If you've ever looked at a bag of specialty coffee and wondered what "fully washed" means — you're not alone. It's one of the questions we get asked most at Microroastery, and the answer makes a real difference to what ends up in your cup.
It all starts with the coffee cherry
Coffee doesn't begin as a bean — it begins as a fruit. Inside each small, red coffee cherry are two seeds. Those seeds are what we roast and brew. The question is: how do you get from cherry to exportable bean? That's where processing comes in.
So what is fully washed coffee?
In the fully washed process — also called wet process — the entire fruit surrounding the bean is removed before drying begins. First, the outer cherry skin is stripped away. Then the beans are fermented in water tanks, usually for 24 to 72 hours, which loosens and dissolves the sticky fruit layer called mucilage. After fermentation, the beans are thoroughly washed with fresh water until completely clean. Only then are they dried — either on raised beds or drying tables — until they reach the perfect moisture level for export.
How does fully washed processing affect the flavour?
Because all the fruit is removed before drying, nothing interferes with the bean's natural character. The result is a clean, bright, crisp cup where the true origin flavour shines through — the terroir of the soil, the altitude, the varietal. If you taste floral notes, sharp citrus, or delicate sweetness in a coffee, that's the bean speaking for itself.
Fully washed coffees tend to have higher acidity, a lighter body, and exceptional clarity. They're the coffees that make you stop and think — "wow, I didn't know coffee could taste like that.
In some origins — particularly Ethiopia and Kenya — the fermentation step adds a beautiful winey brightness to the cup. Don't be surprised if you taste hints of red wine, raisins, or berries in your coffee. This is completely natural and is one of the most exciting and distinctive characteristics of fully washed specialty coffee. If you love complex, fruit-forward flavours, an Ethiopian or Kenyan fully washed coffee might just become your new favourite.
Who will love fully washed coffee?
If you enjoy clean, precise flavours and love tasting the origin character of a coffee — fully washed is for you. It's also ideal for filter brewing methods like V60, AeroPress, and pour over, where that clarity and brightness can really shine.
If you prefer bold, heavy, chocolatey espresso — a natural or medium-dark roast might suit you better. But if you want something bright, elegant and complex — start here.
Try our fully washed single origins
At Microroastery, Nick roasts all our coffee fresh to order in our roastery just outside Canterbury. We regularly stock fully washed single origin coffees from Ethiopia, Kenya, Colombia and beyond — each one carefully selected for its clarity and cup quality.
Browse our current selection on the Order Beans page and find your perfect cup.