Coffee beans are processed by drying.

There are two ways to prepare coffee beans for the roasting process. The method chosen has a significant impact on the final price and quality of coffee. The cheapest method of processing is called "drying", which is used for lower coffee beans, while higher quantities are processed with "wet treatment" (also known as washing). In recent years, Brazil has successfully invented a technology called "semi-wet" treatment. Drying is used for unwashed coffee beans. Wet treatment is used for thoroughly washed or semi-washed coffee beans. In addition to the more common use of drying in Brazil and Ethiopia, most Arabica coffee beans are processed by wet treatment. In Indonesia, some robusta coffee is processed by wet treatment, but this is not common there. In recent years, growers in countries of origin of Robusta coffee, such as India, have also successfully used wet treatment to increase the added value of crops. Drying is the cheapest, simplest and most traditional method of processing coffee beans. When processing, the harvested fruit should be spread on the cement floor, brick floor or straw mat. Ideally, the fruits should be raked flat in the sun and at regular intervals to prevent fermentation. If it rains or the temperature drops, these fruits must be covered to prevent damage. After about four weeks, the water content of each fruit will drop to about 12%, when the fruit is dry. At this time, its skin turns dark brown and fragile, and coffee beans can be heard cackling in the shell. This process requires more technology than it seems. Because coffee beans can be overdried, if this happens, the coffee can easily be damaged at the next stage, when it is shelled. On the other hand, coffee beans that are not sufficiently dried are also vulnerable. The next step is to store the dried fruit in the cellar for a while. During this period, the water in fresh coffee beans continues to evaporate.