Costa Rica Cordillera de Fuego Termico Natural SHB/EP 2023

Termico Natural Process Coffee

The Termico Natural process is an experimental coffee processing method invented by Luis Eduardo Campos, the owner of Cordillera de Fuego. The process begins with cherries picked at their ripest when the sugar content is at its highest. These sugars will eventually fuel the Termico process. In this artisanal coffee process, the coffee cherry and mucilage is left on the bean – essentially, beginning with a natural or dry processing. Then the coffee cherries are exposed to heat which begins to break down the natural sugars of the cherries, slightly caramelizing them. This unique coffee processing technique results in a complex flavor as well as a round and balanced cup.

Luis Eduardo Campos, Coffee Producer

The owner and founder of Cordillera de Fuego, Luis Eduardo Campos, purchased his farm in 1984 shortly after graduating from university. Over the past 10 years don Luis has been experimenting with different coffee processing methods such as natural, honeys, thermic (termico) and anaerobic. In addition to quality innovation the farm and wet mill joined the national group NAMA (Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions) in 2017 with the objective to reduce greenhouse gas emissions within the coffee sector. One of the biggest projects that Cordillera de Fuego has undertaken was the installation of solar panels, which now supply more than 50% of the energy for the wet mill.

Green Coffee Bean Quality

A Strictly Hard Bean (SHB) green coffee must be grown at an altitude of 1,200 meters above sea level or higher. When coffee grows at high altitudes, the coffee cherries mature more slowly. This allows the fruit to take in more nutrients, resulting in denser, sweeter coffee beans that are considered higher quality. During dry milling, the lot was further sorted to European Preparation (EP) specifications with a minimum screen size of 15 and above and a maximum of eight defects within 300 grams.

About Costa Rican Green Coffee

Costa Rica coffees sell at a premium. The country has a reputation for delivering high quality and for innovation – a winning combination. Costa Rica’s quality socio-economic infrastructure programs such as universal healthcare, high education levels, sophisticated agronomy and research, and well-regulated agricultural sustainability programs certainly contribute to the high cost of coffee. Additionally, when coffee roasters buy Costa Rican green coffee, producers receive nearly 80% of the FOB value, guaranteed. Read more in our Costa Rica Green Coffee Origin Report.