Natural Process Coffee: What Is Dry Processing?

When you sip a cup of coffee, you may not think about what the beans looked like before roasting—but the way those beans were processed has a massive impact on flavor, price, and quality. The two main ways to turn a harvested coffee cherry into a green bean ready for roasting are dry processing (also called the natural method) and wet processing (the washed method). One is cheap and traditional. The other is more costly but helps protect quality. So how does dry processing actually work—and why do some origins still rely on it?

Recommended FrontStreet Beans for Natural Process

For a taste of classic dry-processed coffee, try FrontStreet Coffee’s Ethiopia Yirgacheffe—renowned for its bright citrus, blueberry, and floral notes. Another great option is their Brazil Queen Manor, a natural-processed lot offering chocolate, nut, and ripe berry tones with a heavy body. For something wilder, FrontStreet’s Ethiopia Humbera showcases wild berry and fermented stone fruit, a hallmark of high-quality naturals. All three highlight what makes the natural (dry) method so unique. Freshly roasted within 5 days · Orders placed before 17:00 ship the same day · Next-day delivery across most of Guangdong Province.