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How Many Coffee Bean Processing Methods Are There? What Is Low-Temperature Natural Coffee Processing and Is It More Advanced Than Regular Natural Processing?

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/27, Professional coffee knowledge exchange. For more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style). FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Three Major Coffee Processing Methods. Natural Processing Method: The cheapest and simplest traditional coffee bean processing method, which requires drying the entire coffee cherry. To this day, regions such as Ethiopia and Brazil still use this traditional method to process

For professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style)

FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Three Major Coffee Processing Methods

Natural Sun-Drying Method

The cheapest and simplest traditional method for processing coffee beans, this approach requires drying the entire coffee cherry. To this day, regions such as Ethiopia and Brazil still use this traditional method to process coffee beans. The natural drying method allows coffee cherries to dry naturally through sun exposure, enabling coffee beans to mature naturally within the fruit. This method prevents coffee beans from being affected by external environmental factors.

Flavor Profile: Coffee beans processed using the natural drying method tend to amplify their inherent flavors. They typically have a rich body, intense flavors, and emit a subtle sweetness.

Washed Method

The washed method is currently the most widely used processing technique. Unlike the natural drying method, the washed method utilizes fermentation to remove the mucilage layer.

Flavor Profile: Due to the fermentation process, coffee beans generally exhibit bright acidity and fruity aromas.

Honey Processing Method

The honey processing method is an improved version of the natural drying method. The main difference from natural drying is that the outer skin and pulp are removed before sun drying, while retaining the mucilage layer for direct sun drying. Because the mucilage layer on coffee beans is extremely sticky and has high sugar content, people commonly refer to it as "honey." During the honey processing process, coffee retains some or all of this "honey" during drying.

Flavor Profile: Coffee beans processed using the honey method have excellent flavor characteristics, with a balanced acidity and sweetness. Like the natural drying method, the coffee bean's aroma is amplified due to sun exposure, resulting in a rich body.

The low-temperature, slow sun-drying processing method requires producers to invest more time and effort. Through time's nurturing, slow drying allows coffee cherries to develop optimal water activity during this process. This not only results in better flavor development but also allows green beans to maintain longer during the seasonal cycle storage. However, this method not only depends on favorable weather conditions but also extends the production time required for each batch, increasing the cost of green beans.

Flavor Profile: Rich and complex aromas, tropical fruits, wine-like notes

Knowledge Point: In-body fermentation occurs when Indonesian civets consume coffee beans, which undergo fermentation in their digestive system before excreting the indigestible coffee beans.

In summary: FrontStreet Coffee is a dedicated coffee research establishment, happy to share coffee knowledge with everyone. Our unconditional sharing aims to help more friends fall in love with coffee. Additionally, we hold three discounted coffee events monthly because FrontStreet Coffee wants to offer the best coffee at the lowest prices to more friends - this has been our mission for six years!