Where do coffee beans come from?
If you’re a fan of coffee, you know that the best coffee comes from freshly ground coffee beans. These beans are harvested every year from two main types of coffee trees – the Coffea Arabica tree and the Coffea Canephora tree. Arabica variations are the most popular, making up around 70% of the global coffee market. They can be tricky and difficult to grow, but the end result is a mild and aromatic coffee bean that most people enjoy. The other popular type, Canephora, is more commonly referred to as Robusta. It makes up approximately 30% of the world coffee market. Robusta coffee typically has a higher caffeine content and is used in blends or to make instant coffee.
It takes a long time for coffee beans to go from being planted to being picked to being purchased. In order to bring out the best in coffee beans, they go through a series of steps.
Get ready to learn about everything there is to know about coffee beans, from harvesting to brewing, in this article. So brew yourself a cup of coffee and get comfortable, because you’re about to embark on a digital journey of a coffee bean’s life, from beginning to end.
1. Planting
A coffee bean is seed of the coffee plant. It is dried, roasted and ground to make coffee. If it is not processed, it can be planted and will grow into a coffee tree.
Coffee seeds are generally planted in large beds in shaded nurseries. The seedlings will be watered frequently and shaded from bright sunlight until they are hearty enough to be permanently planted. Planting often takes place during the wet season, so that the soil remains moist while the roots become firmly established.
2. Harvesting the cherries
Depending on the variety, it will take 3-4 years for newly planted coffee trees to bear fruit. The fruit, called coffee cherry, turns bright red when ripe and ready to be harvested.
There are typically two harvests a year in countries like Colombia where there are two flowerings annually. The main crop and the secondary crop are the two harvests.
The coffee beans can either be hand picked or harvested by machines. Most countries that grow coffee have steep land, which requires hand picking, while some countries, like Brazil, have flatter land and can use machines for harvesting.
Whether by hand or by machine, all coffee is harvested in one of two ways:
All of the cherries are removed from the branch at one time, by machine or by hand.
Only the ripe cherries are harvested by hand, one by one. Pickers rotate among the trees every eight to 10 days, choosing only the cherries which are at the peak of ripeness. This kind of harvest is labor intensive and more costly, so it is used primarily to harvest the finer Arabica beans.
Coffee cherries have to be handpicked, which is a lot of work. Farmers have to do several pickings because the cherries ripen at different times. The hardest part is picking the ripe cherries without disturbing the unripe ones. This is an art that local farmers and workers have perfected over hundreds of years.
Picking unripe or overripe cherries will result in a subpar taste and can cause issues when pulping.
Strip picking is a method of harvesting where machines are used. This method is seen as more cost effective in some places, particularly Brazil, because it saves harvesting time and allows for the separation and discarding of unripe cherries from ripened ones.
3. Processing the cherries
Once the coffee has been picked, processing must begin as quickly as possible to prevent fruit spoilage. Depending on location and local resources, coffee is processed in one of two ways:
The Dry Method
The coffee cherries are spread out on a huge surface to dry in the sun. This is an age-old method that is still used today in many countries where water resources are limited. In order to prevent the cherries from spoiling, they need to be raked and turned throughout the day. Then at night or during rain, they need to be covered to prevent them from getting wet.
The Wet Method
After the coffee cherries are harvested, the pulp is removed from the bean so that only the parchment skin is left on. The cherries are then passed through a pulping machine to separate the skin and pulp from the bean.
Then the beans are separated by weight as they pass through water channels. The lighter beans float to the top and are passed through a series of rotating drums which separate them by size, while the heavier ripe beans sink to the bottom.
The coffee beans are separated and transported to large, water-filled fermentation tanks. The amount of time they spend in the tank depends on various factors, such as the condition of the beans and the climate. The purpose of this is to remove the slick layer of mucilage that is still attached to the parchment. This layer will dissolve due to naturally occurring enzymes while the beans are resting in the tanks.
4. Drying the beans
After pulping a coffee bean, it goes through a process called fermentation to enhance the flavor and body before it dries out. The beans, once they are de-pulped, are stored in large tanks made of cement, plastic or wood. The mucilage that remains on the beans ferments and breaks down the sugars into liquid form, which can take hours or even a few days depending on the humidity or altitude of the fermentation containers.
When the coffee beans have been dried, they are then hulled, which is the process of removing the outermost layer of the coffee cherry. The coffee beans are ready to be washed and dried once the fermentation process is complete. Drying the beans is an important step in the journey of the coffee bean and can be done either naturally by letting them sit in the sun or by using a machine. Using the sun can take anywhere from three to five days and the beans must be monitored and turned often. Once the coffee beans have been dried, the next step is to hull them, which is the process of removing the outermost layer of the coffee cherry.
5. Coffee beans are sorted
In order to keep the coffee beans of high quality, they are all sorted to figure out which ones are good to use and which ones are not. This is done in three different ways: manually, with the help of a conveyor belt, or by a machine.
It is undeniably the most time-consuming way to do it, but it is also the most reliable method. Trained professionals sort through the coffee beans and remove any beans with defects at the sorting tables. Even when conveyor assistance is used, people still need to sort through the beans by hand while a conveyor belt moves them down a line. The imperfect beans are removed from the belt in a more time-efficient manner than by traditional hand sorting.
A machine sorts coffee beans by blowing air at the defective or discolored beans to remove them. The beans move quickly through a chute, allowing a large amount of coffee to be processed in a short amount of time. This is an important step in coffee production because it makes coffee taste better.
6. Milling the beans
Before being exported, parchment coffee is processed in the following manner:
Hulling machinery removes the parchment layer (endocarp) from wet-processed coffee. Hulling dry-processed coffee refers to removing the entire dried husk—the exocarp, mesocarp, and endocarp—of the dried cherries.
The polishing process removes any silver skin that is leftover on the beans after hulling. Although polished beans are typically seen as being better than unpolished beans, there is not much of a difference between the two.
The beans are sorted by size and weight and also reviewed for any color flaws or other imperfections.
Beans are sized and sorted by passing them through a series of screens and using an air jet to separate heavy from light beans.
The size of a coffee bean is generally represented on a scale of 10 to 20, with the number representing the size of a round hole’s diameter in terms of 1/64’s of an inch. For example, a number 10 bean would be the approximate size of a hole in a diameter of 10/64 of an inch, and a number 15 bean, 15/64 of an inch.
7. The coffee beans get roasted
They use raw coffee beans and turn them into the best possible version of themselves.
beans there are four different roasts: Medium, Full City, Vienna, and French.
The first level of roasting produces a coffee that is a cinnamon brown color and is bright when seen in a coffee mug.
A Full City roast is the next level of roasting and typically has the most sought-after characteristics of a particular coffee bean region. It is chestnut brown in color and is noted for its complex and flavorful taste.
At the third level of roasting, the beans turn a dark chocolate color. The coffee’s oils come to the surface and cover the beans, creating a smooth taste and a smoky, rich aroma.
The last stage of roasting is referred to as the French roast. The beans at this stage are mahogany brown in color and have an intense, sweet aroma. This stage of roasting is characterized by a velvety texture, and is a favorite among coffee drinkers around the world.
8. Exporting the beans
Coffee beans that have been milled are loaded onto ships in sacks made of jute or sisal. These sacks are loaded into shipping containers or bulk-shipped inside containers that have a plastic lining.
This forecast is down 1.0 million bags from the November forecast and is down from last year’s production of 153.8 million bags. World coffee production for 2015/16 is predicted to be 152.7 million 60-kg bags, according to the USDA Foreign Agriculture Service. This forecast is lower than the November forecast by 1.0 million bags and last year’s production of 153.8 million bags.
The beans can be transported by truck, plane, or train to their destination, depending on the company that purchased them and where they need to go.
9. Checked for quality
At every stage of the coffee bean process, the beans are checked for quality. This includes several tests to ensure that the beans meet quality requirements. Typically, an expert taster will begin by inspecting and evaluating the bean visually. This includes checking the bean’s color and overall appearance.
After the beans have been roasted and ground, they are infused in a controlled temperature. The tester then tests the aroma of the coffee. Finally, after a few minutes, the tester will taste the coffee.
10. Tasting the coffee
Coffee is regularly tested to ensure it is a high quality and has a good taste. This is called cupping and is done in a room that is set up to make it easy to do.
After the beans are roasted, the cupper evaluates them for visual quality. The beans are then ground and infused in boiling water. The cupper noses the brew to experience its aroma and judges the coffee’s quality.
After giving the coffee a few minutes to settle, the person tasting it breaks the crust that forms on top by pushing the grounds to the side. They take a smell of the coffee before start to drink it.
To taste the coffee, the person slurps a spoonful with a quick inhalation. The objective is to spray the coffee evenly over the person’s taste buds, and then weigh it on the tongue before spitting it out.
11. Packaged for sale
The coffee beans or grounds are stored in a highly controlled environment before they are packaged, to ensure quality and to avoid deterioration.
Many coffee manufacturing companies find it difficult to decide what kind of packaging to use in order to ensure high-quality freshness. There are many different packaging products available on the market.
12. Coffee beans reach your store’s shelves
At the end of the coffee beans’ journey, they are ready for you to drink! You can find a roast or blend that appeals to you at the coffee section of your local grocer or retailer. You can choose between whole coffee beans that you grind yourself or pre-ground coffee varieties.
13. Grinding coffee
The point of grinding coffee is to make it more flavorful. The size of the grinds varies depending on the brewing method.
The ideal grind for coffee depends on how long the grounds will be in contact with water. In general, the finer the grind, the more quickly the coffee should be prepared. This is why coffee ground for an espresso machine is much finer than coffee brewed in a drip system.
Enjoy your coffee!