We all love the end result.
Hot coffee. Good vibes. Game on. But what most people don’t realise is that what you taste in the cup doesn’t just come from the bean itself. It comes from how that bean was processed.
At Fox, we think knowing where your coffee comes from and how it’s treated along the way is just as important as how you brew it. So let’s pull back the curtain and show you what really happens between farm and roastery.
Because once you understand processing, you’ll never drink coffee the same way again.
Where It All Starts
Legend says it began with a few overly energetic goats in Ethiopia. They munched on some berries, got a little buzzed, and the rest is caffeinated history.
From there, coffee made its way to the Arabian Peninsula, across to Europe, and eventually around the globe. As coffee moved, so did the methods of growing and processing it.
Today, processing is the unsung hero of your brew. It’s where flavour is unlocked or lost. It’s what makes one bean fruity and floral and another rich and chocolatey even if they grew right next to each other.
So What Is Processing?
Once the coffee cherry is picked, it’s got to be stripped, sorted, and dried to get to that familiar green bean we roast. There are a few different ways to do it and each method changes the flavour, body, and clarity of the final cup.
Here’s what you need to know.
Washed Process
Also known as the wet process, this is the go to method for clarity and brightness.
After harvest, the skin and fruit are removed quickly. The beans are soaked in water to remove the sticky layer of mucilage, then washed and dried.
What it tastes like
Clean, crisp, often citrusy or floral.
Perfect for those who love a lighter, more transparent cup.
We use it in
Single origins like Ethiopia and Colombia
Hunter Blend for structure and lift.
Natural Process
Also called the dry process, this is the old school method and still the default in regions with limited access to water.
Cherries are dried whole in the sun. After weeks of drying, the husk is removed and the bean is revealed.
What it tastes like
Fruity, bold, sometimes funky.
Think berry jam, red wine, or ripe stone fruit.
We use it in
Naturals from Brazil and Ethiopia when we want that round, fruit forward vibe
Some seasonal limited releases
Honey Process
This one sits between washed and natural. Some of the fruit is left on during drying, giving the beans a sticky, honey like texture. That’s where the name comes from.
What it tastes like
Sweet, syrupy, smooth.
It keeps some of the fruity body of a natural but with a cleaner finish.
We use it in
Occasional small lot specials where we want balance and texture
Micro lot offerings when available
Why It Matters at Fox
We cup everything. Every day. Processing is one of the biggest things we look at when building a blend or choosing a single origin.
Why? Because it defines how the coffee performs.
Take our Hunter Blend. It’s a mix of washed and semi washed beans. That combo gives it brightness, body, and depth so it cuts through milk beautifully but still sings black.
Or our single origins. We choose them not just for where they’re from but how they’re processed. Want complexity? Look for a washed high altitude coffee. Want fruit? Go natural. Want balance? Find a honey process.
Want to taste the difference?
Shop Fresh Roasted Fox Coffee
Bright. Bold. Balanced. Processed to perfection.