Coffee Process
Compare washed and semi-washed specialty coffees with clean cup profiles, origins, roasters and prices. There are currently 256 matching coffees in RoastSearch.
A considered starting point
This short guide is editorial context for the 256 current matches. It helps you make a shortlist; it does not rank coffees or replace the roaster’s own listing.
Washed listings often make room for crisp acidity, citrus, stone fruit, florals or tea-like structure, but the current set also includes chocolate, nuts and syrupy textures. Here the route groups washed, semi-washed and wet-process wording, so read the exact process on each card.
Choose washed when clarity and origin character are part of the appeal. If you want a softer or fruitier cup, compare the washed matches with the natural and fermentation-led routes rather than assuming every washed coffee will be bright.
A clean washed coffee rewards an even brew and enough contact time to develop sweetness. For filter, begin with a measured recipe and adjust grind; for espresso, protect the acidity with a sensible yield before changing dose or temperature.
Compare exact process labels, origin and tasting notes first: “washed” is the shared doorway, not a complete flavour profile. Use price-per-100g for bag-size differences and check the roaster’s product page for roast date, stock and recipe details.
Sorted with featured coffees first.
Showing 24 of 256 coffees
A washed Colombian coffee from San Sebastian in Cauca with plum, caramel, and nutmeg notes.
A blend featuring washed Castillo and Red Catuai varieties from Nicaragua and Colombia, with chocolate, caramel, vanilla, and peach notes.
A bestselling blend featuring rich chocolate notes complemented by forest fruits and dried orange flavors.
A 1-star Great Taste award-winning single origin espresso with chocolate notes and stone fruit flavors of apricot and nectarine.
A balanced blend featuring sweet raspberry candy notes with orange rind complexity and a smooth milk chocolate finish.
A single origin coffee named after Volcano's home in Brixton, London. Features rich cacao notes with orange rind and a touch of liquorice.
A 3-star Great Taste award-winning blend with complex flavors of red grapes, caramel, and milk chocolate.
A washed Pacamara from Salado Blanco smallholders in Huila, shaped by extended fermentation before final washing. Mandarin, fudge, and a rich body make it expressive as both filter and espresso.
Colombia — Cata Reserva Year 2 Grown on a sunlit 4.5-acre plot of mature Castillo trees, this lot was selectively hand-sorted before processing. Ripe cherries underwent 2–3 days of open-tank oxidation. The cherries were then pulped to remove the mucilage, before undergoing four days of sealed fermentation with coffee mosto – sugars from previous fermentations – and panela, an unrefined whole cane sugar. This controlled approach encourages a thorough fermentation while avoiding unwanted alcohol-like flavours.
A washed Castillo Tambo from Huila, processed by Linarco Rodriguez after a long cherry fermentation and oxidation stage. Caramel, strawberry, and a creamy body make it structured, sweet, and clean.
A semi-washed Pacamara from Wilber Gomez in Saladoblanco, Huila. Passionfruit, pomelo, and a dense mouthfeel show the variety at its vivid, citrus-led best.
A washed Bourbon from Sopade smallholders in South Kivu, selected through the Best of Congo auction. Maple syrup, cranberry, and a dense body bring extra sweetness and weight to a clean washed profile.
Ecuador — La Rosita Bourbon First cultivated on the island of Réunion before spreading across the coffee-growing world, Red Bourbon remains one of the industry's most revered varieties, celebrated for its natural sweetness and balance. At La Rosita, the combination of cool Andean temperatures, humid cloud covered conditions and slow cherry maturation allows the variety to develop exceptional depth of flavour. To preserve that character, Rosa Morillo carries out a carefully controlled washed process. Ripe cherries are selected by hand before fermenting for 24 hours, then pulped and returned to tanks for a further 12-hour fermentation with the mucilage intact. The coffee is then fully washed and dried in covered polytunnels for around 10 days. The result is a rich, rounded cup with remarkable sweetness.
Ecuador — La Rosita Sidra Developed in Ecuador, Sidra is a locally adapted variety that combines an Ethiopian varietal with Ecuadorian terroir and growing conditions. At La Rosita, the western foothills of the Andes provide a mild subtropical highland climate, where cool temperatures, frequent cloud cover and high annual rainfall encourage slow cherry maturation and greater sweetness. After harvest, ripe cherries are hand-selected and fermented for 24 hours before pulping. The coffee then undergoes a second 12-hour fermentation with the mucilage intact before being fully washed and dried in covered polytunnels for around 10 days. The result is an elegant, silky cup that highlights the clarity and delicate floral character of the Sidra variety.
Ecuador — La Rosita Typica Mejorado Situated on the western foothills of the Andes, La Rosita benefits from a mild subtropical highland climate, where cool temperatures, frequent cloud cover and high annual rainfall help to extend cherry maturation and develop greater sweetness and complexity. These same conditions, however, make drying coffee particularly challenging, particularly for honey and natural processes. For this reason, Rosa Morillo favours a washed approach. After harvest, ripe cherries are hand-selected and fermented for 24 hours before pulping. The coffee then undergoes a second 12-hour fermentation with the mucilage intact before being fully washed and dried in covered polytunnels for around 10 days. The result is a sweet, fruit-led cup with a juicy finish.
Guatemala — Santa Irene Catuaí Catuaí is a cornerstone varietal of contemporary coffee production, prized for its resilience as much as its quality. While often associated with dependable everyday coffees, lots like this show just how expressive the variety can be when grown in exceptional conditions. A classic washed process brings clarity and structure to the cup, revealing vibrant citrus, rounded sweetness and a lingering, syrupy finish.
Guatemala — Santa Irene Sidra Originally derived from Bourbon, Sidra has fast become one of the world's most sought-after coffee varieties, prized for its vibrant fruit character and remarkable complexity. Here, a traditional washed process allows those qualities to shine, producing a cup with exceptional clarity and a mouthwatering finish, where bright tropical fruits are balanced by delicate floral notes.
A semi-washed honey lot from Benancio Chavez at Finca Santa Elena in Chiapas. Marzipan, brown sugar, and a smooth texture come through from careful resting, pulping, and solar drying.
Rwanda — Jonathan Ngoga Year 2 Cherries from Jonathan’s farm are processed as a dedicated single-producer lot at Muraho Trading Company’s Rugali washing station, alongside coffees from the surrounding smallholder community. The cherries are hand-sorted before being floated and pulped, with underripe or damaged fruit removed at each stage. The coffee is then fermented for around 12 hours in concrete tanks, with the parchment agitated several times throughout the process. After fermentation, it is washed and graded by density before being hand-sorted again and laid out to dry for around 30 days. The result is a vibrant coffee bursting with honeycomb sweetness and yuzu.
A semi-washed Bourbon from Edelweiss Estate, processed with extended high-temperature fermentation before pulping. Nectarine, pecan, and a smooth body give it stone-fruit sweetness with a gentle nutty edge.
Another coffee from our friends at Raw Material. Gito means tiny in Kinyarwanda. Traditionally beans this small would not be exported and sold only in the internal market. Not convinced that smaller beans mean lower quality, RM and Kilimbi washing station isolated these small beans, sorted them by density and cupped. As they suspected the coffee tasted great and now the producers can get a better price for this part of their crop. Farmers deliver their cherry to Kilimbi by boat which is the only way to access this station which sits on Lake Kivu the Great Lake that lies on the border between Rwanda and Democratic republic of Congo.
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