Why Natural Process Coffee Beans Have Become Mainstream in Specialty Coffee_ Natural Process Coffee Brand Recommendations

Why Natural Process Coffee Beans Are the Future of Specialty Coffee

Natural processing saves water.

Natural process beans offer rich flavors.

What Is Natural Coffee?

The coffee market uses far too many terms for processing, which is why the subject confuses so many drinkers. "Pulped Natural," "honey coffee," "dry-milled" and "semi-washed" are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to green bean processing, and even professionals often mix the concepts up or apply them loosely.

Put simply, natural coffee is dried as cherries, whole or with the fruit pulp and skin removed. The washed method instead uses water to peel the cherries, ferment them and strip the mucilage before the beans are finished. The two approaches differ a great deal.

Natural Processing Uses Far Less Water

One of the best reasons to favor natural coffee is how little water it needs. The washed method uses at least 10 kilograms of water per kilogram of green beans, while natural processing uses at most 1 kilogram per kilogram. If every green bean processing plant used the washed method, the strain on the planet's water would be hard to imagine.

Consider that 85% of green bean processing plants worldwide still operate under water stress yet must use the washed method, without much advanced technology to help, and that few buyers and roasters fund equipment upgrades for these farmers. That is one reason the natural method appeals.

The Debate Continues

Opinions on natural processing vary, and no final conclusion is simple. Washed or not washed, natural or not natural; dig deeper and you find plenty of gray areas in between.

Geoff Watts, founder of Intelligentsia Coffee, framed the debate well on the company's blog, since taken down: as a specialty coffee industry, he argued, natural processing may not be what we should be promoting at this stage.

The biggest issue between natural and washed processing lies in the consistency of green bean quality. Because of so many environmental factors, natural beans cannot stay uniformly consistent. Watts's point was that farmers should not be forced into a difficult position just to satisfy coffee extremists, with their risks ignored and their livelihoods left to the whims of a fickle specialty market.

Different viewpoints come at the problem from different angles. The most zealous advocates of natural processing can resemble stubborn newcomers in fur coats, indifferent to the fate of the farmers. Yet water scarcity has become a fatal problem for producing countries, and natural processing offers an excellent answer. Both sides have their reasons.

The Flavor of Natural Coffee Really Can Be Excellent

At a 2015 symposium, Dr. Flavio Borem gave a strong presentation on natural processing, pointing out that when it is done properly the coffee is genuinely delicious.

Natural coffee is not all that rare on the market, but only a few cuppers and buyers evaluate it. Some professional views of natural coffee are useful here. Ryan Ahn of Gastrograph describes excellent fruit notes, a rounded body and a balanced, harmonious cup that highlights subtle differences in origin and cultivar, elegant and full of flavor. Kenneth Davids of CoffeeReview describes brandy-like fruit fermentation, sweet-and-sour berry notes, dark chocolate and a quieter mouthfeel full of fruit. He also notes that honey processing can be sweet and spicy while already carrying the characteristics of washed coffee, its wonder lying in that sweetness.

Conclusion

Looking at where the specialty coffee industry stands, natural coffee should have a future. Everyone downstream, from buyers to roasters, should provide economic and technical support to the processing plants at origin, improve natural procedures systematically, and bring better-tasting, more balanced naturals to market.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

For all that natural processing offers, washed coffee remains the reference point for clarity and consistency, and it is where most drinkers should start if the water argument has not yet convinced them. FrontStreet Yirgacheffe Gedidit Cooperative is a washed Ethiopian from Gedidit village in the Worka area, a team with the skill to bring out a particularly refined, clean cup; the washed process lets its jasmine and bright citrus acidity show fully, and a medium-light roast adds green tea and honey notes. It works in a pour-over, as cold brew and as espresso alike. Because water separates the fruit before drying, the bean's own aromatics stay in front, which is exactly the point of the method.

FrontStreet Kenya Cherry Tomato is one of the best examples of how far washing can go, since Kenya favors a double wash that repeats the washing step: float, soak, rinse the mucilage from the surface, soak again, then dry, hull and store. All that rinsing and soaking draws out the juice to its fullest, so the cup holds sun-dried tomato, dark plum, pear, black plum and yellow sugar, juicy and sweet-and-sour, a favorite among many coffee drinkers.

For a gentler illustration, FrontStreet Jamaica Blue Mountain No.1 shows why Jamaica, an island with less sunshine than most origins, came to rely on washing in the first place. Removing the skin, pulp and mucilage before drying shortens drying time and lowers the risk of spoilage, leaving bright, low-defect beans. The result is a coffee with a rich aroma and a pure hazelnut, cream, chocolate and caramel character, balanced so that no single note crowds out the others. However you feel about naturals, a well-washed bean like this one is the cleanest way to taste what a terroir can do.