Surprisingly to many people, coffee beans don’t start with that mesmerizing brown tone and powerful aroma. They’re actually harvested as green beans before they’re roasted to reach their lovely brown color.
Lots of people like to get green beans and roast them at home. It allows them to better control the flavor and the richness of their coffee as they wish.
In this article, we’ve gathered for you a list of the best green coffee beans. They shall make your next coffee roasting experience more enjoyable and rewarding.
In This Guide...
Our Top Green Coffee Beans
These are our top 9 unroasted green coffee beans with different origins. Each has its special mix of flavors and aromas:
We've grouped them into helpful categories for you, and found the best in each and every one.
Now, let's take a closer look at these great green coffee beans.
CoCoffee Nicaragua Coffee Beans (Best Green Coffee Bean for Roasting Beginners)
CoCoffee offers single-origin unroasted green coffee beans from the farms of Nicaragua. They’re Arabica coffee grown in high altitudes with lots of shade to improve their density.
These beans are versatile with a good-roasting range. They can be roasted to any level from city to full city which makes them convenient for home-roasting beginners.
These beans are of premium grade and have less than 5 defects for every 300 grams. They’re made of the same size to roast evenly.
Moreover, they can be roasted for Italian and espresso and shall give you a fresh taste and a smooth body with a chocolate hint. They can also be considered extra caffeinated for some.
Specs
- Weight: 3 pounds
- Origin: Nicaragua
Pros
- Have a 60-day guarantee
- Have a wide roasting range
- Have less than 5 defects per 300 grams
Cons
- Not available in larger packages
Primos Coffee Co. Green Coffee Beans (Best Budget-Friendly Green Coffee Beans)
Primos’ beans are harvested from a four-generation-family farm in the mountains of Jinotega, Nicaragua. They’re grown under the shades of trees and harvested manually. The beans are then fully washed and naturally dried.
These Arabica beans are of specialty grade with 5 or fewer defect rates. There are no primary defects within every 300 grams with a moisture content between 11 to 13%.
The manufacturer’s recommended roast profile is medium, which is also known as city or regular.
Most of the Amazon reviews praised their smooth outcome with the cocoa and caramel notes. Primos also have a low acidic taste with minimal bitterness, even when fully roasted.
Specs
- Weight: 3 pounds
- Origin: Nicaragua
Pros
- Budget-friendly
- Single-origin beans
- Have non-primary defects per 300 grams
Cons
- Not eligible for refunding
Get more information on Primos Coffee Co. Green Coffee Beans
Morning Hills Green Coffee Beans (Best Ethiopian)
Morning Hills beans are harvested from family-owned farms in Kochere district in Ethiopia. They’re Arabica coffee that was grown in acidic soils rich with iron.
The recommended roast profile for these beans is light since they contain high caffeine levels. Yet, you can try the medium and darker roast if you’re not a fan of light coffee.
Whichever profile you choose, you’ll get a fresh, smooth coffee with a pleasant aftertaste and floral tone. The dark roast can give a slightly bitter feel.
The beans are shipped in Kraft bags with a resealable zipper to keep the beans in a good condition. This eliminates the need for storing the beans in another sealing bag or jar.
Specs
- Weight: 1 pound
- Origin: Ethiopia
Pros
- Single-origin beans
- Come in a durable sealing bag
- Harvested from Ethiopian family-owned farms
Cons
- Relatively expensive for similar products
Get more information on Morning Hills Green Coffee Beans
Fresh Roasted Coffee Brazilian Coffee Beans (Best Green Coffee Beans from Brazil)
This is another single-origin coffee, but this time from the Brazillian farms. These Brazillian Cerrado coffee beans are Kosher, USDA organic, and come in a uniform bean size with minimal defects.
The beans are suitable to be roasted and blended at home. Their recommended roast profile is anything from medium to dark. Don't let the name deceive you, the company who distributes them is called Fresh Roasted, they are green and un-roasted.
Whatever roast you choose, it’ll result in a smooth coffee with a nutty flavor and chocolate, cinnamon, and caramel hints with a low-acidic taste.
Specs
- Weight: 5 pounds
- Origin: Brazil
Pros
- Suitable for various roasting levels
- Affordable
- Have uniform bean size
Cons
- They can’t be returned
Get more information on Fresh Roasted Coffee Brazilian Coffee Beans
Martini Coffee Roasters Single Origin beans (Best Burundi Unroasted Beans)
Martini’s green unroasted coffee beans are raw, versatile Arabica beans. They come from single-origin African farms in Burundi.
These green beans are suitable for home roasting. They can be roasted on any profile, whether light, medium, or dark. This makes them super easy for novices.
The Burundi beans have a special complex rich flavor with a hint of juicy berries. It’s certainly worth trying if you haven’t explored that genre before.
Specs
- Weight: 1 pound
- Origin: Burundi
Pros
- Versatile green coffee beans
- Suitable for home roasting
- Come from single-origin farms
Cons
- Not the most budget-friendly option
CofiCafe Green Unroasted Coffee Beans (Best Raw Coffee Beans from Columbia)
The CofiCafe is another great single-origin choice. They’re Colombian Tatama beans which are known for their creamy body and floral tones. They also have the fruity fragrance of apple, honey, nutmeg, and panela.
After harvesting, the beans are washed and sun-dried. Their recommended roast profile is medium or regular to give a tasty outcome. It’s also suitable for a dark roast.
CofiCafe, as a company, is among the manufacturers that have quality certifications including the Fairtrade certification. Would be a good call if you’re interested in environment-friendly products.
Specs
- Weight: 2-pound and 6-pound packs are available
- Origin: Colombia
Pros
- Single-origin coffee beans
- Have a uniform bean size
- Have a rich fruity fragrance
Cons
- Relatively expensive
Get more information on CofiCafe Green Unroasted Coffee Beans
Anthony’s Organic Green Coffee (Best Mexican Raw Coffee Beans)
Anthony’s beans are raw Mexican Altura Arabica beans. Since they’re gluten-free, they’ll be a safe choice if you’re gluten-intolerant.
They‘re made in rich volcanic Mexican soil at high altitudes, which allows the coffee beans to grow slowly and become denser. The word “Altura” actually means “height” in Spanish. They’re then imported and packed in California.
These beans are also USDA-certified organic beans. You can roast and grind them to any desired level of your choice. They would give you a robust flavor and a pleasant fragrance. When given a light-medium roast, they also give brown sugar, almond, and caramel notes.
Specs
- Weight: 2 pounds
- Origin: Mexico
Pros
- Gluten-free beans
- USDA-certified organic beans
- Suitable for any roasting level
Cons
- Product can’t be returned
Get more information on Anthony’s Organic Green Coffee
Smokin Beans Central American Coffee Beans (Best Guatemalan Green Coffee Beans)
The Smokin Beans’ unroasted green coffee comes as premium Arabica coffee that was harvested from Guatemala in the San Marcos region.
Smokin Beans chooses to grow the crops shaded in the rich volcanic soil of the Finca Nueva Granada farm. The raw green beans are then washed before going through drying and milling processes.
The Smokin Beans’ product has a mix of rich flavor that combines dark chocolate, cinnamon, butter, raisins, and toasted nuts. These hard green beans are suitable for home roasting. They can be roasted to any level you prefer and would give you a smooth body with a chocolate taste.
Specs
- Weight: 5 pounds
- Origin: Guatemala
Pros
- Budget-friendly
- Come with a reusable burlap bag
- Have a mix of rich flavors
Cons
- Requires more heat than other South American varieties
Heirloom Green Unroasted Coffee Beans (Best Costa Rican)
The Heirloom green coffee beans come from the Costa Rican Dota estate. They’re grown at high altitudes of 6000 ft in volcanic soil. The beans are semi-washed and sun-dried before delivery.
These beans are known to be strictly hard with dense and deep color. They can be roasted in a wide range of temperatures from light or medium roast to full city or dark.
The beans have honey, caramel, and brown sugar tones. Although they’re strongly caffeinated, they have no bitter taste.
Specs
- Weight: 1 pound
- Origin: Costa Rica
Pros
- Suitable for different roasting temperatures
- Single-origin coffee beans
- Have a wide roasting range
Cons
- Relatively expensive
Get more information on Heirloom Green Unroasted Coffee Beans
What to Consider Before Getting Unroasted Green Coffee Beans?
There are essential aspects that you need to take care of when purchasing green coffee beans. This should help you make the right purchase and prolong the lifetime of the beans.
Storing
A fresh batch and an old batch of the same manufacturers can be extremely different. It’s crucial to always know the harvest and delivery date before you make your purchase.
Storingat home is also an essential step in the home-roasting process. For your beans not to get spoiled or lose flavor, you have to store them in proper conditions.
To keep them away from moisture, put your beans in a sealed bag or glass jar. Keep them in a dry and dark cupboard. In good conditions, your beans shall last from 6 months to a whole year.
Recommended Roasting Level
A lot of manufacturers provide their clients with info on the convenient roasting level of their product. In that case, it’s better to follow the given instructions to save your money and effort.
However, some green beans’ products are versatile and suitable for different roasting rates. Therefore, it’s better to experiment carefully with different rates before you can reach your favorable taste. Just try to avoid overroasting and burning the beans.
Health Issues
Though green coffee is said to help with many health issues like blood pressure, diabetes, and weight loss; it’s important not to expect that from any random manufacturer.
Some manufacturers clarify that their beans aren’t FDA-approved. Therefore, their products shouldn’t be considered as medical treatments.
Choosing the Best Green Coffee Beans
Raw green coffee beans have many varieties depending on their origin. Each type would give different flavors and aromas.
Let's take a look at these great beans one more time:
While you really can't go wrong with any green coffee beans on this list, remember the con to most of these beans, they cannot be returned.
So we came up with a couple of options for you if you're nervous about the plunge into the world of roasting coffee to get you started.
We picked the CoCoffee Nicaragua Coffee Beans as a top pick for having a wide roasting range that provides different special tastes. It also has a 60-day guarantee with no risks or obligations, unlike many other coffee products.
For a more budget-friendly option, you can go with Primos Coffee Co. Green Coffee Beans. They’re rich Nicaraguan green coffee beans with a low defect rate.
Now that you have some great green coffee beans it is time to roast them!
Don't forget to check out our favorite coffee grinders for those fresh roasted beans, as well as some instructions for making delicious French press coffee with your fresh beans.