TL;DR:
-
Washed Process: The fruit is removed before drying, creating a clean, bright, and predictable cup.
-
Natural Process: The coffee cherry dries intact on the bean, resulting in intense sweetness and vibrant, fruity flavours.
-
Honey Process: The skin is removed but the sticky fruit mucilage remains during drying, offering a perfect balance of sweetness and clarity.
When you pick up a bag of specialty coffee, you'll usually spot a label indicating how it was processed. But what does that actually mean for your morning brew? Whether you're a casual drinker or a seasoned home barista, understanding the journey from the farm to your cup is the secret to finding the exact flavours you love.
What does coffee processing actually mean?
Coffee processing is the method used to remove the fruit of the coffee cherry to extract the seed or bean inside. The chosen method—whether natural, washed, or honey—dramatically impacts the final flavour profile, determining if your cup tastes fruity, clean, or perfectly balanced.
At its core, a coffee bean is the pit of a fruit. Our founder, Zach, has spent over a decade working closely with coffee producers, and if there's one thing that experience has taught us, it's that how a farmer removes that fruit makes or breaks the harvest. The processing method acts as the foundational blueprint for every single flavour note you'll eventually taste.
What is Washed Process Coffee?
Washed process coffee, also known as wet processing, entirely removes the cherry and mucilage before the beans are dried. This method relies on the bean’s natural sugars rather than the fruit, resulting in a cup known for its clean, bright acidity and exceptional clarity.
Because the fruit is washed away using water and fermentation tanks before the drying stage, the farmer is showcasing the true, unadulterated flavour of the coffee bean itself. It highlights the bean's origin, soil, and variety. If you love a crisp, predictable, and highly drinkable coffee, washed is the way to go. Our Cola Comforts coffee leans into these clean, brilliantly structured profiles, making it an incredibly reliable daily drinker.
What is Natural Process Coffee?
Natural process coffee, or dry processing, leaves the coffee cherry intact while the beans dry in the sun. As the fruit ferments and dehydrates around the seed, it imparts heavy body, intense sweetness, and vibrant, fruity flavour notes like strawberry or blueberry to the brew.
This is the oldest method of processing coffee. Because the bean spends weeks drying inside the rotting fruit, it absorbs massive amounts of sugar and complex organic compounds. It requires immense skill from the farmer, who must constantly turn the drying cherries to prevent unwanted mold. When done right, naturals are mind-blowingly vibrant. If you are looking for a punchy, adventurous cup with heavy fruit notes, picking up a bag of our Uganda Rwenzori will give you exactly that joyful, wild experience.
What is Honey Process Coffee?
Honey process coffee bridges the gap between washed and natural methods by removing the cherry skin but leaving the sticky, honey-like mucilage on the bean during drying. This technique yields a highly complex, balanced coffee featuring enhanced sweetness, mild fruitiness, and a rounded body.
Don't let the name fool you—there is no actual honey involved! The term refers to the sticky texture and golden color of the beans as they dry. By controlling exactly how much mucilage is left on the bean (often categorized as yellow, red, or black honey), farmers can dial in the perfect amount of fruitiness without losing the clean characteristics of a washed coffee.
How should you brew different coffee processes?
To brew different coffee processes effectively, adjust your water temperature and grind size. Brew washed coffees with hotter water to highlight bright acidity, while using slightly cooler water and a coarser grind for naturals to prevent over-extracting intense, fermented fruit flavours.
Pro Tip from Zach's Decade of Experience: Most generic brewing guides treat all coffee the same, but you shouldn't. Because natural process beans are more porous and have undergone heavy fruit fermentation, they dissolve much faster in water. If your natural coffee tastes a bit too funky or slightly bitter, drop your kettle temperature to about 90°C–92°C and coarsen your grind by one or two clicks. Conversely, crank your water up to 94°C–96°C for dense, washed coffees to fully extract those delicate floral and citrus notes.
Ready to taste the difference for yourself? Explore our lineup of carefully sourced and expertly roasted beans over at chippcoffee.co.uk. Whether you crave the wild berries of a natural or the crisp clarity of a washed, we've got a cup waiting for you.
