Washed process

Also known as: Wet process, Fully washed, wet-processed coffee

Washed coffees have the fruit removed before drying. After pulping, the seeds ferment briefly in tanks to loosen the sticky mucilage, then are rinsed clean and dried. The result is usually a clean, bright cup that lets the variety and the place it was grown speak clearly.

How it works

  1. Ripe cherries are hand-picked and sorted
  2. Cherries are floated in water to remove underripe and defective fruit
  3. A pulper removes the skin and most of the fruit
  4. The seeds ferment in tanks for roughly 12–72 hours to break down the mucilage
  5. The parchment is washed in clean water to remove what remains
  6. Coffee is dried on raised beds or patios to around 10–12% moisture
  7. Dried parchment rests before hulling, sorting and export
Coffee parchment being washed in a fermentation tank at a washing station in Sidama, Ethiopia

How it affects flavour

Washing tends to give the cleanest, most transparent cup: higher perceived acidity, lighter to medium body and subtle nuanced flavours. Because there's less fruit influence, the cultivar and growing conditions show through more directly.

The full story

The washed process was developed to reduce the risk of the off-flavours that uncontrolled fermentation can cause when coffee dries inside the whole cherry. By removing the fruit first, producers gain more control over the final cup, which is why washed coffees are often described as clean, bright and transparent.

After harvest, cherries are sorted in flotation tanks, where underripe and defective fruit floats and is skimmed off. The remaining cherries are pulped, leaving the seeds covered in a sticky layer of mucilage. They then ferment in tanks, either dry or under water, until microbes have broken the mucilage down enough to wash off. Tank design, cleanliness, temperature and time all shape the result, and many producers now monitor fermentation closely as a quality step rather than just a cleaning one.

Once washed, the parchment coffee is dried slowly on raised beds or patios and turned regularly so it dries evenly. It then rests for several weeks before hulling and export.

Washing uses a lot of water, and the sugary wastewater can harm rivers if it isn't treated. Some operations use mechanical demucilagers, which scrub off the fruit with little water and skip fermentation altogether. That saves water, though some producers believe it costs flavour, since fermentation helps build aromatic compounds.

Washed processing is the norm in much of Central America, Colombia and Kenya, and produces many of Ethiopia's most celebrated floral coffees.

How the processes compare

ProcessFruit removedTypical cup
WashedBefore dryingClean, bright, high clarity
HoneySkin only; mucilage left onSweet, rounded, medium body
NaturalAfter dryingFruity, heavy body, sweet
AnoxicVaries; sealed fermentation firstIntense, layered, spiced fruit

Coffees to try

FAQ

Is washed coffee better than natural?

Neither is better. Washed coffees are usually cleaner and brighter; naturals are fruitier and heavier. It comes down to taste.

Does washed coffee have more acidity?

It often tastes more acidic because there's less sweetness and body masking it, not necessarily because it contains more acid.

Is washed coffee good for espresso?

Yes. Washed coffees make balanced, sweet espresso. Our FLOW STATE espresso is a washed Ethiopian.

What does "fully washed" mean?

It's another name for the washed process: the fruit and mucilage are completely removed before drying.

Explore other processes

Want to go deeper? Processing is covered in detail in our SCA Green Coffee courses.