Green Coffee FAQ: Your Top Questions Answered

Green coffee beans have become something of a phenomenon on the scene over the last few years. Increasingly, coffee lovers worldwide are purchasing unroasted coffee beans and getting busy with their own coffee roasters, such as the excellent and affordable Gene Café CBR101, which can roast batches of up to 250 grams of green coffee beans. Some aren’t bothering with coffee roasters at all, choosing instead to brew and enjoy green coffee.

But which are the best raw coffee beans for brewing an unbeatable cup at home? More importantly, how long can you hang on to unroasted coffee beans, without compromising their quality or flavour?

For anyone interested in the ins and outs of raw coffee beans, the following FAQ could prove insightful:

1) Which unroasted coffee beans should I choose?

If you’re planning on roasting raw coffee beans at home, you’ll need to think carefully about your preferences. Use these simple guidelines as a general rule of thumb:

• If you prefer milder coffee, purchase Central American green coffee beans.
• For the most fantastic espresso, set your sights on the best organic coffee from Brazil.
• Kenyan coffees are notable for their brightness and pronounced acidity.
• Roast your own Ethiopian green coffee beans at home for a fruity flavour with chocolaty undertones.

Of course, much of the fun lies in experimentation…don’t limit yourself to just one type of coffee for home roasting.

2) Is green coffee really better for your health?

The jury is still out on this one, but there’s evidence to suggest it could indeed be the case. Scientific studies have confirmed various therapeutic benefits associated with regular coffee consumption. With unroasted coffee beans, you’re simply looking at the raw product that hasn’t yet been excessively processed. Hence, if roasted coffee beans are good for you, it stands to reason that green coffee beans could be even better for you.

Part of the fun of roasting your own coffee beans is experimenting with green coffee concoctions at home. Some of which can be downright delicious.

3) What’s the shelf life of unroasted coffee beans?

It’s generally recommended that green coffee beans are used or roasted no later than six months after being purchased. Of course, it all depends on how long they’ve been sitting around in the store, before you bought them. Some store-bought green coffees may only have a shelf life of around three months at the most.

The fresher the green coffee beans, the longer they last. In fact, some independent coffee producers claim that their raw coffee beans are good for up to a year after being purchased.

4) How should green coffee beans be stored?

For the most part, it’s a case of following the same basic rules as those that apply to roasted coffee beans. Keep your green coffee beans in a cool and dry place at room temperature, in a hermetic recipient, and protected from direct sunlight. 

Under no circumstances should raw coffee beans be stored in the refrigerator or freezer, due to the elevated humidity levels.

5) Are green coffee beans expensive?

Contrary to popular belief, the finest raw coffee beans on the market are not necessarily very expensive. In fact, they can actually be cheaper to buy than their roasted counterparts. Something that makes sense when you think about it, given the reduced effort required on the part of the supplier and the fact that raw coffee beans lose about 15% of its original weight after being roasted.

Even if it turns out not to be your thing, experimenting with green coffee beans isn’t something that’s going to cost you much money. Plus, you really can’t call yourself a committed coffee connoisseur until you’ve given home roasting a try!

At Hayman’s online coffee store, you will find the world’s finest green coffee beans for home roasting with your own coffee roaster, including legendary coffees such as Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee, best Kona coffee Hawaii, and Panama Geisha coffee beans (a.k.a. Gesha coffee). For those not into home roasting, we also offer roasted coffee, Nespresso compatible capsules*, and coffee pods compatible with Keurig K Cup coffee makers (incl. Keurig 2.0 models)**. Click here to order today and enjoy free worldwide shipping!

* Nespresso® is a registered trademark of Société des Produits Nestlé S.A., unrelated to Hayman®. Our espresso pods are not created or sold by Nespresso®.

** Keurig and K-Cup are registered trademarks of Keurig Green Mountain, Inc. unrelated to Hayman®. Our pods are not created or sold by Keurig®.