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Natural processed coffee is known for its bold, fruit-forward character and full-bodied richness. Because the beans dry inside the cherry, they absorb intense fruit flavours, often leading to notes of berries, tropical fruit, and even wine-like complexity. This method creates a coffee with deep sweetness, a velvety mouthfeel, and sometimes a hint of fermentation, making it a favourite among those who love expressive, flavour-packed brews. These qualities make natural coffees particularly well-suited for espresso, where their richness and layered sweetness shine through.

The key difference between washed and natural coffee is how the beans are processed after harvest, which directly affects their flavour and texture.

Washed Coffee (Wet Process): The fruit is removed before drying, leaving only the bean. This results in a clean, bright cup with crisp acidity, where the coffee’s origin, varietal, and terroir shine through. Washed coffees tend to be lighter, more structured, and refined, making them popular for those who prefer clarity over intensity.

Natural Coffee (Dry Process): The whole cherry is left intact during drying, allowing the bean to absorb the fruit’s natural sugars and organic compounds. This leads to a fuller body, deeper sweetness, and bold, fruit-forward flavours. Natural coffees can range from smooth and tropical to wild and funky, depending on the origin and processing conditions.

Natural coffees often shine in espresso thanks to their fuller body, enhanced sweetness, and fruit-driven complexity. These qualities create a rich, well-rounded shot that pairs beautifully with milk-based drinks like cappuccinos and flat whites, allowing berry and tropical notes to cut through.

Washed coffees, on the other hand, tend to have brighter acidity and a cleaner profile. While this can be appealing for espresso purists, some washed coffees can taste too sharp or astringent when pulled as a shot—especially if not dialled in correctly.

Ultimately, the best choice depends on flavour preference and roast style. If you love a bold, syrupy espresso with deep sweetness, natural process coffee is a strong contender. For a crisp, elegant shot with pronounced origin character, a washed coffee might be the better fit.

In contrast, washed coffees can sometimes taste too sharp or astringent as espresso, particularly if brewed improperly. This can result in unpleasant, overly acidic notes that struggle to blend well with milk. However, for black espresso purists who enjoy clean, crisp, and bright flavours, washed coffees may be preferred. Ultimately, the “better” option depends on your taste preferences and the specific coffee beans being used.

Natural processing, also known as the dry process, is one of the oldest and most influential methods of preparing green coffee beans, and it plays a defining role in the flavor profile a roaster can ultimately unlock.

Unlike washed or fermented coffees, natural green coffee beans are dried with the full cherry intact. This extended contact with the fruit deepens sweetness, enhances body, and often introduces vibrant notes of berry, tropical fruit, and wine-like acidity. The result? Green coffee beans brimming with complexity, intensity, and bold aromatics.

For roasters, this is a canvas of vivid potential. Whether you're crafting a signature espresso or exploring exotic filter profiles, natural processing offers the opportunity to roast with dramatic contrast, layered sweetness, and a wide sensory range. These beans are ideal for those looking to showcase origin character and fruit-forward clarity, or to challenge their roast curves with something truly expressive.

Natural processing is a post-harvest method where whole coffee cherries are dried intact, without removing the pulp or mucilage. Once fully dried, the outer layers are mechanically removed, leaving behind the green coffee beans. This technique is primarily sun-driven and typically carried out on raised beds or patios, where airflow and turning frequency are crucial for consistent results.

From a technical standpoint, fermentation in natural processing is unconfined and often spontaneous, occurring as the fruit dries over days or even weeks. The exact duration varies depending on climate, altitude, and farm practices, often ranging between 15 to 30 days. During this time, sugars and organic acids from the cherry penetrate the bean, influencing its internal chemistry.

For roasters, these changes affect both bean density and moisture migration. Natural-processed green coffee beans may exhibit less uniformity in moisture content, requiring attentive roast profiling. You'll often find that they respond better to slower development and lower charge temperatures, allowing the fruit-driven complexity to express without tipping or scorching.

The result is a bean with a distinct internal structure and flavor profile, one that challenges precision and rewards control. Natural processing introduces both opportunity and nuance for roasters who seek to bring out rich, fruit-forward character in the cup.

Step 1: Harvesting
Only the ripest cherries are selected at peak maturity to ensure optimal sugar development and uniformity. This selection is critical to the natural process, as underripe cherries can introduce undesirable flavors.

Step 2: Drying with the Whole Fruit
Instead of removing the outer layers, the entire cherry is laid out to dry, often on raised beds under the sun. Careful turning ensures even dehydration and prevents mold or fermentation defects. This drying phase typically spans 2 to 4 weeks, depending on the climate.

Step 3: Resting and Hulling
Once the cherries are dried to the correct moisture level, they are rested in parchment for stabilization. The dried husk is then removed mechanically to reveal the green coffee bean inside, now enriched with fruit-derived sugars and aromatic compounds.

Flavor Profile Impact
Natural processing imparts a bold and expressive character to the green coffee bean. Expect vibrant fruit notes, such as berry, stone fruit, or tropical accents, alongside a rounded body, and lingering sweetness. In some origins, this method may also contribute to wine-like acidity or fermented complexity, depending on environmental and drying conditions.

Roasting Potential
This method’s distinctive profile shines across multiple roast levels:

• Light Roasts enhance clarity, revealing the bean’s lively acidity and fruit-forward top notes, ideal for manual brews or single-origin espresso.
• Medium Roasts deepen the natural sweetness and highlight body and balance, suitable for a broader audience and versatile brewing.
• Careful Heat Application is essential, as uneven moisture can lead to early development if not managed precisely.

Natural green coffee offers creative space for roasters to experiment, delivering character-rich cups with sensory depth and complexity.

Natural green coffee beans present a wide array of opportunities across different roasting scales and profiles, making them a flexible and rewarding option for every type of roaster.

Single-Origin Showcases
For both home and professional roasters, naturals excel in standalone offerings. Their bold character and unique fruit notes make them perfect for highlighting origin-specific traits, especially when transparency and traceability are part of your brand’s story. These beans are ideal for limited-release batches, coffee subscriptions, and seasonal rotations that invite customer engagement.

Speciality Blends with Personality
Wholesalers and café-focused roasters can use naturals to add dimension to blends. A well-roasted natural component can enhance sweetness, soften acidity, and introduce vibrant complexity when paired with washed or honey-processed coffees. It's an excellent way to create a signature profile that stands out on the cupping table or in the cup.

Experimentation & Profile Development
Natural-processed green coffees are perfect for roasters looking to test roast curves, experiment with charge temps, or fine-tune post-crack development. Their layered structure and expressive behavior allow for a wide range of results, from syrupy, jammy cups to cleaner fruit-driven brews, depending on how heat is applied.

Whether you're running a sample batch on the Kaffelogic Nano 7, producing high volumes on an Aillio R2, or evaluating for consistency with moisture meters, roast analyzers, or cupping equipment, natural coffees give you plenty of room to learn, explore, and elevate your craft.

Certain coffee-growing regions have mastered the natural processing method, leveraging their unique climates and altitudes to produce standout green coffee beans with rich, expressive profiles.

Ethiopia
With its high elevations and dry climate, Ethiopia is renowned for producing some of the world’s most sought-after natural coffees. These beans often deliver intensely floral aromatics, berry-forward complexity, and vibrant acidity. The combination of heirloom varietals and traditional sun-drying methods makes this region ideal for roasters looking to highlight depth and nuance.
[Explore our Natural Processed Ethiopian beans]

Brazil
As one of the largest producers of coffee globally, Brazil excels in controlled, large-scale natural processing. Regions like Cerrado Mineiro and Minas Gerais yield beans with low acidity, nutty sweetness, and creamy body, making them well-suited for espresso profiles and balanced blends. Drying patios and mechanical assistance allow for precision even at scale.
[Browse our Brazilian Naturals]

Costa Rica & El Salvador
While these Central American origins are more commonly associated with honey or washed coffees, select farms now use natural processing to enhance cup diversity. High-altitude farms in Tarrazú or Santa Ana produce naturals with clean fruit expression, often exhibiting stone fruit, tropical tones, and a refined sweetness that appeals to roasters crafting experimental or micro-lot offerings.
[See our Natural Coffees from Central America]

Yemen
Dry, arid conditions and traditional sun-drying practices define natural processing in Yemen. The result is a deeply complex, sometimes wild and spiced profile. These beans are prized for their rarity and potential in high-end specialty programs.
[View Natural Yemeni Green Coffee]

Each region brings a distinctive edge to the natural process, whether it’s the climate, cultivar, or drying technique. Roasters seeking variety, boldness, or traceable micro-lots will find immense value in exploring these origin-method pairings.

At the heart of every great roast is a green coffee bean that offers both quality and potential. That’s exactly what we deliver with our curated selection of natural-processed coffees.

Quality & Sourcing You Can Trust
We work closely with producers, cooperatives, and trusted exporters to source only the highest-caliber natural green coffee beans. Each lot is evaluated for clarity, balance, and processing integrity before making it into our selection. Whether it’s a micro-lot from Ethiopia or a volume-ready batch from Brazil, we prioritize beans that demonstrate clean fermentation, vibrant cup character, and precise drying.

Consistency Across the Board
Roasters need reliability, not guesswork. Our natural coffees undergo strict quality control protocols, and we store and ship them with care across the UK and Europe to preserve freshness and stability. Whether you're dialing in a roast on your Aillio R1 or managing a full production run, you can expect repeatable results and dependable performance from every bag.

Designed with Roasters in Mind
Our natural green coffees aren't just flavorful, they’re crafted to inspire. Each lot is selected to give you room to explore roast development, unlock distinctive flavor pathways, and build standout profiles. Whether you're curating a seasonal single-origin or adding a fruit-forward layer to a custom blend, these beans provide a creative foundation that helps set your offerings apart.

To help you unlock the full potential of these exceptional beans, we also offer a range of professional equipment, carefully selected to support precision, experimentation, and quality control at every stage of your roasting workflow.

Moisture & Water Activity Measurement

• Moisture Meters
• Water Activity Meters
  Natural-processed beans often come with variations in moisture content due to extended drying. These tools give you accurate readings to inform your charge temperature, development timing, and storage decisions.

Roast Analysis & Sensory Tools

• Roast Level Analyser
• UV Black Light for Defect Inspection
• Assessment Trays, Cupping Bowls & Spoons
  Evaluate color, uniformity, and sensory attributes consistently, essential when working with coffees that show a wide range of fruit and sugar complexity.

Precision & Consistency Instruments

• Scales
• Thermometers
• Timers
  Ensure repeatability and control across batches, particularly important for natural coffees that benefit from careful heat application and monitoring throughout the roast.

Roasting Systems

• Kaffelogic Nano 7 + Boost Kit
• Aillio R1, R2, and R2 Pro
  For both sample testing and small-batch production, these machines offer advanced profiling capabilities to help you fine-tune roast curves for the expressive nature of natural beans.

Whether you're refining a single-origin profile or scaling a signature blend, the right tools can help you maximize flavor clarity, maintain consistency, and elevate every batch.
Explore our full range of roasting equipment to enhance your workflow.

Explore our selection of Natural green coffee beans below and find the perfect foundation for your next roast. 

Each lot is chosen for its distinct character, processing integrity, and potential to inspire exceptional results in the roastery, whether you're crafting single origins, blending, or exploring new profiles.

Looking to broaden your offerings or compare processing styles?
[Discover other processing methods] or [Shop All Green Coffee].

Dive in, experiment confidently, and let each roast reveal something new.