Last updated on March 3rd, 2024 at 11:23
This article is all about white coffee beans! By the time you have finished reading this article, you will know what white coffee beans are, how they are roasted, how to brew with them and where you can buy white coffee beans.
Keep reading for the details!
What Is White Coffee Beans?
Table Of Contents
White coffee beans are coffee beans that have been roasted just before the first crack and then the roasting process is terminated.
White coffee beans and a white roasted coffee is not to be confused with what some Europeans, particularly British people call white coffee, which is instant coffee with milk.
White coffee beans, despite the name, are not actually white in color. They are very light, a chalky beige color. The coffee brewed with them is very pale, a very chalky light brown color, not at all what you would expect with coffee.
Read: What is white roast coffee?
Where To Buy White Coffee Beans
For the vast majority of coffee lovers white coffee beans will be impossible to find in local stores, and you will be limited to buying online or from your local roaster and requesting that they make a custom white roast for you. A minimum order may be required.
A third option is you join the home roasting revolution and roast your own coffee beans.
The first port of call to try is Amazon. I also suggest Poverty Bay and their White Tornado are a top choice and are sold direct from their website.
White Coffee Beans Nutrition
White coffee beans, due to being roasted to a lower temperature and for a shorter time period, has a greater amount of the potent antioxidant chlorogenic acid and more phenolic compounds and flavonoids.
Due to the lower temperature of their roasting, it is my opinion that the integrity of the nutrients in the coffee beans are of higher quality.
The nutrients in coffee include Riboflavin, Niacin, potassium, phosphorus, calcium and magnesium which have multiple health benefits.
Known health benefits of coffee include:
- Reduction in the risk of diabetes.
- Improved liver health.
- Reduced blood pressure.
- Appetite reduction and suppression.
- Weight loss.
Read: White espresso
White Coffee Beans Brands
The reason I encourage you to join the home roasting revolution and roast your own coffee is the ability to make your own white coffee beans using premium quality beans and, if you so desire, single origin coffee beans.
White coffee is rare, and you are limited to the few brands that make this roast and sell online, unless you can of course sweet talk your local roaster into making a batch of white roast coffee beans for you.
As a special note, if you are to roast your own coffee beans to a white roast you will need access to an industrial grinder as white roast coffee beans are considerably harder than regular coffee beans.
Two brands that stand out are Chek Hup who make a number of the famous Malaysian white coffees that I enjoyed while living in Malaysia. Ipoh white coffee, Super charcoal roasted white coffee and old town white coffee and have a pretty awesome Colombian blend.
The style of white coffee sold is roasted with palm oil margarine and a dash of salt.
Poverty Bay Coffee Co has a pretty awesome white coffee, called white tornado, that I recommend. They are roasted in the regular way without the addition of palm oil margarine.
How To Make White Coffee
Making white coffee is easy and is not any more difficult than brewing any other coffee beans. The only difficulty is getting the grind size that you want as you can’t grind them using your own commercial coffee grinder.
The best way of brewing is using a home espresso machine, a moka pot and percolator coffee.
Roasting your green coffee beans to a white roast is best done when you have a degree of competence in roasting to a dark roast, medium roast, medium dark roast and a blonde roast.
Then make your attempt at roasting to a white roast. Roast using a temperature of 325F (162C) and pull your coffee just before the first crack.
It’s a difficult roast to get right first time. I advise buying a roast and saving some beans and using them as a guide as to what color to match.
It’s difficult as you are ending the roasting before a lot of the complex chemical reactions happen, which occur at a higher temperature.
The best technique is to slowly raise the temperature, so you bring out the nutty notes and an enjoyable sweetness.
Frequently Asked Questions About White Coffee Beans
Do white coffee beans exist?
Yes, there is a roast of coffee called a white roast. They are not actually white; they are a very, very light brown, lighter than a cinnamon roast (also known as a blonde roast), almost yellowish.
White coffee beans are rare, very rare and can only be bought online unless you live in the Malay Peninsula or Indonesia where the beans are common.
What Country Has White Coffee?
Very few countries have white coffee. It originates in China, and is popular in Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore.
Malaysian, Singaporean and Indonesian white coffee, called Kopi Putih, in the local language, differs from the original White coffee from China as it is roasted with Palm Oil margarine and a little salt.
Does White Coffee Need Milk?
While I was living in Malaysia, for 18 months White coffee was commonly served with milk. It doesn’t need milk.
A white coffee, an espresso made with a white roast, is very pale. Milk is not added unless requested by the coffee drinker.
Read: What is white coffee?
What Is Turkish White Coffee?
A Turkish white coffee is a Bela Kafa, it’s a freshly made Turkish coffee with an Ibrik and has sweetened milk added.
What Is An Example Of White Coffee?
There are many different brands and versions of white coffee. In Malaysia Ipoh White Coffee and Penang White, Old Town white coffee. Roasted Liberica coffee beans, that are roasted with Palm oil margarine.
Indonesian Kopi Putih with Luwak is a popular instant coffee, not to be mistaken with Kopi Luwak, the Weasel coffee.
White roasted coffee, also known as a half roast. A special very light roast, roasted for half the time and at a slightly lower temperature than a blonde roast. It’s the only roast that is finished before the first crack.
What Is White Coffee Called In France?
The famous French white coffee is a Café au lait, which is a caffe misto, a brewed coffee with milk.
What Is A Latte Called In Europe?
In Europe, a latte can be asked for directly as every barista will know what it is.
There are some similar milk based drinks that are similar but are not quite a latte, for example a Spanish café con leche, a latte but is made with scorched milk and not steamed milk and the French café au lait which is a caffe misto.
What Is A Spanish Latte Called?
A café con leche is as close as you can get to a latte; the only difference is the temperature of the milk; it’s hotter; it’s scaled milk, not steamed milk that is used.
Final Thoughts – White Coffee Beans
If you have read this far you know you should know all about white coffee beans and have an idea in your mind where you can buy tasty beans and how to brew them best.
Join our fun and friendly coffee community and tell us about your own experiences and opinions of white coffee beans. Find us on Facebook/Meta.
Derek Marshall
Derek Marshall, a certified barista by the Specialty Coffee Association possesses over two decades of experience in specialty coffee shops. He holds professional certifications for coffee brewing and barista skills. Derek is also an author with authoritative books covering various coffee topics including specialty coffee, sustainability and coffee, coffee brewing, coffee recipes, coffee cocktails and books focusing on Brazilian coffee, Vietnamese coffee, Indonesian coffee and Malaysian coffee. As a barista for over two decades, Derek Marshall has worked in specialty coffee shops across the United Kingdom, Spain, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Vietnam. His expertise extends to the distinct coffee cultures, specialty beverages, and brewing techniques of each nation. Functioning as a coffee consultant, Derek charges US$50 per hour. To learn more about Derek Marshall and Latte Love Brew, visit his About Me Page. For coffee inquiries, contact him at +34-639-410-375 or Derek@LatteLoveBrew.com, mentioning your name and location
