What Is Washed Coffee vs Natural? How Processing Changes Flavor

A coffee bean is the seed of a fruit called a coffee cherry. After harvest, producers have to get the seed out of that fruit and dry it to a stable moisture level before it can ship. How they do it is called processing, and washed and natural are the two most common methods.

Our lesson on origin, processing and roast gives the big picture. This one goes deeper on just these two methods: what happens at each step, how long it takes, how it changes flavor, and which coffees to try if you want to taste the difference yourself.

What is the difference between washed and natural coffee?

The difference is when the fruit comes off. In washed coffee, the skin and sticky fruit are removed first, then the clean seed is dried. In natural coffee, the whole cherry dries in the sun with the seed inside, and the dried fruit is removed afterward. Fruit contact during drying is what changes the flavor.

Timings from Cafe Imports' processing guides. Actual times vary with weather, altitude and the farm.

What is washed coffee, and how is it made?

Washed coffee, also called wet-processed, is coffee whose skin and fruit are removed before the seed dries. A machine strips the skin and pulp, the sticky layer underneath ferments off in tanks, and the seeds are rinsed clean and dried. Green coffee importer Cafe Imports calls it the main specialty method across most of Africa and Latin America.

1. Ripe cherries are sorted and run through a depulper, usually within 24 hours of picking. This removes the skin and most of the pulp.
2. The seeds, still coated in a sticky layer called mucilage, sit in fermentation tanks. Microbes break the mucilage down. Cafe Imports puts this at about 12 to 72 hours in tanks, and usually 24 hours or less for open, dry fermentation.
3. The seeds are washed in channels or tanks to rinse away the loosened mucilage. Some farms skip the tank and remove mucilage mechanically.
4. The coffee, now in its papery parchment layer, dries on patios, raised beds or in mechanical dryers until it reaches about 11% moisture. That takes about 7 to 15 days in the sun or 18 to 36 hours in a dryer.
5. The parchment is milled off before export, leaving green coffee ready to roast.

Because the fruit is gone before drying, the seed's own character carries the flavor. Perfect Daily Grind describes washed coffee as the method that shows origin and variety most clearly.

What is natural process coffee, and how is it made?

Natural process coffee, also called dry-processed or sun-dried, is dried as whole cherries with the seed still inside. The fruit shrivels around the seed over several weeks, then a mill removes the dried husk. The method comes from Ethiopia, where it is still widely used today.

1. Cherries are picked and sorted. Ripeness matters even more here, since unripe fruit dries alongside ripe fruit and can make a lot taste uneven.
2. The whole cherries are spread in thin layers on patios, raised beds or drying tables.
3. Workers turn the cherries often so they dry evenly and don't grow mold. The fruit ferments slowly the whole time.
4. Drying continues until the seed reaches about 11% moisture. Cafe Imports puts the average at up to 30 days, depending on the weather.
5. The dried fruit and parchment are hulled off in one step at the mill.

Naturals are riskier to make well. Cafe Imports notes they need more space and labor than washed coffees, can't be finished in mechanical dryers the same way, and are at constant risk of overfermentation while the fruit is still on the seed. Perfect Daily Grind adds that heavy rain can split cherries and spoil a natural lot. When it goes right, the payoff is intense fruit.

How do washed and natural coffees taste different?

Washed coffees tend to taste clean and crisp, with bright acidity, clear sweetness and lighter, tea-like body. Natural coffees tend to taste fruit-forward, often like berries, jam or tropical fruit, with a heavier body and sometimes a winey or boozy edge. The same farm's coffee can taste very different processed each way.

Coffee Review's Kenneth Davids wrote that processing "profoundly impacts cup character". In practice, roasters' tasting notes show the pattern. A washed Ethiopian often reads like black tea, lemon and florals. A natural from the same region reads like strawberry, blueberry or peach. If you want a refresher on what those words describe, see our guide to tasting notes.

• Acidity: washed coffees usually taste brighter and more citrusy. Naturals often feel softer, with the acidity wrapped in sweetness.
• Body: naturals feel heavier and rounder in the mouth. Washed coffees feel lighter and cleaner.
• Consistency: washed lots tend to taste more predictable from bag to bag. Naturals vary more with the harvest and the weather.
• Roast: both show their character best at lighter roasts. Dark roasting mutes the difference.

Roast level plays a big part. In our analysis of 124 coffees, 96% of light roasts listed fruit notes, compared with 42% of dark roasts. Process tells you what kind of fruit to expect, and roast tells you how much of it survives.

Is washed or natural coffee better?

Neither process is better. They are different styles, and the right one depends on what you like. Choose washed if you enjoy clean, bright, tea-like coffee or drink it black from a pour-over. Choose natural if you love sweet, jammy fruit and fuller body, or want a coffee that stands out with milk.

A few practical points help you decide:

• If you are new to specialty coffee and find bright light roasts sour, a natural can feel sweeter and more familiar.
• If you dislike "funky" or boozy flavors, start with washed coffees. Some naturals lean heavily into fermented fruit.
• For French press and other full-bodied methods, naturals add weight. For pour-over, washed coffees show the most clarity.
• For espresso, naturals often taste sweet and fruity in milk drinks, while washed coffees taste brighter as straight shots.

You'll also see newer methods on labels, such as honey, anaerobic and co-fermented coffees. These sit on a spectrum between washed and natural, or add controlled fermentation steps. In our data, about 1 in 5 coffees that publish a process use one of these experimental methods.

Where are washed and natural coffees most common?

Washed processing is the standard for specialty coffee across most of Africa, Central America and South America, including Kenya, Colombia and Rwanda. Natural processing comes from Ethiopia and is common there, in Yemen and in Brazil, which rarely washes its coffee. Many countries now offer both, especially at the specialty level.

Processing patterns from Cafe Imports and Perfect Daily Grind. Individual farms and lots vary.

Which washed and natural coffees should you try side by side?

The best way to learn the difference is to taste a washed and a natural from the same country. Ethiopia is ideal because it produces excellent coffee both ways. Brew both the same way, at the same ratio and grind, and compare them while they are warm and again as they cool.

On the washed side, Black & White Coffee Roasters Aricha is a washed Yirgacheffe, and the roaster lists black tea, honey, light florals and lemonade. Onyx Coffee Lab Ethiopia Agaro Yukro G1 is described as clean, sweet and floral. Canyon Coffee Gedeb is a washed, organic medium-light roast with listed notes of persimmon, lime and bergamot.

On the natural side, Black & White Coffee Roasters Elto Bare is a Sidama natural with roaster notes of citrus, stone fruit, raspberry, milk chocolate and peach iced tea. Onyx Coffee Lab Ethiopia Mullugeta Muntasha Natural lists strawberry, honeysuckle, pink lemonade and peach. Sightseer Space Cowboy is a light roast natural from Yirgacheffe with berry, tea and baking spice on the roaster's list.

Pairing the two Black & White coffees, or the two from Onyx, keeps the roaster's style the same, so process is the main thing that changes.

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