Coffee production is the industrial process of converting the raw fruit of the coffee plant into the finished coffee. The coffee cherry has the fruit or pulp removed leaving the seed or bean which is then dried. While all green coffee is processed, the method that is used varies and can have a significant effect on the flavor of roasted and brewed coffee. Coffee production is a major source of income for 12.5 million households, most in developing countries.
Traditional coffee drying in Boquete, Panamá
Coffee bean harvester, Mareeba, Queensland, Australia
Mechanical strippers used for coffee fruit harvesting
Workers sorting and pulping coffee beans in Guatemala
Roasting coffee transforms the chemical and physical properties of green coffee beans into roasted coffee products. The roasting process is what produces the characteristic flavor of coffee by causing the green coffee beans to change in taste. Unroasted beans contain similar if not higher levels of acids, protein, sugars, and caffeine as those that have been roasted, but lack the taste of roasted coffee beans due to the Maillard and other chemical reactions that occur during roasting.
Professional coffee roasting machine
15th-century coffee roasting pan and stirring spoon from Baghdad
Free standing tin coffee roaster
A hand-cranked wood stove top coffee roaster circa 1890–1910
