Natural process means the coffee was dried inside the whole cherry, with the fruit still on, and the seed was removed afterward. The other common methods take the fruit off first. Because the bean sits in dried fruit for days, natural coffees usually taste fruitier and sweeter, and the cup can feel heavier. The method is printed on the bag so you can guess the taste before you brew.
How is natural coffee made?
A coffee seed is the pit of a small fruit. After picking, the producer has to dry it. In a natural process they spread the whole cherries out, often on raised beds, and turn them as they dry. When the fruit has dried hard, a mill removes the husk and the green seed comes out. Only then is it sorted, bagged and shipped to a roaster.
The other methods you will see on our bags are different:
| Process on the label | What happens | Our example |
|---|---|---|
| Natural | Whole cherry dried with the fruit on | No. 2 Good Sense |
| Fully washed | Fruit removed before drying, then washed | No. 1 Common Sense |
| Pulped natural | Skin removed, some sticky fruit left on while drying | No. 6 Hegemony |
| Wet-hulled | Outer parchment removed while the seed is still wet | No. 3 Position |
These descriptions are the general idea. Each producer has their own details, and we only print what the roaster gives us.
What does natural process taste like?
Fruit and sweetness lead. Washed coffees tend to taste cleaner and brighter, because the fruit is gone before drying. Naturals tend to taste of berries, stone fruit or wine, with a rounder body. They can also be less consistent, since drying fruit around the seed varies from lot to lot.
It is not a quality ranking. It is a style. If you like a clean cup, washed is the safer pick. If you want something with more going on, natural is the one to try. How body feels in the cup is covered on what body means in coffee, and if fruit is the thing you are after, see which of our ten taste most like fruit.
How do you know if a bag is natural?
Look for the word on the label, usually next to the region and altitude. It may say natural, dry process or sun dried cherry. If the bag says only washed or fully washed, it is the other style. A label that lists no process leaves you guessing, which is why we print it on every product page. The process tells you more about the taste than the roast level does, so it is worth reading before you buy.
What is an example on our shelf?
No. 2 Good Sense is our natural. The label says Sidama, Ethiopia, 1,700 to 1,900 m, natural, hand sorted, dried on raised beds, with indigenous heirloom cultivars. It is medium-light roast with notes of milk chocolate, fruit and caramel. The roaster says it is the slow first cup, when you want to taste something.
Our pick
No. 2 Good Sense
Sidama, Ethiopia · 1,700 to 1,900 m · Natural, hand sorted, dried on raised beds · Indigenous heirloom cultivars · Medium-light
Milk chocolate, fruit and caramel on the label, from a natural process and a medium-light roast.
Does natural coffee taste sweet or sour?
Neither word is quite right. The sweetness comes from the fruit, and the acidity is usually softer and rounder than in a washed coffee. If a natural tastes sour, it is under-extracted, and the usual fix is a finer grind or hotter water, as described on pour-over coffee too sour.
How should you brew a natural?
The roaster recommends pour-over for it: 60 g per litre, water at 94 °C (201 °F), and a 40-second bloom. That is about 15 g of coffee per 8 oz (237 g of water), which is a standard cup. If you are new to pour-over, start with pour-over for beginners, and the grams for every size are on the pour-over ratio cheat sheet. Drink it black. The roaster says a natural Ethiopia goes to fruit with milk, and milk buries it.
If you prefer a cup with milk and a cleaner taste, a washed coffee is the better match. No. 1 Common Sense is fully washed, solar dried, with cocoa, red apple and brown sugar, and the roaster says it takes milk without falling apart.
Our pick
No. 1 Common Sense
Huila and Medellin-Antioquia, Colombia · 1,300 to 1,500 m · Fully washed, solar dried · Castillo, Caturra, Colombia, Typica · Medium
Fully washed with cocoa, red apple and brown sugar on the label, and it takes milk without falling apart.
Both are $28 for 12 oz with free shipping in the US, whole bean or ground. The subscription is 11% off, with skip or cancel in one click. See all ten coffees and the process on each bag.
Questions people ask
Is natural process coffee fermented?
Some fermentation happens as the fruit dries around the seed, which is part of why natural coffees taste fruity. How much depends on the producer and the weather.
Does natural process coffee taste like fruit?
Often, yes. Natural coffees tend toward fruit and sweetness, and our No. 2 Good Sense lists milk chocolate, fruit and caramel on the label.
Is natural process the same as dry process?
Yes. Natural and dry process are two names for the same method, where the cherry dries with the fruit still on.
Free printable
Keep the ratio chart on your fridge
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