10 Best Green Coffee Beans for Home Roasting [2023 Guide]

Have you ever thought of roasting your coffee beans?

Some people may think it is a hassle, whereas others love to roast their own coffee beans. It is almost similar to peanut roasting.

You can buy unroasted green coffee beans or roasted beans. The unroasted coffee beans are the green coffee beans. Before buying, you need to know the best green coffee beans for home roasting.
Since coffee beans come from different places, they have different tastes. Also, you may need a different roasting style depending on its origin.

If you are looking for the best-unroasted coffee beans, this list of ten will give you a great place to start. I’ll explain the bean type, origin, and other important features so you can pick out the best green coffee beans for your needs. Once you’ve roasted your favorite beans, making delicious coffees at home will be a breeze!

Green coffee beans are raw coffee beans. In other words, it is the unroasted coffee beans. Coffee beans are the seeds of Coffee fruits. Inside each fruit, there are two beans.

A small percentage of coffee cherries have single beans. So, these special cherries are peaberries. Peaberry produces 10% – 15% of the total amount of coffee.

There are three ways of coffee bean processing. The wet process, the dry process, and the semi-dry process. The seed gets after these processes are the green coffee beans. We will focus on the best-unroasted coffee beans in this article.

1. Wet / Washed Process

In the washed process, the flesh of fruits is taken off from the seeds and soaks into water. After two days of fermentation, the seeds wash with water. Maintain about 10% moisture while drying the wet beans.

2. Dry Process

In the dry process, twigs and other objects are separated from the fruits. Then sun-drying the fruits for 2 – 3 weeks. This process is the cheapest and the simplest. About 90% of Arabica coffee beans in Brazil are processed in dry methods.

3. Semi-dry Process

In the semi-dry process, the outer skin of the coffee fruit took off but kept the mucilage coating for a day. After that, wash off the mucilage. Then, the parchment coffee is moderately sun-dried before the sale. These beans have a 10% – 12% moisture content. 

Now the question is which are the best-unroasted coffee beans for roasting. We all know that Arabica and Robusta are popular coffee beans in the world.

Before going into details, let’s have a quick look at the products.

Primos Nicaraguan Specialty Graded Unroasted Green Coffee Beans 

The specialty coffee beans of Nicaragua are a unique variety of beans. For keeping the beans fresh, it preserves 11-12% moisture content.

This bean produces a smooth and well-balanced coffee. It is easy to roast at home and gives you a rich sweet and less acidic flavor. The medium roast provides a fruity taste with caramel and cocoa notes.

Primos Coffee Co. trades Nicaraguan unroasted coffee beans straight from the farm. The coffee farms are at the high altitude of the mountains of Jinotega, Nicaragua.

Don Felipe started growing Arabica on his farm in 1929. The fourth generation still maintains its process to ensure and produce specialty coffee. They sustain their unique qualities and never blend with others.

Caturra coffee is grown under shade trees and picked every ripe fruit with hand. Farmers washed and sun-dried the beans in European preparation. It provides well-balanced low acidic green beans with a rich sweet profile.

They ensure five or fewer defect specifications. So, no preliminary defects per 300 grams.

Unroasted Green Coffee Bean Sampler Pack

This Combo-sampler pack has 100% raw Arabica green coffee beans. These are fresh and quality full coffee bean packages.

As it is the unroasted beans, you can roast it at any level from light to dark. This versatile roast profile provides a unique taste and flavor note.

Martini Coffee Roasters introduces a sampler pack. This sampler pack contains four small green coffee bags of different varieties. The beans are 100% Arabica green coffee beans.

MCR collects special coffee beans from all over the world. The best-unroasted beans are from Colombia, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Brazil, and Indonesia.

The MCR sampler pack maintains the sustainability of economic progress. The coffee beans come in small paper bags with a paper box.

Colombian Supremo Green Unroasted Coffee Beans

The Colombian supremo green coffee beans are packaging in fresh. The beans have a shiny pale green color. It needs medium or dark roasting to create full-bodied coffee. It has a rich aroma with a balanced sweet fruity flavor. The smooth and intense taste has a low acidic presence.

Colombian supremo raw coffee beans come from the Santa Barbara Estate of Colombia. It grew in shades with an altitude of 1300 meters ASL.

As the weather is cold in Colombia, the fruits take a long time to rip. Beans are hand-picked from September to December.

The beans processing is wet wash and then sundried on raised beds in the farms. Farmers perform bean processing at their mills. Caturra and Castillo are a variety of Supremo green beans. These Colombian beans are the larger beans.

Green Unroasted Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Kochere Coffee Beans

Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Kochere green coffee beans have vast roasting profiles. From the light to the dark roast, it has magnificent flavor notes. The familiar notes are honey and lemon.

You may experience other sweet, juicy, and a bit acidic flavors too. These 100% Arabica coffee beans have a very intense and rich flavor. It has no preservatives, additives, or artificial flavors.

The Ethiopian Yirgacheffe coffee beans grow in a small town, Kochere. The farms are 1798 – 1996 meters above the soil is acidic and rich in iron.

The coffee fruit harvesting period is from September to December. Farmers use the wet process to prepare the green beans and sundried in African raised beds.

The farmers trade Ethiopian beans right away from the farms. They export beans from April to July. This Arabica coffee bean has an Heirloom variety. 

Stone Street Colombian Supremo Unroasted Green Raw Coffee Beans 

These grade one Colombian supremo green coffee beans are 100% Arabica beans. Stone Street packing fresh beans with a 3-layer craft foil bag.

The beans have a golden color Sheerness. The wide range of roasting provides a unique taste with intense flavor and rich aroma. Colombian supremo beans have an average acidic taste with a sweet fruity flavor.

Stone Street trades 100% Colombian supremo Arabica raw coffee beans. These Arabica beans are grown in the highlands in Colombia of South America.

Fruits take a long time to ripen because of the cool weather of Colombia. This long period helps beans to preserve more sugar. It also has an average acidic profile with sweet fruity notes. Stone Street Colombian supremo beans are extra-large with a screen size of 18.

Smokin’ Beans Guatemala Unroasted Arabica Coffee Beans

The Guatemalan beans have a medium acidity level with sweetness. As these beans grow in volcanic soils, it preserves a unique taste. You can roast Guatemalan beans in any grade that provides long flavor notes.

But, the flavor blooms well at the medium-dark roast, and the taste is way better. It provides a mouth-feel taste with a full-bodied flavor.

The single-origin beans give the complex, vibrant, and delicious coffee. Beans are free of artificial flavors and preservatives. These beans are packaged fresh on the farms.

Guatemalan beans grow in shades in the rich volcanic soil of the Finca Nueva Granada farm. The elevation of the farms is 1800 meters. Central American Guatemalan unroasted coffee beans are 100% Arabica Bourbon variety.

Crop harvesting time is between October to December. Springwater is a blessing for the farm because it uses in bean processing.

They got Certification from Rainforest Alliance for sustainable processing. The beans are traded in burlap bags from the farm.

Brazilian Adrano Volcano Green Unroasted Coffee Beans

The fresh Brazilian green coffee bean prepares in a dry process. Then, packing in the farm areas to maintain the sustainability of beans. It grows in the volcanic soil of the rainforest mountains.

The taste profile is very strong and unique because of the presence of volcanic soil. It provides a buttery aroma with earthy and floral notes. If you dark roast the beans, then it boasts a smooth body with high sweetness.

The Volcano Coffee Company trades fresh Arabica green beans from Poços de Caldas in Brazil. They collect single-origin Arabica of the Catuai and Mundo Novo varieties.

This Brazilian coffee grows 1500 meters above the mountain of the rainforest. The volcanic soil with minerals creates a unique Adrano taste profile.

Brazilian green bean follows the dry preparation process. Australia, Brazil, and the USA register the tasting profile of Adrano as well.

Anthony’s goods Mexican Altura Arabica Organic Green Beans 

Mexican green beans are specialty-graded beans with the taste of volcanic soils. It has an acidic level with a sweet nutty and caramel flavor.

The preferred roasting profile is a medium roast. If you do the dark roast, it provides the chocolate notes. These fresh green beans yield a bold, rich flavor and a delicious taste.

Anthony’s goods trade the specialty graded Mexican Altura Arabica coffee beans. It grows in the rich volcanic soil of the southern mountain ranges in Mexico.

The elevation is 1200 – 1400 meters above sea level. As a result, beans mature at a slow pace as well as become denser and greater.

The beans are organic as they do no genetic modification. These beans are grown in Mexico but Packaged in California. Mexican Altura is the organic unroasted green coffee beans that are USDA certified.

Smokin’ Beans African-Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Unroasted Arabica Green Coffee Beans

Ethiopian Heirloom coffee beans are 100% Arabica coffee beans. It provides a distinctive flavor profile depending on bean processing.

The dry-processed beans produce a berry or fruity flavor. And, the washed processed beans deliver clear and brighter acidic flavoring.

Ethiopian coffee beans have a full-bodied, rich flavor. It has a high sweetness of chocolate, blueberry, and strawberry nuances.

The Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Heirloom green coffee beans grow in the highlands in Yirgacheffe, Ethiopia. The altitude is 1770 – 2200 Meters. The farms have red or brown fertile soil where farmers plant coffee under tree shades.

During the coffee cherry harvesting, it is always hand-picked. Farmers use both natural and washed bean processes. In this process, they prepare separate distinctive flavored beans. These Premium Green Coffee Beans are traded in burlap bags from the farms. 

Smokin’ Beans South American Colombia Excelso

Colombian Excelso coffee beans have good packaging with fresh beans. The premium-graded bean blooms well with a medium roasting profile.

These beans have a medium level of acidity with sweet fruity, floral, and caramel flavors. Colombian Excelso coffee beans have a smooth and richer flavor.

The Colombian Excelso is 100% green coffee beans grown in the highlands in Huila, Colombia. The elevation of the farms is 1400 – 1750 Meters. These coffees grow under the canopy of the rainforest in volcanic soil.

Excelso Arabica has two varieties; Caturra and Castillo. Farmers use 80% washed and 20% sun-dried for bean processing. They use burlap bags for packing the fresh beans and then trade them.

Farmers produced delicious coffee while working for protecting wildlife. They promote the sustainability of the rainforest and wildlife with their coffee production.

Lots of unroasted coffee beans are waiting to pick. But, you do not know which taste suits you the best. So, you have to go through the beans and try one after another until you are happy. It is like finding a new island by sailing your boat.

If you are a novice in the unroasted coffee world, then do not worry. I will guide you step by step. 

• Types of bean and Origin: There are more than 120 species of coffee in the world. But, Arabica and Robusta are the most popular coffee beans. Arabica bean grows in highlands or mountain areas. It preserves more sweetness and provides an intense flavor. Whereas, Robusta grows in the lowlands. It contains less sweetness and more caffeine content than Arabica. So, taste depends on which kind of beans you pick and from where it comes.
• Roasting: Only the best green beans cannot ensure the best taste. You have to focus on roasting categories that provide different notes. Take a small batch of green beans for roasting and brew. Then, note down the taste of each roasting profile with other information. I discussed more roasting processes in the Roasting Coffee section below.
• Grinding: Grinding your coffee beans right before you brew. It gives a fresh and flawless mouthful flavor. Pre-ground coffee loses its freshness and distinct flavor when it exposes to the air.
• Brewing: Brewing is the last crucial part of coffee making. If you brew for a long period, it tastes more bitter than usual. If you brew so faster, it lacks the original taste. So, you have to know the brewing process to get a perfect coffee drink.

This long description may make you downcast. But believe me, these steps are not that much boring as you think. Roasting and grinding may take some time, but those are magical steps.

You can play magic in each step as a magician. Your magic will reflect in the final cup. Sometimes, the best-recommended beans may not perform well. So, keep trying until you find your best one.

If you have any preferences on origin or caffeine content, then go for it. Also, you can count on my suggestion before buying unroasted coffee beans.

Coffee roasting is a process where green beans go through several transformations. The chemical and physical properties of green beans transform into roasted compounds. Roasting increases the level of caffeine, sugar, protein, and acids in green beans. This increment happens because of the Maillard and other chemical reactions.

We roast raw coffee beans before brewing coffee. It does not matter if you never roasted beans before. Yes, you can start today. You can roast the beans using a coffee roaster. But, if you do not have any, then do not worry. Take your frying pan and follow the steps and types of coffee roasting.

Types of Coffee Roasts

Versatile roasting types are available all around the world. Each roasting category provides an individual taste and flavor profile. To make things understandable, I am discussing here four main roasting profiles. You will find more sub-categories under each roasting profile. Let us take a look at the roasting category.

• Light Roast: The initial roasting level is the light roast. It starts from 196°C (385°F) before the first crack. In light roast, you will get the highlights of fresh green bean origin. It has no roast flavor rather than higher acidity and is lighter-bodied.  

Roast Names	Roast Temperature	Flavor
Cinnamon Roast	196°C (385°F)	Earthy and fruity
New England Roast	205°C (401°F)

• Medium Roast: After the first crack, the medium roasting level starts. It ends before the second crack. Now, coffee beans reach the roasting level. Origin taste character blooms with the roasting. At this level, roasted beans have acidity and are more caramelized. It provides a sweet, nutty flavor with a higher body.

Roast Names	Roast Temperature	Flavor
American Roast	210°C (410°F)	Caramelized, nutty, and acidic
City Roast	219°C (426°F)

• Medium-dark Roast: Medium-dark roasting is a short-period level. It starts right before the second crack and ends right after the second crack. This level has a full-body and bold flavor with a complex taste of sweetness and acidity.
• Dark Roast: The last level of roasting is the dark roast. It starts immediately after the second crack. The color of the beans is going from light brown to darker brown from here. It gathers the oily component inside the coffee beans. The flavor is bittersweet, very low acidic, and a little bit smoky now. The more you roast, the body will be lighter. There is always a comparison between dark roast vs light roast coffee regarding which one is better.

Roast Names	Roast Temperature	Flavor
Full City Roast	225°C (437°F)	Bittersweet smoky and spicy
Vienna Roast	230°C (446°F)
French Roast	240°C (464°F)
Italian Roast	245°C (473°F)

Home Roasting

Roasting coffee beans at home is a process where a small number of green beans are roasted for personal use. It was a common practice to do home roasting until the 20th century. After World War I, pre-roasted beans become more popular. The decrement roasting at home is noticeable at that time. But, in recent years, home roasting regains its popularity among the coffee connoisseur. There is a four-fold reason behind the popularity.

• Enjoy a fresh and flavorful coffee
• Experimenting with diverse beans and roasting profiles
• Perfecting the roasting process according to the preferences
• Low budget with the greatest pleasure

You can preserve roasted coffee beans for 7-21 days. Ground and roasted beans deteriorate faster in the presence of air. But green beans remain well for 1-3 years upon storage situation. 

You can use many types of equipment for roasting at home. For example, a frying pan and stove, a hot-air popper, and purpose-built electrical devices. But always remember; to roast a small batch of unroasted green coffee beans so that you can taste the freshness. If the roasting profile does not suit you, then you do not have to regret wasting of that small batch. Here is the general roasting process for you.

• First, set up your roaster. Then, pre-heat the roaster before putting coffee beans. During roasting beans, it creates smoke. So, try to set up your device in an open place. Otherwise, smoke may be stagnant in compact areas.
• When the roaster comes to the right temperature, put beans into the roaster. It will be better to put in a small batch of green beans each time.
• Roast the beans at the proper temperature for the right amount of time. If you use a manual process, then make sure you stir it well. Hence, all beans have even been roasted.
• When the roasting is complete, remove the beans from the roaster. Then let the hot roasted beans cool down.

If you roast more beans than a single-time use, then store the roasted beans in an airtight container. Do not keep roasted beans for more than 21 days.

Green coffee beans are not just beans. It is another sign of satisfaction. If you do not intend to purchase green beans, then you never do experience this satisfaction.

Green beans let you the opportunity to taste various flavors as well as diverse quality. Depending on the variety and origin, you can pick your favorite green beans. Also, you can follow my suggestion to choose something if you are a newbie in the unroasted coffee world.

You may find your favorite bean within the list of best green coffee beans for home roasting. Home roasting is fun, and your home will fascinate with a sweet smell after every roast. So, start today and spell your magic in the coffee cup.

Enjoy Your Coffee!