The Saffron Coffee Process

Nursery

Saffron Coffee's coffee nursery is where the coffee producing process begins. High-quality Arabica coffee seed is imported and brought to our nursery, prepared for planting and then is carefully sown into our seed beds. While the seeds are in the process of germinating (up to two months) farmers with whom we work are preparing their own coffee nurseries. Plastic bags are filled with a mixture of topsoil, manure and rice hulls and are arranged in shaded gardens and watered. As the coffee seeds germinate and unfold their first pair of leaves, Saffron Coffee picks and delivers these sprouts to all the coffee farmers in the villages. The farmers then care for these seedlings as they grow until the rainy season when they are ready to be planted in the fields (Click Images Below to Enlarge).

Young Coffee Sprouts
More Coffee Sprouts
Coffee Sprouts Ready to be Picked
Workers Picking Coffee Sprouts
Coffee Sprouts in Groups of 100, Almost Ready for Planting

Agricultural Promotion

Saffron Coffee is committed to working closely with all of our current and potential coffee growers. We send our workers out to the field to promote coffee growing, to consult with current coffee growers regarding their plantations and to provide training in planting, pruning and harvesting. It means a lot to the farmers to see the faces of our workers on a regular basis—to have a good relationship and to be able to trust that we will indeed be there for them. We want them to be successful in their work and lives.

Harvesting

In December and January Saffron Coffee coffee farmers gather all of their family members to hand pick only the red-ripe cherries. It will take several passes over these two months to harvest all of them. In many villages, the coffee cherries are dropped into hand-woven baskets which are then placed on indigenous horses to be brought down to the village (Click Images Below to Enlarge).

Coffee Flower Buds
Coffee Flowers
Red Ripe Coffee Cherries Ready for Harvest
A Hmong Girl Harvests Coffee in One of the Villages We Work With
Coffee Cherries Freshly Harvested
Life is a Bowl of Coffee Cherries

Wet Processing

The coffee cherries are then carefully processed to maintain their quality and flavor. Saffron Coffee only uses the best wet-processing methods to fully pulp and "wash" the coffee beans so that they are not contaminated by the rotting fruit material as in dry or so-called "natural" processing methods. The result is a clean and smooth flavor in the beans (Click Images Below to Enlarge).

Weighing Freshly Picked Coffee Cherries in the Village for Purchase
Pulping Freshly Picked Red Coffee Cherries; Pulping Removes the Skin and Some of the Fruit Material Surrounding the Coffee Beans
Freshly Pulped Coffee Beans, Still Wet and Sticky With the Fruit Material (mucilage), and Yet to be Washed and Dried
Fermentation Tanks for Washing the Freshly Pulped Coffee Beans

Drying

After being fully washed, the coffee beans are then spread out onto large drying nets where they will dry in the sun for up to a week or more. Saffron Coffee takes utmost care, making use of sophisticated moisture-measuring equipment, to make sure the coffee is sufficiently dried so that no mold grows on the beans. At this stage the coffee still has its outer hull and is called "parchment" coffee (Click Images Below to Enlarge).

Parchment Coffee Drying in the Sun on Concrete
Parchment Coffee Drying in the Sun on Tables
Hulling the Dried Parchment Coffee to Remove the Outer Hull from Green Coffee Beans
Grading the Coffee Beans by Hand

Hulling and Grading

After the coffee has been dried to a low moisture content, the hull, or "parchment," is removed by a hulling machine. Then the coffee is cleaned and graded in several stages. Finally, the green coffee beans pass through the eyes and hands of our coffee sorters to remove any damaged and discolored beans or any foreign materials. Now the coffee is ready for roasting.

Roasting

Saffron Coffee specializes in roasting high-quality coffee by careful roasting and coffee 'cupping' evaluations. We profile roast the beans with the strictest standards and equipment to bring out the best flavor and aroma (Click Images Below to Enlarge).

Green Coffee Beans Ready to be Roasted
Drum Coffee Roaster - The Roastmaster Uses This Machine to Profile Roast Saffron Coffee to the Peak of its Flavor and Aroma for Your Enjoyment!
Dropping Roasted Beans out of the Roaster Just at the Right Time
Weighing and Bagging Freshly Roasted Coffee
Foil Bags With CO2 Release Valves Ready to be Filled with the Fresh Roasted Saffron Coffee, Sealed, and Shipped to Coffee Enthusiasts Around the World!

Packaging and Marketing

Fresh roasted Saffron Coffee beans are packaged in quality foil bags with one-way release valves. We market the beans locally to tourists and coffee drinkers in Luang Prabang, Laos, and internationally through our website and distribution points. Saffron Coffee is making its way around the world to an increasing amount of people who are hearing the story of Saffron Coffee and about its reputation as a premium specialty Arabica coffee.

Brewing

Saffron Coffee is carefully brewed to perfection at our Saffron Espresso Caffè in Luang Prabang, Laos. And after carefully passing through every stage from seed to roasted bean, you too can experience the enchantment of Luang Prabang and Saffron Coffee by brewing a fresh pot in your home! (Click Images Below to Enlarge)