Buying green coffee across an ocean for the first time can feel like a leap. You have found an origin you like, the emails are friendly, and then the practical questions arrive all at once: How do I try it before committing? Who pays for the shipping? How much do I actually order? And what is all this paperwork?
India rewards importers who take the time to learn its rhythm. The specialty green coffee grown in the Western Ghats, around Chikmagalur in Karnataka, has a distinct shade-grown character worth understanding on its own terms. This guide walks you through the journey from a first sample to a container on the water, in the order things really happen.
Step 1: Requesting and evaluating samples
Everything starts with samples. Never buy green coffee you have not cupped yourself.
There are usually two kinds:
- Offer samples (or "type" samples): small quantities, often 200–350g, representing lots a producer currently has available. These let you scan the range.
- Pre-shipment samples (PSS): drawn from the exact lot you intend to buy, sent for final sign-off before shipping. Some buyers also request a shipment sample pulled at loading to confirm consistency.
When you reach out, be specific. Tell the producer your target cup profile, processing preference (washed, natural, honey), screen size, and rough volume. A clear brief gets you relevant samples instead of a random assortment. Samples themselves are typically modest in cost, but courier charges for small international parcels can be significant, so it is normal to discuss who covers them.
Practical tips:
- Roast samples to a light-to-medium level so origin character shows, not roast character.
- Rest the roast at least 12–24 hours before cupping.
- Keep clear records: lot name, estate, harvest, moisture if provided, and your notes.
Step 2: Cupping and approval
Cupping is your quality contract. It is where you decide, objectively, whether a coffee earns a place in your lineup.
Set up a blind cupping using a consistent protocol so every sample is judged the same way. Score aroma, acidity, body, balance, sweetness, and finish, and note any defects. If you are newer to formal cupping, a simple, repeatable scorecard beats an elaborate one you cannot apply consistently.
Once you find a lot you like, request the pre-shipment sample from that specific lot and cup it again. This is the moment of approval: you are confirming that the coffee you will pay for matches the coffee you tasted. Approve in writing, referencing the lot ID. This protects both sides and gives you a benchmark to check the arrival against later.
A quiet piece of advice: cup with your production roast profile in mind, not just an ideal cupping roast. A coffee that shines on the table but fights you in the roaster is a harder sell to your own customers.
Step 3: Choosing your Incoterms — FOB vs CIF
Incoterms are the internationally recognised rules that define exactly where the seller's responsibility ends and yours begins. For first-time buyers, two matter most.
FOB (Free On Board): The seller delivers the coffee onto the vessel at the origin port and covers everything up to that point, including export clearance. From the moment it is loaded, the cost and risk of ocean freight, insurance, and import handling are yours.
- You choose your own freight forwarder and arrange marine insurance.
- You have more control and visibility over shipping costs.
- You take on more coordination, which is why FOB pairs well with a good forwarder.
CIF (Cost, Insurance and Freight): The seller arranges and pays for ocean freight and a basic marine insurance policy to your destination port. Risk still transfers to you once the goods are loaded at origin, even though the seller booked the transport.
- Simpler for a first shipment: fewer moving parts to arrange yourself.
- Less direct control over carrier choice and freight pricing.
- The insurance included is often minimum cover, so consider whether you want your own additional policy.
A useful way to think about it: FOB gives you control and the work that comes with it; CIF gives you convenience while the seller handles the sea leg. Neither is "better" — it depends on how much logistics you want to own on your first order. On that note, Caffeine Nirvana ships FOB Mangalore, with CIF available if you prefer the simpler path to start.
Step 4: Sizing your order
Green coffee is traded in whole bags, and volumes step up quickly, so plan your quantity before you fall for a lot.
Key concepts:
- Bag sizing: green coffee commonly moves in jute bags, often around 60kg, though grainpro-lined or vacuum-packed formats in smaller weights exist for premium micro-lots. Confirm the exact bag weight for each lot.
- MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity): the smallest amount a producer or exporter will sell and ship. This exists because export documentation and freight have fixed costs that make tiny shipments impractical.
- Container thinking: larger orders may fill a full container (FCL), while smaller volumes share space in a consolidated LCL (less-than-container-load) shipment. LCL lets you buy less but usually costs more per kilo and adds handling.
Match volume to how fast you actually roast through a coffee. Green coffee is at its best relatively fresh; ordering a year's supply of a single lot risks it fading before you use it. For a first purchase, a lot size you can comfortably sell within a few months is the safer bet.
Step 5: Documentation and logistics
Cross-border coffee travels with paperwork. You do not need to master all of it, but you should recognise the common documents so nothing surprises you at customs.
Typical export documentation includes:
- Commercial invoice and packing list — the what, how much, and value of the shipment.
- Bill of lading — the carrier's document controlling the cargo.
- Certificate of origin — evidence of where the coffee was grown and processed.
- Phytosanitary certificate — issued by plant-health authorities at origin, confirming the agricultural goods meet import plant-health requirements.
Your destination country may require additional food-safety or import declarations, so check with your customs broker early. Rules differ across Europe and the Americas, and your broker is the right person to confirm the current specifics for your port.
On timing, set expectations generously. Between sample approval, milling and bagging, export clearance, vessel scheduling, and ocean transit, lead times from order to arrival are typically measured in weeks to a couple of months, longer if you factor in port congestion. Build that into your inventory planning so you reorder before you run dry.
Step 6: First-order tips
A few habits that make the first import smoother:
- Start small and specific. One or two lots you love beats a scattered mixed pallet.
- Line up your customs broker and forwarder before you commit. They will guide documents and duties for your country.
- Confirm everything in writing — lot IDs, bag weights, Incoterm, port, and approximate timeline.
- Insure the shipment to a level you are comfortable with, especially on CIF where base cover may be minimal.
- Cup the arrival against your approved sample and log the result. It builds a relationship and a reference for next time.
Closing thought
Importing green coffee is less about heroics and more about sequence: sample, cup, agree the terms, size it sensibly, get the papers right, and ship. Do each step deliberately on your first order and the second becomes routine. The coffee from the hills around Chikmagalur is worth the care, and a well-run first shipment is the foundation of a supply relationship that can last for years.