When you think of cherries, you think of the small, sweet fruit used to make a pie or maraschino cherries to put on your favorite ice cream or use in a cherry cocktail. However, we make an exception for one special cherry, and its pit, our beloved coffee bean.
![Coffee Beans](https://spoonuniversity.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/197/2016/04/coffee-plants.jpg)
Photo courtesy of counterculturecoffee on Flickr
1. The Coffee Plant
![Coffee Beans](https://spoonuniversity.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/197/2016/04/Coffee-Cherry.jpg)
Photo courtesy of onepercolated on Flickr
2. Coffee Cherries
![Coffee Beans](https://spoonuniversity.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/197/2016/04/coffee-patio-e1461174440800.jpg)
Photo by David Tregaskis
The cherry itself is edible, but the lack of meat leaves the seed as its main appeal. When the cherry is ripe, you can squeeze it open and collect the seed. This can be done by wet mill machines or other methods depending on the country and farm, just as long as the skin and fruit separate from the seed.
3. Sun Patios
![Coffee Beans](https://spoonuniversity.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/197/2016/04/dry-mill-beans.jpg)
Photo courtesy of Ben Kaminsky on Flickr
4. The Mill
![Coffee Beans](https://spoonuniversity.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/197/2016/04/coffee-tasted-and-cupped.jpg)
Photo courtesy of s13_eisbaer on Flickr
5. Cupping
![Coffee Beans](https://spoonuniversity.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/197/2016/04/Coffee-Bean-1.jpg)
Photo by Abby Reisinger
The green coffee beans are tested by roasting in small amounts. The taste testers are called cuppers, who taste the coffee for aroma, flavor, quality, and more. This process helps determined what beans are good, if they should be used and how they should be roasted.
6. Coffee
![Coffee Beans](https://spoonuniversity.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/197/2016/04/coffee.jpg)
Photo by Jennifer Cao
Finally, the green coffee beans are ready for roasting and production. The coffee beans are roasted anywhere from 9-12 minutes at 450º – 500ºF. Once they are done roasting, they become the wonderful coffee beans that we enjoy so dearly. All that’s left for us to do is the coffee brewing and the coffee drinking. Who knew a cherry seed could taste so good?