What is a washed processed coffee? What's involved in the washed process? What happens to the beans? How is a washed processed coffee different to a natural or pulped natural/honey processed coffee? What can you expect flavour wise from a washed coffee? Find out more here with our guide to washed coffee processing.
What is a washed processed coffee? What's involved in the washed process? What happens to the beans? How is a washed processed coffee different to a natural or pulped natural/honey processed coffee? What can you expect flavour wise from a washed coffee? Find out more here with our guide to washed coffee processing.
A freshly picked coffee cherry needs to have the fruit removed to get to the seed inside - the coffee bean. The washed process does this by first removing most of the fruit using a machine (a depulper) and then leaving the green coffee bean with their mucilage (fruit flesh which is left on the bean) in water. The fruit mucilage breaks down and leaves just the green bean behind. There are lots of variations to this, like using smaller or larger amounts of water and replacing the water with clean fresh water partway through, but we call all of these coffees washed processed.
Typically, washed processed coffees have a bit more acidity and cleaner flavours - although this can vary a lot.
Have a look at all the washed processed coffees we're currently roasting here.