Shuhang's coffee

From cherry to cup

Eight steps from the coffee tree to the cup, one stamp for each.

  1. 1. Harvest

    A coffee bean is the seed inside the fruit of the coffee tree, called a coffee cherry. Ripe cherries are mostly red, and the good practice is to pick only the ripe ones.

  2. 2. Process

    Processing takes the seed out of the fruit. Choose a method to see how it is done.

    Natural

    The whole cherry is spread out and dried, and the dried fruit skin is removed afterwards.

    Washed

    The skin and flesh are removed first, then the sticky layer is removed by fermenting, and the seeds are washed clean before drying.

    Honey

    The skin is removed, and the seeds are dried with part of the sticky layer still on them.

  3. 3. Dry

    The seeds are dried on patios or on raised drying beds and turned often, until the moisture content is about 10% to 12%.

  4. 4. Mill & sort

    The outer parchment layer is removed (for natural coffee, the whole layer of dried fruit skin). The beans are then graded by size and density and the flawed ones are picked out, which leaves green coffee.

  5. 5. Ship

    Green coffee is bagged and shipped to many places. Roasting only begins once it reaches the roaster.

  6. 6. Roast

    Green beans turn from green to yellow to brown. They can start to come out at around first crack. The darker the roast, the more bitterness and roasted flavor, and the less of the original fruity acidity.

  7. 7. Grind

    Coffee is best ground just before brewing. The grind size should match the brewing method: finest for espresso, medium for pour-over, and coarser for French press.

  8. 8. Brew

    Hot water carries the soluble flavor compounds out of the grounds and turns them into the coffee in your cup.