Everything You Need To Know About Green Coffee Beans

Green coffee beans are basically unroasted coffee. However, the concept of green coffee beans is not that simple at all. Many aspects can affect the quality or taste of green coffee beans. In order to fully understand and appreciate green coffee beans, we prepared this article for you.

What Is Green Coffee?

Green coffee beans are found in the coffee fruit of the coffee tree. Although most of the coffee fruit includes two coffee beans, some of them might contain only one bean. Coffee fruits that include only one coffee bean are called “peaberry bean.” Peaberry green beans are larger than regular beans and can be more difficult to roast.

Green coffee beans, as known as unroasted coffee beans, are coffee beans that are completely raw and unroasted. Although they can be used as a supplementary product, they are mostly used in preparing hot beverages. However, when you drink green coffee, it doesn’t taste the same as your standard coffee. Its flavor is milder than coffee and tastes like herbal tea rather than coffee. Furthermore, although their origins are the same, the chemical profile of roasted coffee and green coffee is quite different.

Raw coffee beans not only have a lot of health benefits but also have a role as a supplementary food. It boasts an abundant amount of chlorogenic acid which can provide considerable health benefits. Roasted coffee includes chlorogenic acids too, but most of it is lost during the roasting process.

Green Coffee Origins

Coffee beans are usually bought processed from countries because they stay fresh after being processed. There are a lot of great types of green coffee beans such as Kenyan green coffee beans and green Kona coffee beans. Importers of green coffee beans manage the importing of coffee and subsequent sales of it to the smaller coffee roasters. Although there are a lot of countries that produce green coffee, there are some main ones among them.

Kenyan Green Coffee

Kenyan green coffee beans are some of the most sought after beans on the coffee bean market. Its reviews and cuppings are usually positive, and it is very flavorful.

Ethiopian Green Coffee

Ethiopia has a very long history of growing and exporting green coffee beans all over the world. It is believed that green coffee beans originated in Ethiopia. Growing in high altitudes of Ethiopia, Ethiopian organic green coffee beans slow growly and develop full, robust flavors.

Sumatra Green Coffee

Sumatran coffee beans are a perfect choice for both amateur and professional coffee roasters. It is known for having complex flavors that work well with dark and medium roasts.

Colombian Green Coffee

Efficient harvesting, processing methods, and high production levels are the characteristics of Colombian green coffee. Its mild flavor works well with many coffee blends.

Brazilian Green Coffee

Similar to the Colombian green coffee, Brazilian coffee beans’ mild flavor is great with some blends.

Characteristics of Green Coffee Bean

As green coffee beans include acidity, it is what makes their flavor sharp and sour. Different types of beans have different levels of acidity. The aroma of your green coffee beans when you drink them depends on where it is grown.

Processing Green Coffee

Processing the pure green coffee bean can be made with several methods such as wet processing (washed coffee), dry processing (unwashed or natural coffee), pulped natural processing, semi-washed processing. The processing method can affect the flavor of green coffee beans, but the results are the same. In the end, the coffee beans are dried, graded (sorted), bagged, and sold.

Storing Green Coffee Beans

After you purchase your green coffee beans, you have to store them correctly in order to prevent them from spoiling. When you store them, you should put them in a cold and dry place that is out of direct sunlight. In addition to this, the temperature of the storage area should be around 60F.

Paying attention to these precautions will help your green coffee beans to stay fresh. What’s more, in this way, these measures will combat mold growth and keep your beans from losing their flavor.

Health Benefits of Green Coffee Beans

Besides being just raw coffee beans that we use for roasting coffee, green coffee beans have many health benefits as well. These health benefits include weight loss and reducing the risk of chronic diseases.

Green Coffee and Weight Loss

You may have a lot of things about coffee and its health benefits. Researchers have been conducting research to find whether green coffee is good for us.

Green coffee bean extracts come from coffee beans that haven’t been roasted. Coffee beans include chlorogenic acids, and it is believed that these acids have some antioxidant effects and they help to lower blood pressure and help you to lose weight.

Although there isn’t any solid evidence that says you can green coffee for weight loss, due to the chlorogenic acids it includes, it may help you to lose weight.

Can Green Coffee Reduce the Risk of Chronic Diseases?

Besides being used for weight loss, you can use green coffee to reduce your risk of chronic diseases. Thanks to the chlorogenic acids that green coffee includes, it can lower your risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. Although it is believed by some scientists that you can use green coffee to reduce your chronic diseases, further research may be mandatory.

What Does Green Coffee Taste Like?

Although it is known as “coffee”, the taste of green coffee beans may be different from ordinary coffee beans that are roasted. It is not as strong as roasted coffee beans and it has a milder and refreshing flavor that is similar to herbal tea. Thanks to this milder flavor, you can get a herbal tea flavor from your green coffee beans if you brew them. However, it may sometimes taste like coffee and herbal tea because it is coffee after all.

How to Prepare Green Coffee Beans

When it comes to preparing your green coffee beans, things change a little bit. Given that it is not the same as roasted coffee beans, the preparation process may be different from classical methods such as French Press, pour-over, or Chemex.

Firstly, to prepare your green coffee beans ground your green coffee beans into a powder and add some hot water. After waiting for 10 minutes, you can stir the mixture, and you are ready to drink your green coffee!

If you want to use whole green coffee beans, before boiling the mixture, soak them in the night before you prepare your coffee. After soaking, boil them and after boiling, continue to simmer for 15 minutes while stirring it. Before putting it in the mixture, it has to be cooled.

Another option can be green coffee capsules. You can use them in your espresso machine and enjoy your coffee. Bon appetit!

Wrapping Up

Now that you have learned where green coffee beans come from, how to process them, how to store them, and how to make them; you know almost everything about green coffee beans! If you pay attention to what you have learned in this comprehensive guide, you will not have any problems regarding green coffee beans.