How to Buy Green Coffee Beans:
The Specialty Roaster's Handbook

The Green Coffee Buying Process: An Overview

Buying specialty green coffee for the first time — or establishing a more systematic approach — can feel complex. There are decisions about origins, varietals, processing methods, lot sizes, pricing, lead times, and supplier relationships, all of which interact with each other. This guide breaks the process into manageable stages so you can build a sourcing programme that works at your scale.

Step 1: Define Your Quality Floor and Price Ceiling

Before approaching any supplier, set two non-negotiable parameters: your minimum acceptable SCA score, and your maximum landed cost per kilogram. These two numbers define the universe of coffees available to you and prevent you from falling in love with a lot that doesn't work commercially.

For most independent specialty roasters, an 84 SCA floor is appropriate for single origin retail. Espresso-focused programmes can sometimes work with 82–83. For premium or competition use, target 86+. Your price ceiling depends on your retail pricing and margin requirements — work backwards from what you need to charge per cup or per bag to determine what you can pay for green.

Step 2: Choose Your Origins

Start with one or two origins you know well or have a clear market for, then expand. Trying to offer eight single origins as a small roastery spreads your green inventory thin, increases waste risk, and dilutes your expertise. Depth beats breadth — being known for excellent Tanzania coffee is more valuable than stocking twelve origins at average quality.

When evaluating origins, consider: altitude (higher generally means more complexity and acidity), varietal (Bourbon, SL28, NY11, Gesha all behave differently in the roaster), processing method (washed for clarity, natural for fruit and body), and seasonal availability (fresh crop vs. old crop matters for cup quality and shelf life).

Step 3: Find and Evaluate Suppliers

A good green coffee supplier should be able to tell you: which specific farm, cooperative, or washing station the coffee comes from; the SCA score and who conducted the cupping; the harvest date and current moisture content; and what volume is available and at what price. If a supplier can't answer these questions, that's a signal about their supply chain depth.

Prioritise suppliers who offer samples before commitment, provide full score sheets, and are willing to discuss their sourcing relationships. Direct trade arrangements — where the exporter has a direct relationship with the farming cooperative — typically offer better traceability and more consistent quality than spot market purchases.

Step 4: Request and Evaluate Samples

Never commit to a volume purchase without sampling first. A reputable supplier will provide 200–500g of green for evaluation. Roast the sample light-to-medium to reveal origin character, rest it for 24 hours, and cup it using SCA protocol. Compare your findings against the supplier's score sheet — a discrepancy of more than 2 points warrants a conversation.

See our full guide to requesting and evaluating green coffee samples for a detailed walkthrough of this process.

Step 5: Understand Pricing and What You're Paying For

Green coffee pricing reflects multiple factors: base commodity price (C market), quality premium above commodity, origin country, processing costs, export and import logistics, and supplier margin. Specialty lots command premiums above commodity pricing — this is appropriate and necessary to sustain the farming practices that produce specialty-grade coffee.

Be cautious of green coffee priced significantly below market — it usually means lower quality, old crop, or a supply chain that doesn't adequately compensate farmers. Be equally cautious of inflated pricing without verifiable quality documentation. Ask for the price breakdown and compare it against market rates for that origin and grade.

Step 6: Plan Your Inventory and Order Timing

Green coffee from East Africa typically ships 6–10 weeks after order confirmation, depending on port availability and logistics. Plan your orders accordingly — running out of a popular lot mid-season because you ordered too late is a common and avoidable problem.

Most specialty lots are available in limited quantities. If a sample impresses you, move quickly — good lots at fair prices sell out. Build supplier relationships that give you early access to new arrivals and pre-season lot previews.

Store your green properly: cool (ideally below 20°C), dry (below 60% relative humidity), away from strong odours, and off the floor. Well-stored green from a quality harvest can remain excellent for 12–18 months. Poorly stored green degrades in weeks.