selective picking and is used in some coffee-producing regions.

Mechanical harvesting

On larger farms, particularly where the landscape allows it, specialised machines can remove cherries from the trees.

Mechanical harvesting can be much faster, but it can also collect cherries at different stages of ripeness. Further sorting is therefore often required before processing.

Why does harvesting matter?

The quality of the coffee can be affected before the beans have even left the farm.

Overripe, underripe or damaged cherries can introduce unwanted flavours during processing. Careful harvesting helps ensure that the best fruit continues through the next stage of the journey.

This is particularly important for specialty coffee, where farmers and producers are trying to preserve the unique characteristics of a particular variety, farm and growing region.

Harvesting also requires an enormous amount of skill and effort. Behind every bag of coffee is a chain of people who have cared for the plants, monitored the crop and spent hours selecting and collecting the fruit.

At Acorns Coffee, we think that part of the story is worth knowing.

When is coffee harvested?

Coffee harvest seasons vary depending on the country, climate, altitude and local growing conditions.

Some regions have one main harvest each year, while others can have more than one flowering and harvesting period.

Because coffee is grown across many different parts of the world, there isn’t one global “coffee harvest season”. This is one reason coffee from different origins becomes available at different times throughout the year.

Key Facts

• Coffee cherries are harvested once they reach the appropriate stage of ripeness.
• Selective hand-picking allows farmers to choose ripe cherries individually.
• Strip picking removes many cherries from a branch at once.
• Mechanical harvesting is used on some larger farms.
• Harvesting carefully can help protect the quality and flavour of the finished coffee.
• Harvest seasons vary around the world.

Did You Know?

Coffee pickers can carry baskets or containers with them as they work, gradually filling them with cherries before transferring the fruit into larger collection sacks or containers.

That means a coffee bean that eventually ends up in your cup may have been individually selected by hand months before it reaches the roastery.

Once coffee cherries have been harvested, the journey is far from over. Before the coffee can be roasted, the fruit must be removed from the seeds inside, and those seeds need to be processed and dried carefully.

This stage is known as coffee processing, and it can have a huge influence on how the finished coffee tastes.

The way a coffee is processed can help determine whether it develops a clean and delicate character, or something much more fruity, sweet and fermented.

From Cherry to Green Coffee

After harvesting, coffee cherries are usually taken to a processing facility on or near the farm. The cherries need to be processed relatively quickly to prevent unwanted fermentation or deterioration.

There are several different ways this can happen, but the three traditional methods you’ll hear about most often are:

Washed Process

The coffee fruit is removed from the seed, usually using water and mechanical equipment. The beans are then fermented to remove remaining fruit before being thoroughly washed and dried.

Washed coffees are often associated with clean, bright and precise flavours, allowing characteristics of the coffee’s variety and growing region to shine through.

Natural Process

With natural processing, the whole coffee cherry is dried with the fruit still surrounding the seeds.

As the cherry dries, the fruit naturally interacts with the coffee seeds, contributing sugars and flavour compounds. Once sufficiently dry, the dried fruit is removed.

Natural coffees can be particularly fruity, sweet and full-bodied, although the exact character depends on the coffee and how it was processed.

Honey Process

Despite the name, no honey is added.

Instead, the skin of the coffee cherry is removed while some of the sticky fruit, known as mucilage, remains attached to the seed during drying.

Honey processing sits somewhere between washed and natural processing, and can produce coffees with sweetness, body and fruit character, while still retaining a relatively clean cup.

Drying the Coffee

Whichever processing method is used, the coffee eventually needs to be dried to a safe moisture level.

This can be done using:

• Raised drying beds
• Patios
• Mechanical dryers
• A combination of natural and mechanical drying

Drying is an incredibly important part of coffee production. If coffee dries too quickly, too slowly or unevenly, the quality can suffer.

Once dried, the coffee is usually hulled to remove the remaining outer layers, leaving what we recognise as green coffee beans.

These green beans can then be sorted, graded, stored and eventually transported to roasters around the world.

Why Does Processing Matter?

This is where coffee starts to become particularly fascinating.

Two coffees grown on neighbouring farms could potentially be the same variety, grown at a similar altitude, but taste completely different because they were processed differently.

Processing doesn’t simply happen after the coffee is grown — it becomes part of the coffee’s identity.

That’s why you’ll often see the processing method listed alongside the country, farm, variety and altitude when buying specialty coffee.

At Acorns Coffee, we pay close attention to how each coffee has been processed because it helps us understand what we’re working with when the green beans arrive at the roastery.

Key Facts

• Coffee cherries need to be processed after harvesting.
• Processing removes the fruit from the coffee seed.
• Washed, natural and honey are three common processing methods.
• Drying must be carefully controlled to protect quality.
• Once processed and dried, coffee becomes green coffee ready for export and roasting.
• Processing can have a significant influence on the flavour of the finished coffee.

Did You Know?

Coffee beans are actually green before they are roasted. The familiar brown colour, aroma and flavours we associate with coffee develop later during the roasting process.

Washed coffee is a coffee that has had the fruit of the coffee cherry removed from the seed before the coffee is dried. It is one of the most widely used processing methods in the world and is particularly common in specialty coffee.

The name comes from the use of water during the process, although there’s considerably more to it than simply washing coffee beans.

How is washed coffee made?

After ripe coffee cherries are harvested, the fruit is mechanically removed from the seeds using a machine called a depulper.

The beans are then covered in a sticky layer of fruit called mucilage. This needs to be removed before the coffee can be dried.

Traditionally, the coffee is placed in fermentation tanks, where naturally occurring microorganisms break down the remaining mucilage. Once fermentation is complete, the beans are thoroughly washed to remove the remaining material.

The beans are then dried, often on raised beds or patios, until they reach the appropriate moisture level.

At this stage, the coffee is still green coffee, protected by a parchment-like outer layer. It can then be hulled, graded and prepared for export to roasters.

How does washed processing affect flavour?

Because most of the coffee cherry is removed before drying, washed processing tends to allow the characteristics of the coffee variety and growing environment to come through particularly clearly.

Washed coffees are often associated with:

• Clean, clear flavours
• Bright acidity
• Floral or citrus characteristics
• A lighter, more defined body
• A distinctive sense of origin

However, processing isn’t a flavour recipe. A washed Ethiopian coffee won’t necessarily taste like another washed Ethiopian coffee.

Variety, altitude, climate, soil, harvesting and roasting all contribute to the final cup.

🇨🇴 Washed coffee at Acorns

Our Colombia Finca Sofia is a great example of a washed coffee.

The coffee is grown in Colombia and processed using the washed method before making its way to our roastery.

When we roast and brew it, we get a coffee that is smooth, velvety and balanced, with flavours of toffee and chocolate.

It’s a good example of why we don’t think of processing methods as simply being “good” or “bad”. Instead, processing is one part of the story that helps explain why a particular coffee tastes the way it does.

Washed vs Natural

The simplest way to understand the difference is:

Washed:

🍒 Fruit removed → 💧 fermented & washed → ☀️ dried

Natural:

🍒 Whole cherry → ☀️ dried with fruit → 🫘 fruit removed

Neither method is inherently better. They simply create different opportunities for the coffee to develop its character.

Key Facts

• Washed coffee has its fruit removed before drying.
• Fermentation helps remove the remaining mucilage.
• Water is used to clean the coffee before drying.
• Washed coffees are often clean and clearly defined in flavour.
• Processing is only one of many factors that influence taste.

Did You Know?

The fermentation stage has to be carefully controlled. If coffee is fermented for too long, or under unsuitable conditions, unwanted flavours can develop. Experienced producers monitor factors such as time, temperature and the condition of the coffee throughout the process.

What is Natural Processed Coffee?

Natural processing is one of the oldest and most traditional ways of processing coffee. Unlike washed coffee, where the fruit is removed from the coffee seed before drying, natural processing allows the whole coffee cherry to dry around the seed.

This simple difference can have a significant influence on the flavour of the finished coffee.

How is natural processed coffee made?

After ripe coffee cherries are harvested, they are carefully sorted to remove unripe, damaged or overripe fruit.

Instead of removing the skin and fruit, the whole cherry is placed out to dry, often on raised beds or patios.

As the cherries dry, the fruit gradually shrinks around the coffee seeds inside. The sugars and other compounds in the fruit interact with the developing coffee, contributing to the character of the finished bean.

Producers carefully turn the cherries during drying to encourage even airflow and prevent unwanted mould or fermentation. Depending on the climate and conditions, drying can take several weeks.

Once the cherries have dried sufficiently, the dried fruit and outer layers are mechanically removed, leaving the green coffee bean ready for sorting, grading and eventually roasting.

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How does natural processing affect flavour?

Natural processing is often associated with coffees that have more pronounced fruitiness, sweetness and body.

You might find flavours described as:

• 🍓 Berries and ripe fruit
• 🍑 Stone fruit
• 🍷 Wine-like or fermented notes
• 🍯 Rich sweetness
• 🌺 Floral characteristics
• ☕ A fuller body
  

However, natural processing doesn’t automatically make a coffee fruity.

The final flavour is influenced by the coffee variety, growing conditions, altitude, harvesting, drying conditions and roasting as well as the processing method itself.

That’s what makes comparing coffees so interesting. Processing is just one part of the story.

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Natural vs Washed Coffee

The easiest way to understand the difference is to look at when the coffee fruit is removed.

Washed coffee:

🍒 Cherry → 🫘 Fruit removed → 💧 Washed → ☀️ Dried

Natural coffee:

🍒 Whole cherry → ☀️ Dried with fruit → 🫘 Fruit removed

Because the fruit remains around the seed during drying, natural processing can create a very different flavour experience from a washed coffee.

Neither method is inherently better. They simply give producers different ways of expressing the characteristics of the coffee.

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Why is natural processing used?

Natural processing is particularly well suited to regions where water is scarce, because it requires considerably less water than traditional washed processing.

It is also strongly associated with countries such as Ethiopia and Brazil, where natural coffees have a long history.

For producers, however, natural processing requires careful control. Cherries need to be spread evenly, regularly turned and monitored throughout drying. Poorly managed drying can lead to unwanted flavours or spoilage.

When done well, natural processing can produce some of the most intensely aromatic, sweet and fruit-forward coffees in the world.

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From Natural Coffee to Acorns

Once naturally processed green coffee reaches our roastery, the processing journey isn’t finished from our perspective.

As roasters, we need to understand what the processing method has contributed to the coffee before deciding how to roast it.

A naturally processed coffee can behave differently in the roaster from a washed coffee, and our job is to develop the roast in a way that allows the coffee’s natural character to shine.

That’s one of the things we love about roasting single origin coffee: the farmer, the variety, the environment and the processing method have already created a story. Our job is to help reveal it.

And no better than our Brazil Santos Coffee, a superb dry processed coffee bean and such a favourite of ours, it’s the coffee we use at our coffee shop in Bordon, Hampshire, UK.

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Key Facts

• Natural processing dries the whole coffee cherry around the coffee seed.
• It generally uses less water than washed processing.
• Drying can take several weeks.
• Natural coffees are often associated with fruity, sweet and full-bodied flavours.
• Careful drying is essential to prevent unwanted fermentation or mould.
• Processing is only one factor influencing the final flavour of coffee.
  

Did You Know?

Natural processing is sometimes called “dry processing” because the coffee cherry is dried without first removing the fruit. Despite the name, the process requires a great deal of care — simply leaving cherries in the sun isn’t enough to produce high-quality coffee.

What is Honey Processed Coffee?

Despite its name, honey processed coffee doesn’t contain any honey.

Honey processing is a method of preparing coffee where the skin and some of the fruit are removed from the coffee cherry, but a sticky layer of natural fruit called mucilage is left on the coffee seed while it dries.

The result sits somewhere between the traditional washed and natural processing methods, creating another way for coffee producers to influence the flavour and character of their coffee.

🍯 How is honey processed coffee made?

After ripe coffee cherries are harvested, the outer skin and some of the fruit are removed using a machine called a depulper.

Unlike washed coffee, the sticky mucilage surrounding the seed isn’t completely removed.

The coffee seeds, still covered with this layer of fruit, are then spread out to dry on raised beds or patios. As they dry, the mucilage gradually dries onto the coffee seed.

Producers carefully turn the coffee throughout the drying process to encourage even drying and prevent unwanted fermentation or mould.

Once the coffee has reached the correct moisture level, the remaining dried layers are removed, leaving the green coffee ready to be sorted, graded and eventually roasted.

How does honey processing affect flavour?

Honey processing can produce a fascinating balance between the characteristics associated with washed and natural coffees.

Honey processed coffees are often described as having:

• 🍯 Increased sweetness
• 🍊 Fruity or citrus flavours
• ☕ Medium to full body
• 🌸 Floral characteristics
• ✨ A clean but rounded finish

However, there isn’t one specific “honey process flavour”.

The final cup depends on the amount of mucilage left on the bean, the drying conditions, the coffee variety, altitude, climate and many other factors.

What are yellow, red and black honey?

You may sometimes see honey coffees described as yellow honey, red honey or black honey.

These names generally refer to the amount of mucilage left on the coffee and the way the coffee is dried.

Yellow Honey

Less mucilage is generally left on the bean and the coffee tends to dry relatively quickly.

Red Honey

More mucilage is retained and drying is usually slower, allowing more interaction between the coffee and the fruit.

Black Honey

A greater amount of mucilage is retained and the coffee is dried very slowly and carefully.

These aren’t strict international standards, and producers can use the terms somewhat differently. They are best thought of as descriptions of the producer’s particular processing approach rather than completely separate processing methods.

Why choose honey processing?

Honey processing can offer producers an interesting middle ground.

Compared with natural processing, the coffee doesn’t spend the entire drying period surrounded by the whole cherry. Compared with washed processing, however, some of the fruit remains in contact with the coffee during drying.

It can therefore provide an opportunity to develop additional sweetness and body while retaining some of the clarity associated with washed coffees.

The method can also use less water than traditional washed processing, making it an interesting option in regions where water availability is an important consideration.

Washed vs Natural vs Honey

The simplest way to see the difference is:

Washed

🍒 Cherry

→ Fruit removed

→ 💧 Mucilage removed

→ ☀️ Dried

Honey

🍒 Cherry

→ Skin removed

→ 🍯 Some mucilage remains

→ ☀️ Dried

Natural

🍒 Whole cherry

→ ☀️ Dried with fruit

→ 🫘 Fruit removed

Three different approaches, each capable of producing a completely different expression of coffee.

From the Farm to Acorns

When a honey processed coffee arrives at our roastery, the processing method is one of the first things we look at when deciding how we want to roast it.

The producer has already made important decisions about how the coffee should develop. Our role as roasters is to understand those decisions and create a roast that allows the coffee’s sweetness, body and origin character to shine.

It’s another reason we love single origin coffee: every coffee has a story that starts long before the green beans reach our roaster.

Key Facts

• Honey processed coffee contains no actual honey.
• Some of the coffee cherry’s natural mucilage remains on the seed during drying.
• It sits between washed and natural processing.
• Honey coffees can be sweet, fruity and full-bodied.
• Yellow, red and black honey describe different approaches to drying and mucilage retention.
• The exact flavour depends on much more than processing alone.

Did You Know?

The word “honey” comes from the sticky, honey-like texture of the mucilage left on the coffee seed — not from anything added during processing.

What is Wet-Hulled Coffee (Giling Basah)?

Wet-hulling, known locally as Giling Basah, is a distinctive coffee processing method most strongly associated with Indonesia, particularly the islands of Sumatra and Sulawesi.

Unlike washed, natural or honey processing, wet-hulling removes the coffee’s protective parchment layer while the beans still contain a relatively high amount of moisture. This unusual approach gives many Indonesian coffees their distinctive appearance and can contribute to their characteristic flavour profile.

🌿 How does wet-hulling work?

The process begins much like other coffee processing methods.

Ripe coffee cherries are harvested and the outer skin and some of the fruit are removed. The coffee is then allowed to ferment or is mechanically processed to remove the remaining mucilage.

The important difference comes next.

Rather than drying the coffee all the way down to the moisture level normally required for storage, the coffee is partially dried to around 30–35% moisture.

At this stage, the coffee is still relatively soft.

The parchment surrounding the coffee bean is then mechanically removed — or wet-hulled — exposing the green coffee inside.

The exposed beans are then dried again, this time to a stable moisture level suitable for storage and export.

This is where Giling Basah differs significantly from most other processing methods.

How does wet-hulling affect flavour?

Wet-hulling is closely associated with the flavour characteristics often found in Indonesian coffees.

These can include:

• 🌿 Earthy or herbal notes
• 🌲 Woody characteristics
• 🍫 Rich chocolate flavours
• 🌰 Spices and nuts
• ☕ Heavy body
• 🍯 Low to moderate acidity
• A long, lingering finish

However, it’s important not to assume that every Indonesian coffee tastes the same.

Variety, altitude, soil, climate, farming, fermentation, drying and roasting all influence the final cup.

Wet-hulling is simply one part of the story.

Why does wet-hulled coffee look different?

One of the easiest ways to recognise wet-hulled Indonesian coffee is its appearance.

The green beans can have a distinctive deep green or blue-green colour, and they may look slightly different from the pale green beans commonly associated with washed coffees.

The unusual processing method, combined with Indonesia’s growing conditions, contributes to the distinctive identity of many Sumatran coffees.

🇮🇩 Why is Giling Basah associated with Indonesia?

Wet-hulling developed partly as a practical response to Indonesia’s warm, humid and often rainy climate.

Drying coffee to a low moisture level can be challenging in these conditions. Wet-hulling allows producers to remove the parchment earlier in the process, before completing the final drying stage.

The method has become closely associated with Indonesian coffee production and is now an important part of the region’s coffee identity.

And we have some superb Indonesian coffees to try at Acorns Coffee;

- Award Winning Monsoon Malabar

- Bold and Intense Hot Lava Java

- Our Suprisingly smooth bold Sumatra Mandheling

Wet-Hulled vs Other Processing Methods

The key difference is when the parchment is removed.

Washed

Cherry → fruit removed → fermented & washed → dried → parchment removed

Natural

Whole cherry → dried → fruit & parchment removed

Honey

Skin removed → mucilage retained → dried → parchment removed

Wet-Hulled

Fruit removed → partially dried → parchment removed while still wet → final drying

That unusual middle step is what makes Giling Basah so distinctive.

🔥 Why does this matter to a roaster?

When green coffee arrives at our roastery, its processing method tells us something about how it may behave during roasting.

Wet-hulled coffees can behave differently from washed or naturally processed coffees, so understanding the coffee’s journey from farm to green bean helps us decide how best to roast it.

For us at Acorns, that’s one of the fascinating parts of roasting single origin coffee. We’re not simply roasting a bag of green beans — we’re working with the result of a particular variety, place, climate, farming method and processing tradition.

Understanding that story helps us bring out the character that is already there.

Key Facts

• Giling Basah means wet-hulling and is strongly associated with Indonesia.
• The coffee is partially dried before the parchment is removed.
• The parchment is removed while the coffee still has relatively high moisture.
• The beans are then dried again to a stable moisture level.
• Wet-hulled coffees are often associated with heavy body, lower acidity and earthy, spicy or chocolate characteristics.
• The process developed partly because of Indonesia’s humid climate.

Did You Know?

The name Giling Basah translates roughly as “wet grinding” or “wet hulling” in Indonesian. The process isn’t actually grinding the coffee for brewing — it refers to the mechanical removal of the parchment while the coffee is still wet.