The coffee bean is actually the seed of the coffee plant, and is found within the fruit of the coffee tree. The fruit is almost always harvested by hand, as this allows growers to maximize the amount of ripe coffee harvested, leaving the green berries for a later harvest.

Once harvested, the fruit is stripped to reveal the bean inside. These beans are washed and dried to prepare them for further processing. The next step in the process is called milling, where the final layers of dry skin are removed from the beans and they are sorted by size, density, and color.

Now the beans are ready to be roasted. The roasting process causes the beans to expand and produce the characteristic coffee aroma and flavor. Beans are typically roasted at temperatures between 370 and 540 degrees Fahrenheit, for anywhere from three to thirty minutes. The longer the beans are roasted, the darker the coffee tends to be. There are many different factors which come into play during the roasting process which are designed to highlight certain flavor characteristics. Roasters often follow complex recipes detailing changes in time and temperature which are intended to bring out certain flavors, or to adjust the body and complexity of the coffee.

Once the roasting process is complete, the beans are cooled and stabilized to get them ready for packaging. They are most often packaged in light-resistant bags which also serve to protect the beans from moisture and oxygen.

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