Green coffee

Green coffee beans and roasting at home: a beginner's guide

Updated 6 November 2026

Green coffee is the raw, unroasted seed. It keeps far longer than roasted coffee, and roasting it yourself is a fun hobby that lets you choose every origin and roast level.

Is green coffee like green tea?

Not quite. Green tea is a finished drink. Green coffee beans are hard, grassy raw seeds that need roasting before you can grind and brew them in the normal way.

How long green coffee keeps

Most specialty roasters consider green coffee fresh for 6 to 12 months; after a year, when the next harvest arrives, it is called "past crop". The International Coffee Organization recommends a moisture content between 8% and 12.5%, and roasters aim for about 12%. Store it at around 20 °C and 60 to 65% humidity, in the dark, away from heat, moisture and air. Old green coffee tastes flat, papery, woody or like straw or burlap.

Roasting at home: the basics

1. Start small with a dedicated home roaster, or a pan or oven for a first try.
2. Watch and listen. First crack at about 196 °C means you've reached a light roast. Second crack at about 224 °C means dark. Stop between them for a medium roast.
3. Cool quickly once you reach your colour.
4. Let it rest. Fresh beans release a lot of gas. Sweet Maria's suggests that espresso from home roasts often tastes best after about 5 to 7 days.

What to buy to start

You need green beans, a way to roast and a grinder. Begin with forgiving origins like Brazil or Colombia. Search green coffee beans on Amazon · Search home coffee roasters on Amazon

← All coffee origins