Washed Versus Natural Processed Coffees

Before a coffee bean reaches your grinder, its fruit is removed in one of two main ways. Washed processing strips the cherry immediately, while natural processing dries the whole fruit around the bean.Washed coffees taste clean and transparent, letting the origin shine through with crisp acidity and clear flavors. Natural coffees taste sweeter and fruitier, sometimes wildly so, with a heavy body and distinctive fermented notes.The tradeoff is predictability.

A washed coffee is consistent and clear, revealing exactly what the farm and variety offer. A natural can be spectacular or funky, depending on the drying conditions and the luck of the harvest.Natural processing is older and cheaper in terms of water use, but it risks over-fermentation if the cherries dry unevenly. Washed processing uses more water and equipment but produces a more uniform, cleaner result.Many roasters now blend the two approaches, offering both a washed and a natural.