Many people don’t realize that a coffee bean is actually a seed that grows into a coffee tree. In this blog we will explain the whole process from tree to cup – where and how coffee grows and how it gets processed.

Where and how does coffee grow? Coffee grows in the sunny equatorial belt around the world. It’s 1,000 miles (1,600 km) big and runs from The Tropic of Cancer to The Tropic of Capricorn. Arabica coffee beans are cultivated mainly in Latin America, eastern Africa or Asia, while robusta beans are grown in central Africa, throughout southeast Asia, and Brazil. Arabica is slow growing with a finer flavor, whereas robusta beans are quicker growing with a harsher flavor. The differences between Arabica and Robusta Arabica are explained in a previous blog. At any rate, Arabica will take several years to reach maturity and bear fruit. The fruit, called the coffee cherry, turns a bright, deep red when it’s ripe and ready to be harvested.

What happens next? Processing begins as soon as the coffee is picked in order to prevent fruit spoilage. It goes through either one of two processing methods – wet processing or dry processing.

Wet processing

1. Picking & washing. Ripe cherries are picked and then washed
2. De-pulping. The cherry pulp is removed.
3. Fermentation (develops complexity of flavor)
4. Drying
5. Hulling (and polishing with is optional). Bean husk is removed
6. Sorted by size and weight. Beans with color flaws or other imperfections are removed.

Dry processing

1. Picking
2. Drying. Dependent on weather 2-3 weeks
3. Hulling (and polishing which is optional)
4. Sorting. Sieving machines sort the beans.

The process involving hulling, polishing (optional), and sorting is often called milling. This milling process is at the last stage of coffee beans from tree to cup. The milled beans are referred to as green coffee and are loaded in bags (as you can see in the image) and get exported. Once we at Planet Coffee Roasters receive these bags, we make sure that your coffee is always freshly ground in order to deliver the very best cup. In addition, Planet Coffee Roasters works with local coffee farmers and exporters who are faithfully committed to coffee producers and communities, governing their activities with high moral and ethical values. We do this because we want our customers to enjoy high-quality office coffee that is grown under the best conditions!