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Unroasted Coffee Beans — Buying Green Beans For Your Coffee Habit

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Freshness is the key to good coffee. The most common suggestion is to grind the beans right before you make coffee. Yet, having freshly roasted beans is as important. Most of us try to get freshly roasted beans through a local roaster, online retailers, or through a coffee subscription. 

But how about getting unroasted coffee beans and roasting them yourself? If you have some skill and the patience to learn, roasting beans yourself can be fulfilling. You’ll also save a fair bit of money, have a productive hobby, and best of all, enjoy great coffee!

Buying The Best Green Coffee Beans

Unroasted beans aren’t so easy to come by. If your city has a seller for green coffee beans, they’re likely interested in wholesale rather than small retail buyers. Thankfully, there are plenty of sellers geared towards retail customers. That’s the best place to buy green beans if you don’t have reliable sellers nearby. 

The increasing trend of unroasted green coffee beans also means they are increasingly available. There is rarely a big-brand backing for green beans, so which one would you buy? Well, here are some top of the line suggestions to get you started.

The 11 Best Unroasted Beans To Buy: 2021 Edition

Comparison Chart

3 Lb, Single Origin Unroasted Green Coffee Beans, Specialty Grade From Single Nicaraguan Estate, Direct Trade (3 Lb Caturra)
Lavanta Coffee Roasters Java Peaberry, Green, 2lb
Green Unroasted Colombian Supremo, Whole Bean Coffee, 5-Pound Bag
Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Green Unroasted Coffee Beans 1 Pound
5 Pounds – South American – Colombia Excelso – Unroasted Arabica Green Coffee Beans – Grown in Huila Region – Altitude 1400-1750M – Drying/Milling Process Is Washed, 80% Sun Dried– Includes Burlap Bag
COLOMBIAN SUPREMO Unroasted Green Raw Coffee Beans, 5 LB Bulk Bag, 100% Arabica Top Grade Extra Large
Unroasted Green Coffee Bean Sampler Pack – 4LBS – 100% raw arabica coffee beans – COLOMBIA, ETHIOPIA, GUATEMALA, BRAZIL, INDONESIA
Ethiopian Sidamo Coffee | 100% Organic and Fair Trade | Green, Unroasted, Whole Bean | One (1) Pound
Anthony’s Organic Unroasted Whole Green Coffee Beans, 2lbs, Mexican Altura Arabica Beans, Raw, Batch Tested and Gluten Free
CWE Gourmet Coffees,Green Unroasted Brazil Cerrado Coffee Beans, 3 Pound Bag for Home Roasters, Very Smooth with Low Acidity
Dean’s Beans Organic Coffee Company, Peruvian Green Coffee – Natural Water Decaf, Unroasted, 16 Ounce Bag (Organic, Fair Trade and Kosher Certified)

Our Top Choice: Primos Coffee Co. Single Origin Unroasted Green Coffee Beans

These green beans are of single-origin, coming directly from a family-owned farm. These Caturra beans are the way to a well-balanced and smooth coffee. This is the bean for the right flavor and fun, making the efforts worth your while.

Best Beans For Home Roasting Reviewed

1. Primos Coffee Co. Single Origin Unroasted Green Coffee Beans — Our Top Choice

Primos Coffee Co. Single Origin Unroasted Green Coffee Beans are the top choice for this category. These beans seem to fit the ethical as well as the taste profile we desire pretty well. The beans are of the Caturra variety and contents of the package are 100% arabica.

These single source beans come from an old family farm in Nicaragua. They’re ethically sourced and carefully selected to be the best beans available. According to the farm, the beans are high grown under the shade of trees and harvested by hand. Growing in shade helps with the health and taste of the bean, while hand-harvesting ensures there is no damage.

Caturra beans are well-regarded for their gentle profile, balanced taste, and rich body. Expect the coffee to have cacao notes and citrus acidity.

Coffee Highlights

  • Responsibly sourced from a family-owned farm in Nicaragua
  • Caturra beans, 100% arabica
  • High altitude and shade grown coffee
  • Well-balanced and smooth, with citrus acidity
  • Tasting notes: cacao
  • Recommended roast: medium

2. Lavanta Coffee Roasters Java Peaberry

Lavanta Java Peaberry promises that it is the result of direct trade with farmers. The peaberry is somewhat rare in coffee plants. These are single, oval beans rather than the pair that grows on most plants. The beans are best known for their flavor notes and pronounced body.

Taste notes to expect from these beans are earthy, with a hint of spices and tobacco. Although the taste notes are not very profound, they make their presence felt. A touch of citrus acidity comes into play as well. Lavanta says these high grade beans are traded directly with farmers to ensure they receive a fair payment. 

The beans are best suited for breakfast or medium roast. They’re probably not the best for espresso, but they work wonders in other coffee preparations.

Coffee Highlights

  • Traded directly with farmers
  • Java Peaberry, 100% arabica
  • Tasting notes: earthy, with a touch of spices, tobacco, and citrus acidity
  • Recommended roast: light or medium

3. Green Unroasted Colombian Supremo, Whole Bean Coffee

Quite the standard bearer for great coffee, Colombian beans are popular and in-demand. This packaging of unroasted beans is an offering of one of the highest grades of coffee available. Conventionally grown in the Colombian Andes, Supremo is well-regarded for its smooth finish and pleasant acidity.

With these beans, you can expect a medium-bodied drink with a sweet taste. Taste notes that make it all possible are the nutty overtones. This is one of the coffees you’d be delighted to roast at home. The aroma of freshly roasted coffee is as wonderful as the aroma you’ll get with the fresh brewed coffee.

Coffee Highlights

  • High grade, well-regarded coffee
  • 100% arabica grown in Colombian Andes
  • Tasting notes: nutty
  • Medium body with a sweet taste
  • Suggested roast: from light to very dark, pick your preference!

4. Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Green Unroasted Coffee Beans 

A great pick for home roasting, Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Green Unroasted Coffee Beans offer a great flavor and taste. The coffee is grown in the Kochere district of Ethiopia at an altitude of 1800-2200 meters. The high altitude and naturally organic farming practices of the region give this coffee an excellent taste.

Among the finest of Ethiopian coffees, Yirgacheffe has taste notes of floral tones complemented by fruity notes. Expect vibrant acidity and a great aroma from this coffee. 

Coffee Highlights

  • High grade, delicious coffee
  • High altitude coffee, grown at 1800-2200 meters
  • Organic
  • Taste notes: floral with fruity notes, vibrant acidity
  • Suggested roast: medium

5. South American – Colombia Excelso – Unroasted Arabica Green Coffee Beans

South American – Colombia Excelso – Unroasted Arabica Green Coffee Beans is a Colombian coffee grown in altitudes of 1400-1750 meters. Rated Excelso, the beans are sourced from the Huila region and grown under the shade of the rainforest. Now that’s quite the setting for coffee!

Beans included in this package are a mix of varietals caturra and castillo. Both of these are great recommendations for coffee. The seller claims the beans are sourced from small family farms in Colombia. Additionally, community-building efforts like healthcare and schooling are made available to farmers and their children.

Expect the coffee to be smooth and sweet with a blackberry finish. The coffee is smooth and has a rich mouthfeel.

Coffee Highlights

  • High grade coffee
  • Grown at altitudes between 1400-1750 meters in Huila, Colombia
  • Taste notes: sweet with blackberry finish
  • Suggested roast: take your pick!

6. Colombian Supremo Unroasted Green Raw Coffee Beans

Stone Street coffee is our next seller candidate for the coveted Colombian Supremo. They’ve got nice packaging and allow a fair bit of options in package sizes. As is conventional for the supremo, this coffee grown in the Colombian Andes has a great taste. 

Expect this high grade 100% arabica coffee to have a rich taste and aroma. The smooth coffee has afternotes of sweet taste and medium body. Roast it to light or medium to unlock the best flavor and aroma of this coffee.

Coffee Highlights

  • High grade, 100% arabica coffee
  • High altitude coffee grown in the Colombian Andes
  • Taste notes: sweet with medium body
  • Suggested roast: light or medium

7. Martini Coffee Roasters Unroasted Green Coffee Bean Sampler Pack

Want to try smaller packs for home roasting rather than going big right away? Well, the Martini Coffee Roasters Unroasted Green Coffee Bean Sampler Pack has the answers. I’d say it’s not just a sampler pack, but a very useful variety pack for the occasional roaster. 

You get to enjoy some of the best raw coffee beans available. There is a choice of different flavors and locations with your purchase. You could pick African and Central American beans. 

With the choicest beans they make available, either of these choices delivers some of the best beans in the world. My suggestion is to pick the “Original Sampler” option. It has beans from both regions and they are pretty darn good!

Coffee Highlights

  • High grade, 100% arabica coffee
  • Choicest coffee sourced from most popular regions globally
  • Taste notes: vary with the choice of coffee
  • Suggested roast: varies with the choice of coffee

8. Ajuvo World Market Ethiopian Sidamo Coffee

Only coffee from the Sidamo region of Ethiopia gets to use this name. As such, you can expect the taste of the coffee to be delicious and unique. Expect the taste notes of blueberry with some nutty and earthy tastes mixed in.

A dark roast works best for these gourmet coffee beans. According to the seller, these are 100% organic coffee beans sourced through a fair trade system.

Coffee Highlights

  • High grade, 100% arabica coffee
  • Unique taste
  • Taste notes: blueberry with hints of nutty and earthy notes
  • Suggested roast: dark roast

9. Anthony’s Organic Unroasted Whole Green Coffee Beans

Anthony’s Organic Unroasted Whole Green Coffee Beans come from high altitude regions of Mexico. Grown in Mexico’s southern mountain ranges, the beans get a rich taste and bold flavor. These beans are certified organic and gluten-free. The beans have an excellent aroma while roasting, which shows off in the cup of coffee as well.

Coffee Highlights

  • Good quality 100% arabica coffee
  • High altitude coffee grown at the altitude of 4,000-4,500 feet
  • Suggested roast: any

10. Diesel Coffee Company, “Brazil Cerrado” Green Raw Unroasted Whole Coffee Beans

Brazil Cerrado Coffee beans from Diesel Coffee Company are quite the pick for espresso lovers. These beans have the quality of taking well to espresso roasts and dark roasts. They have good resilience and don’t turn bitter that easily. 

The mild and balanced flavor with low acidity is quite a pick for enjoying coffee. Expect the coffee to have notes of chocolaty caramel with a bittersweet touch. 

Coffee Highlights

  • 100% arabica beans
  • Balanced flavor with low acidity
  • Taste notes: nutty with caramel and chocolate
  • Suggested roast: any

11. Dean’s Beans Organic Coffee Company, Peruvian Green Coffee (Decaf)

This is our choice of the best decaf option to pick for raw coffee beans. Dean’s Beans Organic Coffee Company, Peruvian Green Coffee (Decaf) is a masterful decaf. Though it is decaf, the beans don’t lose much of their original flavor. That means you can still get a great cup of coffee with these beans, with the delicious goodness of Peruvian coffee.

The shade-grown coffee is 100% USDA certified organic. The decaf process involves water and tries to minimize wastage and be as eco-friendly as possible.

Coffee Highlights

  • 100% arabica
  • Certified USDA organic, fair trade, and kosher
  • Decaf green beans
  • Excellent taste and aroma
  • Suggested roast: any

Picking The Right Green Bean Unroasted Coffee

Can I Make Coffee With Green Beans?

You cannot brew regular coffee with green beans. They must first be roasted to be made ready for use as conventional coffee. Grinding green beans or using them for coffee right away is likely to be a crime against your tastebuds.

Where To Buy Unroasted Coffee Beans?

Generally speaking, the best place to buy is a local store. You’ll likely get a better price and will be able to see harvest dates and make a better decision. There’s also the advantage of seeing and checking the condition and quality of the beans.

However, most brick and mortar locations tend to prefer wholesale over retail for green beans. For home roasting, it might be more advantageous to buy online. Green beans aren’t quite widely available. So, there’s always a possibility that your town or city may not have any sellers.

The trend is changing with the increasing popularity of the beans, so think of checking locally.

How To Roast Green Beans?

If you’re new to roasting, start with small batches of 2-5oz and roast them to various levels. Go all the way from light to dark roast and see how they perform. Experience and practice are the best ways to learn roasting.

It’s also useful to learn nomenclature. It’s not necessarily light, medium, or dark roast. You’ll also find city roast, American roast, French roast, Vienna roast, breakfast roast, etc. Knowing the nomenclature and the best roast for the beans goes a long way in roasting them right.

The roasting process isn’t long and usually lasts less than 20 minutes. Specialized equipment is rarely necessary. If you have a well-stocked kitchen, you’ll likely have everything needed for roasting. However, it’s good to understand how to go about roasting coffee beans. 

Well sourced and prepared beans are the key to a good roast and general use. Even if you’re new and want to experiment, it’s better to pick a known brand and location. While a random selection may be cheaper, the results are likely to be unpredictable. That kind of ruins the whole experiment and experience.

Think of more popular options like Sumatra, Sidamo, or other high-quality beans. 

How Much Caffeine In Green Coffee Beans?

Green beans typically have lower caffeine content as compared to roasted beans. Roasting them enhances their caffeine content and makes it readily available. On average, you can expect somewhere between 20-50mg of caffeine from 8oz green coffee beans.

Health Benefits Of Unroasted Green Beans

A lot of health benefits of green beans are touted. Remember, while coffee has impressive health benefits, it’s not meant to be used as a tonic or medicine. Besides, the average person trying to get health benefits out of this is likely to get poor results.

Weight Loss With Green Coffee

Green coffee is often claimed to be a magical weight-loss recipe. The idea is that you drink the coffee and it burns off fat. Who needs a gym or a diet? Well, anyone who actually wants to lose weight does. 

Theoretically, green coffee should help. However, most of the supplements and methods available are non-scientific and/or not approved. So don’t fall into that trap and try to use more established methods rather than easy “magical” cures.

Green Coffee Has Higher Chlorogenic Acid

Chlorogenic acid has tons of potential health benefits. These include lowering cholesterol and better management of blood pressure. When the coffee is roasted, its chlorogenic acid count reduces, and thus the benefits are lower.

Again, this is true theoretically. But don’t use this as medical advice, unless your doctor suggests you take green coffee. There are associated risks as well, so it is better to let a professional enlighten you on this issue.

Storing Unroasted Coffee Beans

Unroasted beans are very sensitive to moisture. It’s best to store them in an airtight container, away from heat and light. Some people prefer to store them in a fridge, and that’s okay. 

Just remember that the fridge may encourage condensation on the container. This could mess with the moisture level inside the container, thus risking your beans. I suggest that unless it is absolutely necessary, you pick a regular cool and dry place for storage. And yes, an airtight container too.

Which Is The Bean To Buy?

Roasting your own coffee is rewarding. Plus, it’s aromatic and fills the house with a remarkable aroma. Choosing the right unroasted bean is the key. You don’t simply have to roast them, you also get to brew them fresh for a great cup of coffee.

My top choice for this category is Primos Coffee Co. Single Origin Unroasted Green Coffee Beans, Those who want variety should pick Martini Coffee Roasters Unroasted Green Coffee Bean Sampler Pack. Another choice for great coffee beans is Stone Street Colombian Supremo Unroasted Green Raw Coffee Beans.

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