When you see "washed" on one of our bags, it means the fruit was removed before drying — so origin, variety, and elevation do the talking. Controlled fermentation, thorough washing, careful drying. The most transparent processing style there is.
Freshly picked cherries are sorted and floated in water. Underripe, overripe, and defective cherries float to the top and are skimmed off. Only the dense, ripe ones move forward.
A pulping machine strips the skin and most of the fruit away, leaving the seed (the coffee bean) still wrapped in a thin, sticky layer called mucilage. This is where washed differs from natural — the fruit doesn't dry on the seed.
The parchment-covered seeds sit in fermentation tanks or on patios. Naturally occurring microorganisms break down the remaining mucilage. Time and temperature are monitored carefully — under-fermented = dense and grassy, over-fermented = vinegary and funky. Good producers taste and adjust. They don't guess.
The fermented seeds are washed in channels or tanks until the parchment feels literally squeaky between your fingers. This removes all remaining mucilage and stops fermentation. It's also when final sorting happens — anything still floating gets pulled.
Washed parchment coffee dries on raised beds or patios until it reaches the right moisture level for export. This typically takes 2–4 weeks depending on altitude, humidity, and sun. After drying it rests in parchment, then gets milled before shipping.
Washed coffees don't taste thin or stripped — done well, they're detailed. The clarity lets origin characteristics come through in ways that naturals and honeys often mask. Here's what to look for in the cup:
The clarity of washed processing rewards methods that don't add noise. Filter and pour-over let the origin characteristics speak clearly; espresso works well when extraction is even and pressure is controlled. One variable to get right: water quality.
| Method | Ratio | Grind | Temp | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pour-Over | 1:15–1:16 | Medium | 92–96°C | Aim for 2:45–3:15 total. Bloom 30s. Clarity is the goal — even, slow pours. |
| Filter / Batch | 1:16 | Medium-coarse | 92–94°C | A washed coffee in a batch brewer is a very honest test of the bean. It'll show everything. |
| Espresso | 1:2–1:2.2 | Fine | 92–94°C | Even extraction is critical — washed acidity that's under-extracted reads sharp. Go slow on the grind adjustment. |
| French Press | 1:15 | Coarse | 94°C | 4 min steep. The added body from immersion can suit lighter washed coffees particularly well. |
| Water quality | 70–120 ppm as CaCO₃ | Too soft = harsh acidity. Too hard = flat and dull. Filtered tap is usually fine. | ||
For the full brew guide with every method covered, see Bert's Brew Guide.
Fruit removed before drying. Clean, precise, terroir-forward. The reference style for transparent flavour.
Dried whole in the cherry. Bigger body, pronounced fruit, more complexity — and more risk.
Skin off, some mucilage left. Sits between washed and natural — sweetness with some structure.
Clean, clear, terroir-first — you're here.
Current PageDried whole in the cherry — bigger fruit, more complexity, higher stakes.
Read Natural ProcessingThe middle method — skin off, some mucilage left. Sweetness with structure.
Read Honey Processing