What is resting in coffee processing?

Resting - known in Spanish as reposo - is the deliberate storage of dried parchment coffee for 30–60 days before it's hulled and prepared for export. It happens at the producer's warehouse or dry mill storage facility.

During resting, moisture content in the parchment coffee stabilises and equilibrates, and certain chemical changes within the bean are associated with improved cup stability and longer shelf life. Coffees that skip resting may be more susceptible to rapid quality decline after export.

Well-rested coffees are generally considered more consistent through the export and transport process than freshly hulled and immediately exported lots - a meaningful advantage for coffee that may spend weeks at sea and months in a UK warehouse before it reaches a roaster's hands.