Natural Process Coffee
What natural (dry) process coffee is: whole coffee cherries dried in the sun before hulling, and why it gives fruity, sweet, sometimes wine-like cups.
What is natural process coffee?
Natural, or dry-processed, coffee is dried inside the whole cherry. The fruit is spread in the sun, raked and turned for up to about four weeks, then the dried husk is hulled off. It's the oldest method, used for most Brazilian arabica and nearly all robusta, and at its best gives fruity, sweet, full-bodied, sometimes winey coffee.
Natural process coffee, also called dry-processed or unwashed coffee, is dried inside the whole cherry. The picked fruit is spread out in the sun until it shrivels and hardens, and only then is the dried husk stripped off the bean. It’s the oldest way of preparing coffee, and at its best it gives fruity, sweet, full-bodied cups.
The short version
- Dry first, then remove the fruit. The opposite of washed process.
- Sun-dried for up to about four weeks, raked and turned.
- Fruity, sweet and heavy-bodied, sometimes winey.
- Used for about 90% of Brazilian arabica, most Ethiopian coffee and nearly all robusta.
- Needs dry weather and careful sorting, or it tastes harsh.
How is natural coffee processed?
- Sort. Unripe, overripe and damaged fruit is set aside with soil, twigs and leaves, by winnowing over a sieve or by floating the cherries in water, Wikipedia says.
- Dry. The whole cherries are spread on concrete or brick patios, or on waist-height raised beds of matting, and turned by hand or with rakes so they dry evenly. They’re covered at night and in rain, the National Coffee Association says.
- Rest. Once dry, the fruit is held in bulk silos until it goes to the mill.
- Hull. A single pass through the hulling machine strips every outer layer at once: the dried skin, fruit and parchment.
On bigger estates the coffee may start on the patio and finish in a machine drier after a few days. Drying decides the quality of the green bean more than any other stage, Wikipedia says: overdried beans turn brittle and break in the huller, and underdried ones can spoil.
How long does it take, and how dry is dry?
| Measure | National Coffee Association | Wikipedia (Coffee processing) |
|---|---|---|
| Drying time | Could take several weeks, depending on the weather | Up to four weeks, depending on the weather |
| Target moisture | About 11% | A maximum of 12.5% |
Sources: National Coffee Association; Wikipedia.
What does natural coffee taste like?
Fruity, sweet and full-bodied, when it’s done well.
| Source | Description |
|---|---|
| National Coffee Association | A fuller body and a uniquely sweet, fruity flavour; may taste winey or fermented |
| Coffee Review | Complex, fruity and deeply dimensioned when only ripe fruit is used and dried carefully; off-tasting and harsh when picked or dried carelessly |
The risk is consistency. If a batch mixes ripe and unripe cherries, the quality and flavour turn uneven, the National Coffee Association warns. That’s why cheap naturals have a poor reputation, while carefully made ones include some of the most celebrated coffees, in Coffee Review’s view.
Where are natural coffees produced?
The method depends on dry weather at harvest and is impractical where the air stays humid or rain falls often during picking, Wikipedia says. It’s used for:
| Coffee | How much is natural |
|---|---|
| Brazil, arabica | Around 90% |
| Ethiopia | Most of it |
| Haiti and Paraguay | Most of it |
| India and Ecuador, arabica | Part of the crop |
| Robusta, everywhere | Nearly all |
Source: Wikipedia, Coffee processing.
Coffee Review names the most celebrated naturals: Yemen coffees, the Harar coffees of Ethiopia and the finest traditional Brazils. In the coffee trade, the International Coffee Organization prices “Brazilian and other natural arabicas” as a group of their own, Wikipedia notes.
India’s Monsooned Malabar starts as a natural too: selected large-bean natural coffees are exposed to the moist monsoon winds in open warehouses until they swell and turn golden.
Is natural processing better for the environment?
It uses far less water, since there’s no washing. But it leaves a lot of dry husk: about 45% of the dried cherry’s weight, roughly 0.9 tonnes for every tonne of beans, a United Nations Development Programme handbook cited by Wikipedia says. Wet processing instead produces 2.5 to 3.5 tonnes of pulp and mucilage and 40 to 45 cubic metres of wastewater for the same output. Husk can be composted, burned as fuel or sold as cascara.
What’s between natural and washed?
The honey or pulped natural process: the skin and pulp are removed, but some or all of the sticky mucilage is left on while the bean dries. The more mucilage left, the closer the cup comes to a natural, the National Coffee Association says. See the washed process guide for the yellow, red and black honey grades.
Natural coffee and other guides
- Washed process coffee: fruit off first, for cleaner, brighter cups.
- Robusta coffee: nearly all of it is dry-processed.
- Coffee in Brazil: the world’s biggest grower, mostly naturals.
- Harar: one of the most famous natural coffees.
Questions & answers
What does natural process coffee taste like?
Fruity, sweet and full-bodied, sometimes with a winey or fermented note, according to the National Coffee Association. Coffee Review says a carefully made natural can be complex and fruity, but one picked or dried carelessly tastes harsh and off.
Is natural process coffee better than washed?
Neither is better: they are different. Naturals tend to be fruitier and heavier, washed coffees cleaner and brighter. A natural is riskier to make well, because a few unripe or spoiled cherries can taint the whole batch.
How long does natural process coffee take to dry?
Up to about four weeks, depending on the weather, Wikipedia says; the National Coffee Association says it could take several weeks. The cherries are raked and turned through the day and covered at night or in rain.
Which coffees are naturally processed?
About 90% of Brazilian arabica, most of Ethiopia's coffee and nearly all robusta, according to Wikipedia. Coffee Review names Yemen, Harar in Ethiopia and the finest traditional Brazils as the most celebrated naturals.
Sources
- Coffee Processing Methods. National Coffee Association
- Coffee processing. Wikipedia
- Coffee Glossary: D. Coffee Review