Green coffee beans might be the next coffee trend that you don’t want to miss out on. And they are especially interesting because they can be utilized in a few different ways.
At a Glance: Best Green Coffee Beans And Grounds
If you are thrilled by the idea of having control over every step of coffee-making, you might be interested in trying home coffee roasting. Did you know that you can even roast your green coffee beans in a popcorn popper? Or you might have heard about the health benefits of green beans and want to try them out as a supplement for weight loss.
Whatever the reason, we have sourced the best green coffee beans online, for both ambitious home roasters or health enthusiasts. We will also answer the most common questions about home coffee roasting, health benefits, and give you all the essential information about unroasted green beans.
Quick Summary: Best Green Coffee Beans
 | Our Top Choice
Fresh Roasted Coffee Columbian Supremo
| Check on Amazon → |
 | Lavanta Coffee Roasters | Check on Amazon → |
 | Primos Green Coffee Beans | Check on Amazon → |
 | Heirloom Coffee Papua New Guinea Green Coffee Beans | Check on Amazon → |
 | Ajuvo World Market Green Coffee Beans | Check on Amazon → |
 | Health Embassy Green Coffee Beans | Check on Amazon → |
 | Purely Inspired Green Coffee Beans | Check on Amazon → |
What Are Green Coffee Beans?
Green coffee beans are simply coffee beans that haven’t been roasted. This is how they come out of the coffee cherries. While looking different, the green beans also taste different because most of the taste that we experience in our morning cup is acquired during the roasting process.
So consuming unroasted green coffee gives the drink a completely different texture and taste as well as a bigger caffeine boost, since none of the caffeine content is lost during the roasting.
When stored properly, the unroasted coffee beans can last a lot longer, for up to 6 months to a year. They also tend to be cheaper. So you can buy them in bulk, roast them in small batches and still have fresh-roasted specialty coffee at home for months.
The extract from the green coffee beans can be also used as a dietary supplement because of their chemical composition which is claimed to help with weight loss benefits. More on that later.
What To Do With Them?
You got yourself the best-unroasted coffee beans online and now you’re wondering what to do with them. We’ll tell you all the tips, whether you’re keen to start exploring the process of home coffee roasting or you want to experiment with making a drink with unroasted coffee beans.
When Roasting
As it is true of every step of production that comes before you can enjoy your delicious cup of coffee in the morning, the roasting process is not that simple and requires a certain level of expertise. But if you’re keen to start roasting your specialty coffee at home, we’ll give you some basic rules and advice to follow.
Always roast coffee in small batches. This gives you more control over the delicate process, and inevitably, less waste if things don’t go too well.
The first change you’ll observe when roasting coffee is that the beans start turning yellow and have an earthy and grassy smell. Then they start releasing water and begin to crack, which is when the sugar in the beans caramelizes and the smell becomes very noticeable. If you stop the roasting process here, you will have a city roast.
If you keep roasting, the coffee beans will keep getting darker and there’ll be more cracking. If there’s smoke emitting from the beans, you are reaching the French roast. This is where you should stop. If you keep roasting beyond this stage, the beans are going to be burnt and the coffee will taste unpleasant and undrinkable.
When Not Roasting
When you buy green coffee beans, you don’t necessarily need to roast them. If you are interested in a different coffee experience, try preparing a hot drink using unroasted coffee beans.
There are two methods:
- Ground – After grinding the beans into a powder, add 2-3 teaspoons to a mug with hot water and let it soak for 10 minutes before straining the liquid with a fine sieve.
- Whole bean – When using whole unroasted coffee beans, soak them overnight first, then bring the water with the beans to boil and let it simmer for around 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. After that, let it cool completely before straining the liquid.
A mug of coffee prepared this way tastes different from the coffee you’re used to. It has a much milder taste that is closer to herbal tea rather than coffee. The drink doesn’t taste rich and strong as it is typical for roasted coffee, but light and refreshing.
How Does Roasting Affect The Taste?
Freshness
The freshness of the roast makes a significant difference to the taste in your cup. But it is not the best idea to drink the coffee as soon as you roast it either.
The roasting generates a lot for carbon dioxide which is the reason why the fresh-roasted coffee beans need to sit for around 7 days in order for the chemical to be eliminated. If you try to prepare the beans shortly after roasting, the coffee will taste unpleasant and sour. After the 7 days is when you get the freshest cup.
The freshest cup doesn’t last long though. As soon as the carbon dioxide dissipates, the oxidation begins, the coffee starts going stale, and the flavor deteriorates. Then, it’s best to try to use up the coffee as soon as possible. As soon as the coffee is more than 4 weeks old (after the roasting date), it is pretty much expired and unusable.
Type Of Roast
The freshness is not the only thing that you need to be concerned about when roasting coffee. The freedom to decide what type of roast you want for your unroasted coffee beans might be the main reason for trying home coffee roasting.
Being able to choose the roast level gives you the room to experiment with different types of roast. You can observe how the roasting changes the flavor of the coffee beans, even though the beans are the same.
Normally, the coffee is recommended to be roasted dark for your espresso, which brings out the darker, stronger, and sweeter characteristics, that are known to work well when mixed with milk. If you’re preparing your coffee in a pour-over method, medium or even light roast is recommended, since they showcase the more delicate flavor notes hidden inside the bean.
Some brewing methods allow for experimentation and the roast profile you choose depends on your preference, such as Aeropress. So when you buy unroasted green coffee beans of your favorite single-origin, you can decide on the roast as well as use the same beans for two different types of roasts and brewing methods too.
Health Benefits And Risks
The coffee aficionados are not the only ones interested in green coffee beans. The unroasted coffee beans have a different chemical profile than roasted coffee. The abundant supply of chlorogenic acids is responsible for the belief that they can be classified as a form of superfood and a weight loss supplement.
The chlorogenic acids, which are normally lost during the roasting process, contribute to the potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that are supposed to provide health benefits, affect how the body handles blood sugar as well as improve metabolism.
Weight Loss Benefits
The belief that green coffee has an array of weight loss benefits was popularised when first presented as a miracle weight loss supplement by an Americal celebrity physician Dr. Oz. Since then, many health experts have refuted this notion but green coffee remains a popular supplement.
While the studies with mice have been successful and resulted in their reduced weight, the research results conducted with humans are not so consistent and don’t provide any definitive evidence.
Chronic Diseases
Apart from the weight loss properties, the chlorogenic acid found in green coffee is believed to help to reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes or heart disease, especially by stabilizing the glucose levels in the body.
Risks
Green coffee beans are considered to be safe and most of its health risks are related to caffeine. Caffeine is not dangerous when consumed at moderate amounts. In fact, the intake of 400mg of caffeine a day is considered to be a safe amount for most adults.
However, caffeine can be dangerous in high doses and cause health risks such as sleep disturbances, anxiety, and increased blood pressure. In research conditions, mice also experienced significant calcium depletion which could mean that green coffee may negatively affect bone health.
Best Green Coffee Beans
Fresh Roasted Coffee Colombian Green Unroasted Coffee
Colombian coffee is everybody’s favorite single-origin so it would be a safe go-to for those embarking on a journey of roasting their beans at home.
The Fresh Roasted Coffee company pays exceptional attention to sourcing and their Arabica beans are selected from ethical farmers and growers. They are extensively sampled and tested to ensure the best quality and contain no additives, artificial flavors, or preservatives.
The flavor profile of these coffee beans includes honey and cherry notes, together with a balanced mouthfeel. The light roast highlights sweet and citrusy essence and when roasted dark, you can expect a much deeper and complex flavor.
Lavanta Coffee Roasters Costa Rica Tarrazu Green Coffee
A smaller 2-pound bag of 100% high-grade Arabica beans showcase the flavors of Costa Rican coffee which is smooth, light, clean, and has an incredible aroma.
Lavanta Coffee Roasters ensure that the unroasted coffee beans are direct trade and support the producers and farmers, especially focusing on women producers.
For a strictly high bean coffee that is grown at an altitude of above 4,000 feet, we recommend a light to a medium roast profile that would highlight its delicate flavors. The coffee is full-bodied, with chocolate notes and hints of citrus, featuring a light and bright finish.
Primos Coffee Single Origin Unroasted Green Coffee Beans
The green coffee beans from Nicaragua by Primos Coffee are classified as high-bean and shade-grown. They are fully washed and naturally dried. The unroasted coffee beans are consistent quality, are produced sustainably, and have an ideal moisture content of 11-13%.
The unroasted green coffee beans are recommended for a medium roast that would showcase its delicate tasting notes and a gentle well-balanced profile. This coffee from Central America has a citrus acidity and pleasant cacao notes with a deep crema profile.
Heirloom Coffee Papua New Guinea Organic Wild-Grown Unroasted Green Coffee Beans
The Papua New Guinea coffee from Heirloom Coffee is hand-selected and notable for its high-quality of very large and dense beans that are classified premium grade. They are as large as the Kenya AA variety. The premium quality is boosted by its developed flavors thanks to the ideal growing conditions of volcanic rainforest soil in the shade and the highest altitude.
You can choose from a 1 pound, 3 pounds or a 10-pound bag, depending on your preferences. The flavor notes of this organic natural coffee are smooth, buttery, and mellow which makes it suitable for a variety of roasts and gives you a lot of room for experimenting with your home coffee roasting.
Ajuvo World Market Ethiopian Sidamo Coffee Green Unroasted Coffee
We couldn’t give you a list of the best-unroasted coffee beans and not to include a representative from Africa. African coffee has a unique fruity and floral profile, so it would be fun to experiment with when roasting it at home.
The organic and Fair Trade coffee from the popular Sidamo region in Ethiopia has a unique flavor and a sweet aftertaste. As expected, the tasting notes are bright, floral, not bitter or acidic, with a slight chocolate aftertaste. That’s why it’s usually recommended for a medium roast.
With options to choose from 1-pound, 2 or 5-pound bag, this coffee provides high quality at a low price. A great opportunity to enjoy a premium fresh roasted coffee on a budget.
The Best Green Coffee – Not For Roasting
As mentioned earlier, roasting is not the only option of how to utilize green coffee beans. So we’ve included a couple of additional options, one powdered and one in a capsule form.
Health Embassy Ground Green Coffee Bean 100% Natural
For those who want to explore what unroasted coffee beans taste like, the Health Embassy provides a high-quality powdered green coffee that has no additives and is full of nutrients that provide a boost for your body.
To make a hot beverage using this powder, mix 2-3 teaspoons of ground green coffee with a mug of hot water. Let it steep for around 5-15 minutes, depending on the taste, and then strain the hot liquid through a fine sieve or a filter.
Expect a different taste to what you get with fresh-roasted coffee. The green coffee tastes earthy and grassy, so we recommend adding some honey, stevia, or cinnamon to improve the taste. Some people also mix the green coffee powder with matcha powder to create a super-boosted green latte.
Purely Inspired Green Coffee Bean, Weight Loss Supplement
If the grassy taste of powdered green coffee beans doesn’t sound inviting to you but you still want to enjoy the nutritional benefits of the green unroasted coffee bean, the capsule version from Purely Inspired might be a good choice.
A pack of 100 tablets with 400mg of green coffee in each one provides ultra potency and convenient use. The tablets are also non-stimulant, which is great news for those who are sensitive to caffeine.
These capsules with green unroasted coffee bean extract are advertised and sold as a weight-loss supplement. They claim their formula is backed by two studies and taking three tablets 30 minutes before eating combined with a low-calorie diet is bound to produce the desired results.
Does It Work?
The limited research that suggests that we cannot be sure how much the green coffee beans work for weight loss is appropriately reflected by mixed reviews. While some people say it is a complete waste of money, others report a reduction in weight and a slimmer waistline.
While green coffee beans might not provide a magic cure for weight loss, a significant amount of reviews say that they do a great job at controlling sugar cravings. This means that this supplement from green unroasted coffee beans could help to prevent heart disease and diabetes by improving metabolism and reducing blood pressure.
How To Store Coffee?
Once you have succeeded in making fresh-roasted coffee at home, it’s important to store it properly to make the coffee beans last as long as possible.
The main enemies of your fresh coffee beans are heat, air, moisture, and light, so it’s best to try to minimize the exposure to these elements. The coffee beans are best stored in an airtight container, preferably made out of glass, metal, or ceramic material.
And while it used to be believed that coffee beans should be stored in the home freezer, this is not true. In the freezer, the coffee is exposed to excessive moisture and additionally, is also prone to absorbing unwanted flavors from your freezer. And nobody wants that.
The Bottom Line
Whether you’re looking to buy some unroasted green coffee beans because you’re an ambitious home roaster and you want to experiment what roast profile will best suit your preferences, or you’re interested in the green coffee beans for its health-promoting properties, we’ve researched the best ones we could find.
While the weight loss benefits of these coffee beans are not certain and more research is needed before the miraculous effects can be confirmed, there is no doubt in the benefit of freshly roasting your coffee beans in terms of flavor.
If you want to experience your favorite coffee in its best condition, one week after the roasting is the perfect time to enjoy its authentic flavors. Roasting the coffee beans yourself also allows you to experiment with different levels and brewing methods.
Will you give home coffee roasting a go?
Stay caffeinated!
