If you’ve ever taken a sip of coffee that tasted like strawberry jam or blueberry wine and thought, “Wait, this is coffee?”, chances are it was a natural process. These coffees are dried inside the fruit instead of washed clean of it, which lets the sugars and fruit flavors seep into the bean.
They’ve become a fixture in the Foxlee household—we reach for naturals more often than not. Over time, we’ve come to see “natural process” as a kind of shorthand for quality: a signal that the producer took the time to experiment, monitor, and dial in every detail. Yes, they usually come with a higher price tag (we’ll get into why), but that extra cost reflects real craftsmanship… and we’re more than happy to pay for it.
Here’s an overview of one of our greatest coffee loves, the natural processed.
How Coffee Processing Methods Impact Cost
We had a great reader question come through:
“I’m interested in learning more about the cost differences between natural and washed coffee. While washed coffee typically involves more inputs and should be more expensive to produce, I’ve read in the web that, at the retail level, we should expect to pay $1 to $3 more for natural coffee than for washed. Could you help me understand why that is?”
That’s a nuanced question — and our community member is absolutely right that, in theory, washed coffee should cost more to produce. The washed (or “wet”) process requires significant inputs: large volumes of clean water, fermentation tanks, washing channels, and often more labor for depulping, fermenting, washing, and drying.
So why, at the retail level, do we often see naturals priced higher? The short answer is: Natural coffees often cost more at retail not because they’re more expensive to make, but because they’re rarer, riskier, and perceived as more distinctive.
Here’s a closer look at the economic and sensory factors at play.
Scarcity and Differentiation
While washed coffee is the global default (especially in Latin America), high-quality naturals are still relatively rare—though they’re becoming more common as producers experiment with new processing methods. For example, natural lots from countries like Nicaragua, Mexico, or Brazil are increasingly showing up at specialty roasters like Dagger Mountain Coffee and Proud Mary.
Producers who do naturals well are often experimenting or working in specialty markets, and those coffees can command a premium for uniqueness.
Essentially, you’re paying for differentiation and risk.
Natural coffees require precise drying conditions and careful turning or raking to prevent overfermentation and mold. Done poorly, the cup can taste funky or “off.” Done well, the results are distinctive and often dramatic (think notes of strawberry, blueberry, tropical fruit) that stand out on a cupping table.
That distinctiveness is valuable in the specialty market. We’re certainly suckers for it.
Yield, Risk, and Labor Tradeoffs
Although naturals don’t require water or fermentation tanks, they carry higher processing risk.
Beans dry inside the cherry, which can ferment unevenly or develop defects if the weather shifts or airflow isn’t ideal. That risk translates into higher potential losses, so producers may charge more per pound to offset the risk of spoilage or rejected lots.
In other words, washed coffee is more technically labor-intensive, but natural coffee is more financially risky.
That risk premium shows up in the final price.
Market and Consumer Perception
In the specialty world, naturals have developed a reputation for being bold, fruity, and complex … traits that many coffee drinkers perceive as “premium” or “exotic” (present company included).
Roasters may lean into that perception when pricing, much like a wine producer would for a unique or small-batch vintage.
So while production costs might be lower, market positioning often pushes the retail price higher. Consumers expect naturals to taste special—and pricing follows that expectation.
Volume and Supply Chain Factors
In many producing countries (like Ethiopia), natural processing is still the norm, but exportable, high-grade naturals are limited in quantity. Specialty roasters may pay extra to secure traceable, well-processed natural lots, especially from micro-mills or single producers.
Conversely, washed coffees benefit from scale and efficiency—large cooperatives or estates can process washed coffees in bulk and maintain consistent quality at lower per-unit costs.
What is Natural Process Coffee?
Natural process coffee is dried inside the fruit instead of being washed free of it. That sticky fruit layer ferments around the bean, giving the coffee bigger, sweeter, often fruit-forward flavors, like berries, wine, and chocolate.
(An aside, but I recently learned that it can even taste GREAT as a beer. This “breakfast stout” from Blockhead Brewing blew my mind. I’m so sad it’s sold out).
Coffee Bean Processing Methods
Think of the natural process coffee processing method as a contrast to washed or honey. Each refers to how coffee cherries are processed after picking and brings out different flavors.
- Washed coffees have the fruit fully removed before drying, giving a cleaner, brighter cup where acidity shines.
- Natural coffees dry inside the fruit, absorbing sweetness and fruitiness for a bolder, often wilder flavor.
- Honey processing sits in between. The skin is removed but some sticky mucilage stays on, creating a smooth, balanced cup with gentle fruit notes and extra body.
Natural processing is little wilder and less predictable, but that’s half the fun.
In recent years, you might also see the term anaerobic natural popping up on coffee bags. Anaerobic processing is a controlled fermentation style where the coffee cherries (or de-pulped beans) ferment in sealed, oxygen-free tanks before drying. It’s technically a variation of the natural or honey process, but it tends to produce even more intense, jammy, and sometimes boozy flavors — tropical fruit, but turned up to 11.
Are most coffee beans processed using a wet method?
Yep, most specialty coffee beans today are processed using the wet (washed) method, especially in regions like Latin America where clean, bright flavor profiles are the goal. That said, natural (dry) processing is still common in places like Ethiopia and Brazil.
» Learn more about washed versus natural coffees (and why coffee fermentation matters)
And what can we say. We’re just big fans. After looking back at a full year of our Trade coffee subscription data — every like, dislike, and “meh” — one thing stood out loud and clear: we really, really like Ethiopian naturals. Whether it’s a natural from Yirgacheffe or Guji, those cups are the ones we drain first and talk about the longest.
Natural Processed Coffee Flavors, Broken Down by Region
East Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania)
Naturals from East Africa are often vibrant, juicy, and fruit-forward, with notes of blueberry, strawberry, tropical fruit, and florals like jasmine or bergamot. Ethiopian naturals, in particular, are prized for their winey acidity and complex fruit sweetness.
Latin America (Brazil, Colombia, Nicaragua, El Salvador)
Natural coffees from Latin America tend to be rounder and sweeter, with red fruit, chocolate, and nutty undertones. Brazilian naturals often show dried fruit, cocoa, and low acidity, while Central American naturals can balance berry notes with caramel or brown sugar sweetness.
Asia-Pacific (Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, India)
Naturals from this region are typically earthier and heavier-bodied, with spice, tobacco, and dark fruit tones. Some Indonesian naturals can have fermented or funky profiles, offering rich complexity when processed cleanly.
Best At-Home Coffee Equipment to Enjoy Your Naturals
Here are our go-to coffee brewing tools for making sure you’re maximizing your at-home coffee game.
- Excellent whole bean coffee beans. We’re currently digging this single origin Ethiopian coffee from Sightglass Coffee Roasters in San Francisco. heck out any of our favorite coffees to drink black.
- A precise scale, like the Hario Pour-Over Scale. This measures the weight of the beans before you grind and later helps you track the amount of water poured into your brew system.
- A burr grinder. These vary significantly in quality. For us, it mattered to have more precision grinding so that we could use the same grinder for, say, French Press (coarser grind size) to AeroPress (finer grind size). That’s why we opted for the Baratza Encore. Here’s our full review.
- A trusty kettle. We upgraded our Bonavita Gooseneck Electric Kettle recently to the Fellow Stagg Kettle. After 5 years of near-daily use, it died on us. We jumped on the opportunity to try a new brand, but we were honestly really happy with the Bonavita (here’s in-depth review of the Fellow Stagg Kettle). Oh, and a quick TL;DR on kettle selection — an electric gooseneck kettle is preferred to other types of kettles, as the electric allows you to control temps. And why gooseneck? The design allows you to better control water flow rates.
- A coffee maker. We make pour over with a Kalita Wave everyday (it is easier than it sounds). You can choose a Chemex, a Clever Coffee Dripper, a different pour over system, heck — even a traditional coffee maker (we love our Bonavita 8C for when we have company).
How to Brew Natural Process Coffee
Brewing natural process coffees right keeps flavor notes balanced instead of muddy or overripe. Here’s how we do it.
- Start clean. Use filtered water heated to around 200°F. Bad water = bad cup, no matter how fancy your beans are.
- Grind fresh. Medium grind for pour-over or drip, slightly coarser for French press. Naturals are more delicate than they look — grind too fine and you’ll overextract all the boozy berry funk.
- Go gentle on ratios. Start with a 1:16 ratio (15g coffee to 240g water). If it tastes too heavy or fermented, add more water next time (1:17).
- Bloom longer. Naturals can trap more CO₂ from fermentation, so give them 40–45 seconds to bloom before you start your main pour. Watch for the bubbles — that’s flavor waking up.
- Taste and adjust. If it’s too syrupy or winey, coarsen your grind. Too thin? Grind finer or shorten your pour time. The sweet spot will taste like fruit jam and sunshine.
Enjoy Great Coffee
I hope you enjoyed our deep dive into natural processed coffee as much as we did.
Natural process coffees aren’t about perfection… they’re about personality! They can swing from bright and juicy to funky and fermented depending on how they’re grown, processed, and brewed.
Treat them gently, keep an open mind, and enjoy the ride. :-)
