What is moisture content in green coffee?

Moisture content is the percentage of water present in a green coffee bean, measured as a proportion of the bean's total weight. It's one of the most important quality metrics in green coffee - affecting flavour, shelf life, roasting behaviour, and the risk of mould or deterioration during storage and transit.

The target moisture content for export-ready green coffee is typically 10-12%. Above this range and the coffee is at risk of mould growth, fermentation during shipping, and accelerated quality decline. Below it and the coffee becomes brittle, roasts unevenly, and loses the cellular integrity that protects flavour compounds.

Moisture is measured using calibrated moisture meters at every key stage of the supply chain - at the dry mill before export, on arrival at the import warehouse, and sometimes again before roasting. A lot arriving with significantly different moisture to what was declared at origin is a quality concern worth flagging. For roasters, unusually low moisture content in green coffee can indicate over-dried beans that may roast faster than expected and require profile adjustment.