After planting, it takes 3 to 4 years before it is harvested. Which is why there is one major harvest a year and it is bright red. In most countries, the red fruit is picked by hand in a labor intensive. Although in some places like Brazil where fhsy have a relatively flat surface and the harvest is wuite large, it has now been mechanised. Either by hand or machine, there are two ways to to pick the fruits which are

1. Stripped picking; in this process, all the fruits are picked from thd branches eithsd by hand or mechanically

2. Selectively picking; here, only the ripe fruits are picked from the branches. Then subsequently farmers come and pick out the next set of ripe fruits every eight to ten days.

The next stage is the processing stage after the fruits have been brought to the mill. Processing must begin immediately in order for the cherries not to spoil. One of two ways are adopted to process the cherries..

1. Dry method; here, the fruits are spread out to dry under the sun, especially in areas where water is scarce. This method is old but is still used in such countries which experience drought. The seed are raked all day while umder the sun to aid in the drying and prevent spoilage. This is done until the water in the cherry has reduced to 11%

2. Wef method; this method removes the pulp from the coffee cherry after harvesting so the bean is dried with only the parchment skin left on. First, the freshly harvested cherries are passed through a pulping machine to separate the skin and pulp from the bean.

Then the beans are separated by weight as they pass through water channels. The lighter beans float to the top, while the heavier ripe beans sink to the bottom. They are passed through a series of rotating drums which separate them by size.

After separation, the beans are transported to large, water-filled fermentation tanks. Depending on a combination of factors -- such as the condition of the beans, the climate and the altitude -- they will remain in these tanks for anywhere from 12 to 48 hours to remove the slick layer of mucilage (called the parenchyma) that is still attached to the parchment. While resting in the tanks, naturally occurring enzymes will cause this layer to dissolve.

When fermentation is complete, the beans feel rough to the touch. The beans are rinsed by going through additional water channels, and are ready for drying.

The next stage is the milling process.

Before being exported, parchment coffee is processed in the following manner:

Hulling machinery removes the parchment layer (endocarp) from wet processed coffee. Hulling dry processed coffee refers to removing the entire dried husk — the exocarp, mesocarp and endocarp — of the dried cherries.

Polishing is an optional process where any silver skin that remains on the beans after hulling is removed by machine. While polished beans are considered superior to unpolished ones, in reality, there is little difference between the two.

Grading and Sorting is done by size and weight, and beans are also reviewed for color flaws or other imperfections.

Beans are sized by being passed through a series of screens. They are also sorted pneumatically by using an air jet to separate heavy from light beans.

The beans are now exported and called green beans after which it is tasted by people. Coffee is repeatedly tested for quality and taste. This process is referred to as cupping and usually takes place in a room specifically designed to facilitate the process.

First, the taster — usually called the cupper — evaluates the beans for their overall visual quality. The beans are then roasted in a small laboratory roaster, immediately ground and infused in boiling water with carefully-controlled temperature. The cupper noses the brew to experience its aroma, an essential step in judging the coffee's quality.

After letting the coffee rest for several minutes, the cupper breaks the crust by pushing aside the grounds at the top of the cup. Again, the coffee is nosed before the tasting begins.

To taste the coffee, the cupper slurps a spoonful with a quick inhalation. The objective is to spray the coffee evenly over the cupper's taste buds, and then weigh it on the tongue before spitting it out.

Samples from a variety of batches and different beans are tasted daily. Coffees are not only analyzed to determine their characteristics and flaws, but also for the purpose of blending different beans or creating the proper roast. An expert cupper can taste hundreds of samples of coffee a day and still taste the subtle differences between them.

Finally, the beans are roasted and then cooled by air or water.