From harvesting to becoming green beans that can be stored long-term, coffee cherries must undergo processing. The core of processing lies in removing the outer skin and pulp to extract the seeds—typically, 5 kilograms of coffee cherries yield only 1 kilogram of green beans. The mainstream methods fall into three categories: the dry method (natural), the washed method, and the semi-washed method. The natural method is low-cost but depends on weather and is prone to mixing in defective beans; the washed method delivers stable quality but demands strict fermentation management. Different processing methods directly affect the appearance, moisture content, and final flavor of green beans. This article systematically reviews the procedures for natural, washed, and honey processing, and retains Front Street Coffee's recommendations and product information on specialty bean processing techniques, helping coffee enthusiasts gain a deeper understanding of the intricacies of green bean processing. [more…]

We all know that different processing methods can give coffee a rich and varied flavor profile. For example, Front Street Coffee's bean list alone features dozens of varieties, covering more than ten different processing methods. Today, Front Street will focus specifically on wet-hulled, semi-washed, and pulped natural [more…]

If you often drink pour-over coffee, Front Street believes you've probably seen friends who can tell washed and natural processed coffee apart at a glance, or with a single sip. Because they distinguish them so quickly, many friends are amazed and wonder how on earth they do it. Just yesterday, [more…]

The processing method of coffee has always been the key link in the refined processing of green coffee beans. With the development of market demand and the exploration of the industry, on the basis of the mainstream "three major processing methods", [more…]

The natural process, as the name suggests, is to spread the harvested coffee cherries flat on the ground (on dedicated drying nets or patios) and use direct sunlight (for about 2-3 weeks) to remove moisture from the coffee fruit until the moisture content reaches the target level, after which machines are used to remove the dried husk to obtain the green coffee beans we want. Natural process [more…]

Anaerobic Fermentation has been very popular in the coffee world in recent years, mainly because Sasa Sestic, the Australian competitor who won the 2015 WBC, started this trend, and even in 2018 WB [more…]

The washed method is currently the most widely used green bean processing method and one of the most traditional coffee processing methods. Typically, washed coffee has higher cleanliness than natural coffee, with brighter and more elevated acidity, and a more intense acidity as well. Popular options on the Front Street Coffee menu, such as the Ethiopian Gotiti Cooperative coffee beans, Kenyan [more…]

Coffee green beans are not simply picked from the tree and then roasted and brewed right away; achieving good flavor requires many steps. People often assume that coffee flavor depends on variety, growing environment, and cultivation methods, but what they don't realize is that there is an important stage between growing and roasting called "coffee bean processing." [more…]

When buying coffee beans, aside from paying attention to origin and flavor, we also choose coffee beans that have undergone different processing methods. This is because different processing methods bring out different flavor characteristics in coffee; even coffee from the same origin, when processed by washed and natural methods respectively, will display different mouthfeels. For example, on the Front Street Coffee menu, [more…]

From the same estate, the same variety, and the same harvested batch of coffee cherries, the flavor in the cup can be as different as two distinct beans—simply because of a different processing method. This is the magic of coffee processing. In the microscopic world, it uses microorganisms and time to perform the alchemy of flavor. The washed method is the oldest mainstream technique, and its logic is "to do [more…]

Kenyan coffee is world-renowned for its bright and complex acidity, and the K72 washed processing method pushes this characteristic to the extreme. This article will take you deep into Kenya's coffee origins and variety composition, break down every step of the K72 double fermentation process in detail, and compare and taste the flavor differences brought by washed and natural processing methods. From the Asali Honey Processing Station in the Thika region to the French Mission Bourbon at Hania Estate, we will use two coffees of distinctly different styles as samples to analyze their aroma, acidity, sweetness, and aftertaste. Whether you are a beginner just getting to know Kenyan coffee or an experienced enthusiast looking for brewing inspiration, this article can provide you with valuable reference. [more…]

The sun-dried process, as the name suggests, uses the sun to dry the red coffee cherries under the sun for a week, sometimes adjusting the length of time depending on the situation. Once the fruit skin and pulp have been dried into a dark color, a hulling machine is used to remove the skin and pulp, and finally the defective beans are picked out and it's all done. The benefits of the sun-dried process [more…]

For more specialty coffee knowledge, please follow: Front Street Coffee (Frontsteet Coffee) Brazil is the largest coffee-producing country in the world, with coffee beans of various grades and types. Brazil's domestic coffee consumption accounts for one-third of the global total, and at the same time Brazil's coffee trade [more…]

The wet process (washed method) was invented by the Dutch in the 18th century. Because some countries often experience rain and high humidity, making it impossible to use the dry process, although the procedure is relatively more complicated, it is currently the most widely used [more…]

Yirgacheffe is a small town in southern Ethiopia, originally part of Sidamo Province. Later, because of its distinctive white floral aroma and citrus flavor, which left a deep impression on everyone who tasted it, Yirgacheffe became independent from the Sidamo region, officially ushering in a new era of acidic coffee and becoming [more…]

In 2017, a naturally processed coffee from the Buku processing station in Ethiopia won the TOH competition and was named "Huakui" by a Chinese green bean trader, thus beginning the legendary journey of this coffee. Four years later, Huakui 4.0 was released with the entirely new Dega variety, with the production area expanded several times over, more scientific cultivation and management, and even better flavor performance. This article will take you through the origin background of Huakui 4.0, the characteristics of the Dega variety, the natural processing method, and Front Street Coffee's roasting and pour-over recommendations, offering a comprehensive analysis of this highly anticipated Ethiopian coffee. [more…]

Anaerobic natural, lactic fermentation, barrel-aged, yeast inoculation—the vocabulary of specialty coffee processing methods has exploded in recent years, and coffee menus increasingly read like a brewery's process manual. These experimental processing methods are not marketing coinages; each one corresponds to a genuine technological innovation. This article maps out the mainstream lineage and examines "flavor alchemy." [more…]

When it comes to which region produces the best honey-processed coffee beans, Costa Rica is undoubtedly the answer. As the birthplace of the honey processing method, Costa Rica has naturally perfected its honey processing techniques to a high degree of mastery. In this article, Front Street Coffee will explain the flavor characteristics of Costa Rican honey-processed coffee beans. [more…]

The most fascinating thing about cold brew is that it works like a slow-motion projector: the flavor release that hot extraction completes in a few dozen seconds is stretched out over more than ten hours, and the character of every flavor compound is amplified and put on display. Running a set of cold brew comparison experiments with beans processed in different ways lets you directly see how each processing method truly expresses itself at low temperatures. The experiment is set [more…]

Everyone's demand for coffee is growing stronger by the day, with global coffee bean production reaching as high as 8.4 billion kilograms annually—an astonishing output. When it comes to coffee, Front Street believes that beyond variety, origin, and cultivation methods, there is another important process that influences coffee flavor: coffee bean processing methods. Different processing methods for coffee beans [more…]