Why does one coffee taste like berries and another like caramel or citrus? Part of the answer is how the coffee was processed.

You have probably seen words like natural, fully washed or anaerobic on a bag of specialty coffee. These describe what happens to the coffee after picking, before it reaches the roaster.

Below, we explain the main processing methods and what they can bring to your cup.

 

What Is Coffee Processing?

Coffee beans are the seeds of a fruit called a coffee cherry. Before roasting, producers need to remove the fruit and dry the seeds.

The way they do this is called processing. Some methods dry the whole cherry. Others remove the fruit before drying.

The coffee fruit contains sugars. How much fruit stays around the beans, and how its sugars break down during fermentation, helps shape the coffee’s flavour and aroma. The sugars do not simply soak into the beans and make them sweeter.

 

Natural Process

With natural processing, the whole coffee cherry is dried with the beans still inside.

Producers spread the cherries on raised beds or patios and turn them regularly to help them dry evenly. Once dry, the fruit and outer layers are removed.

The beans dry surrounded by the fruit and its sugars, while fermentation helps develop fruity flavours.

Natural coffees often have noticeable fruit flavours, a sweet taste and a fuller body. Depending on the coffee, you might find notes of berries, tropical fruit or dried fruit.

Here, “natural” describes the processing method. It does not mean organic or better quality.

 

Washed or Fully Washed Process

With washed processing, the skin and most of the fruit are removed first. A sugary, sticky layer remains around the beans.

In a traditional washed process, fermentation helps break down this layer. The beans are then washed with clean water and dried. Some producers use machines to remove the sticky layer instead.

Removing the fruit and its sugary layer before drying often gives a cleaner taste, with flavours that are easier to identify.

Washed coffees can have a fresh, bright taste, with notes of citrus, flowers, fruit, chocolate or caramel.

Are washed and fully washed different? On most coffee labels, they describe the same general method. “Fully washed” does not mean the coffee has been washed twice. The exact steps can vary between producers.

 

Honey Process

Honey processing starts by removing the cherry’s skin, while leaving some of the sugary, sticky fruit layer around the beans during drying.

This remaining layer changes how fermentation and drying happen, helping shape the coffee’s sweetness and fruit flavours.

Despite the name, no honey is added. The name comes from the sticky layer around the beans.

Honey coffees can have a rounded sweetness, a smooth body and fruit flavours. You might find notes of caramel, stone fruit or honey.

You may also see names like yellow, red or black honey. These describe differences in how the coffee is prepared and dried. The names are not used exactly the same way by every producer, so black honey does not automatically mean sweeter or better.

 

Pulped Natural Process

Pulped natural is closely related to honey processing and is common in Brazil.

The cherry’s skin is removed, and the beans dry with some of the sugary, sticky fruit layer still attached.

Like honey processing, this gives the remaining fruit sugars a role in fermentation during drying.

The two names overlap, although producers may use different equipment and drying methods. These coffees can have a smooth body and a rounded, sweet flavour.

 

Wet-Hulled and Semi-Washed Coffee

Wet-hulled processing is common in Indonesia.

The skin and sugary fruit layer are removed, and the beans are partly dried. Producers then remove the protective layer around the beans, called parchment, while the beans are still damp.

The beans finish drying without this protection. In most other methods, the parchment stays on until the coffee is dry.

The main difference here is when this protective layer is removed, rather than how much sugar remains.

Wet-hulled coffees often have a heavy body, lower acidity and earthy, herbal or spicy notes. Here, acidity means the fresh, lively feeling you might recognise from citrus or other fruit.

You may see wet-hulled coffee described as “semi-washed.” However, semi-washed is a broad term that can also describe other methods, including ones similar to honey processing. It helps to read the producer’s description.

 

What Is Fermentation in Coffee?

Fermentation happens when tiny living organisms, such as yeasts and bacteria, break down sugars in the coffee fruit.

As they use these sugars, they create substances that can influence the coffee’s flavour and aroma.

Fermentation can happen during natural, washed and honey processing. So it is not always a separate method.

Producers can also guide fermentation by controlling time, temperature, oxygen or the microorganisms involved. These choices can change the final cup. Longer fermentation does not automatically mean better coffee.

 

Anaerobic Fermentation

Anaerobic fermentation takes place with little or no oxygen, usually in a sealed tank.

Producers may use whole cherries or coffee with the skin already removed. After fermentation, the coffee is processed and dried.

With little oxygen available, the way microorganisms break down the fruit’s sugars changes, which can develop distinctive flavours and aromas.

These coffees can have strong fruit aromas, spice notes or flavours that remind you of wine. Others are more gentle and balanced.

You might see “anaerobic natural” on a bag. This means the coffee had a low-oxygen fermentation stage, then dried inside the whole cherry.

 

Carbonic Maceration

Carbonic maceration is a technique adapted from winemaking.

Whole coffee cherries are placed in a sealed tank with carbon dioxide. This creates a low-oxygen environment and changes how fermentation develops.

These conditions affect how sugars are broken down inside and around the cherries, helping producers develop distinctive flavours.

The result can include noticeable fruit flavours and aromas, but it still depends on the cherries, the fermentation conditions and the drying that follows.

 

Other Processing Terms You May See

Producers continue to experiment, so there is no single list that covers every method. These are some other names you may find.

Yeast-Inoculated

Selected yeasts are added to guide fermentation, rather than relying only on the microorganisms already present.

These yeasts help control how the fruit’s sugars break down and which flavour compounds develop.

Lactic Fermentation

The producer encourages lactic acid bacteria during fermentation.

These bacteria turn sugars into lactic acid and other substances that can influence flavour and the way the coffee feels in your mouth.

Extended, Double or Triple Fermentation

The coffee has a longer fermentation or goes through several fermentation stages.

Producers use this extra time or these separate stages to guide how sugars break down and flavours develop. The exact steps depend on the producer.

Thermal Shock

The coffee goes through deliberate temperature changes during processing.

These changes can affect fermentation and the activity of the microorganisms that break down sugars. There is no single recipe used by every producer.

Co-Fermented

Ingredients such as fruit or spices are added during fermentation to influence flavour.

These ingredients can bring extra sugars, flavour compounds or both into the process.

This is different from a coffee naturally having strawberry or cinnamon tasting notes without those ingredients being added.

 

Which Coffee Process Should You Choose?

Processing gives you a useful starting point when choosing beans.

If you enjoy clear flavours and a fresh taste, try a washed coffee. If you like a fuller body and noticeable fruit notes, try a natural. Honey or pulped natural can be a good choice for rounded sweetness, while controlled fermentations offer more unusual flavours.

These are general guides. The coffee variety, growing conditions, roast and brewing method also affect what you taste.

 

Find Your Coffee at Sortie

At Sortie, we select specialty coffees with different origins, flavours and processing methods.

Read the process alongside the tasting notes when choosing your next bag. If you are unsure, tell us what you usually like drinking and we can help you choose.

Shop our specialty coffee beans, available online and in store at Sortie, next to Rotonda in Thessaloniki.