Indonesian Coffee Reefer Vs Dry: 2026 Cost & Quality Guide

A practical, numbers-first playbook to decide when reefer is worth it for Indonesian green coffee in 2026. Includes break-even per‑kg math, desiccant planning, ventilation settings, water activity targets, and what actually prevents mold and baggy flavors on 30–40 day lanes.

If you buy or ship Indonesian green coffee, you’ve probably had the reefer vs dry debate more times than you care to admit. Wet-hulled Sumatras can sing on arrival. Or they can tip musty overnight if moisture and temperature swing the wrong way. We’ve shipped thousands of tons across Indonesia–EU and Indonesia–US lanes, and this is the 2026 decision model we actually use with customers.

The 3 pillars of the reefer vs dry decision

Coffee state and spec

Processing. Wet-hulled coffees like Sumatra Mandheling Green Coffee Beans, Sumatra Lintong Green Coffee Beans, and Blue Batak Green Coffee Beans are more porous and exchange moisture faster than fully washed lots like Arabica Bali Kintamani Grade 1 Green Coffee Beans. They’re the first to show condensation or baggy notes if conditions drift.
Moisture and water activity. We target Arabica moisture 10.0–11.5% and Robusta 10.5–12.5%. More decisive is water activity. We won’t load wet-hulled above aw 0.60 for dry containers. Our sweet spot is aw 0.53–0.58. If you don’t measure aw, you’re flying blind.
Packaging. Jute alone breathes. Pairing jute with hermetic liners (GrainPro-type or full container liner) meaningfully slows moisture migration. We see fewer claims when hermetic is used for high-risk lanes and seasons.

Takeaway. If aw ≤0.58 with hermetic and your lane is short and temperate, dry can be perfectly safe. If aw ≥0.60, lean reefer or delay the shipment to recondition.

Route, season, and time at sea

Transit time bands we model. Indonesia–Europe: 30–38 days. Indonesia–US West Coast: 20–26 days. Indonesia–US East/Gulf: 35–45 days. Transshipment adds uncertainty and plug risk for reefers.
Monsoon season risk. October through March is the riskiest window out of Sumatra and Java. Ambient RH is high at origin, and you’re sailing into a cooler destination, which triggers container rain if unmanaged.
Temperature delta. The bigger the outside temperature drop between origin and destination, the higher the dew-point swing inside a dry box. That’s where reefer earns its keep.

Takeaway. A 35–40 day lane crossing seasons or hemispheres is inherently higher risk for dry. We downrate dry one notch during monsoon and on winter arrivals to Europe or the US.

Controls inside the box

Dry container controls. Use a food-grade container. Install a container liner if you expect big delta-T. Load on clean pallets or slip sheets to keep bags off the floor. Add enough desiccant by absorption capacity, not by “number of sticks.” Keep cargo away from doors and roof.
Reefer controls. Set temperature 15–18°C. Fresh air vent closed (0 m³/h). No dehumidification or “RH control” modes. Pre-cool the reefer box, but never load cold beans into a warm box or vice versa. Monitor plug continuity, especially at transshipment ports.

Takeaway. The right dry setup can outperform a sloppy reefer. Execution matters more than the label on the door.

A 2026 cost model you can copy

We’ll answer the question everyone asks first: what’s the per‑kilo break‑even premium for reefer vs dry?

Assumptions we’re seeing quoted to shippers as of late 2025–early 2026. Your lane may vary by carrier and week.

Reefer premium over dry (TEU 20ft) Indonesia–EU: USD 2,500–3,200 plus electricity/monitoring of USD 200–400. Round up to USD 2,800–3,600 all‑in premium.
Reefer premium over dry (FEU 40ft) Indonesia–US East: USD 3,500–5,000 plus USD 300–600 for plugs/monitoring. Round up to USD 3,800–5,600.
Typical payloads. 20ft: 19.0–19.2 MT floor‑loaded. 40ft: 24–26 MT depending on bag and pallet plan.

Break‑even premium per kg (rule of thumb)

20ft example. Premium USD 3,100 ÷ 19,200 kg ≈ USD 0.16/kg. If expected quality loss using dry is more than 16 cents/kg, reefer wins.
40ft example. Premium USD 4,400 ÷ 24,500 kg ≈ USD 0.18/kg. If expected loss exceeds 18 cents/kg, choose reefer.

How to estimate “expected quality loss”

If you’ve had claims, use your actual average grade-out and discount experience. We commonly see 0–3% value loss on well‑prepped dry boxes in fair weather. In monsoon or long winter routes with marginal aw, we’ve seen 5–15% discounts in worst cases due to musty or baggy.
Converting to per‑kg. A specialty Sumatra at USD 6.00/kg CIF losing 5% value equals USD 0.30/kg. That handily clears the break‑even.

Practical takeaway. On 30–40 day lanes with wet-hulled lots at aw ≥0.60, reefer typically pays for itself. On washed Bali or Java lots in the aw 0.53–0.58 range, well‑executed dry with liner and sufficient desiccant usually wins on cost without quality compromises. If you want a quick lane‑specific model, Contact us on whatsapp and we’ll run the math on your rates and payload.

Week 1–2: Pre‑shipment QC and validation

Verify moisture and aw. We won’t green‑light dry containers for wet‑hulled coffee above aw 0.60. If you’re near the edge, we rotate and rest the coffee on racks for a few days, recheck aw, and pack hermetic.
Choose packaging. Jute only for low‑risk washed lots and short routes. Jute + hermetic bag for wet‑hulled or monsoon lanes. For the highest‑risk moves, add a full container liner.
Book equipment. During peak 2025–2026 reefer tightness, pre-book 2–3 weeks before stuffing. Make sure transshipment terminals confirm plug availability.

Week 3–6: Stuffing, settings, and sailing

Dry container checklist that works

Container liner. Install correctly, pull tight, and tape roof seams to avoid “rain tenting.”
Pallet and floor. Keep bags off bare steel. Use kraft paper and cardboard corner guards to reduce cold‑bridge condensation.
Desiccant by capacity. For a 40ft on 30–40 day lanes, target total absorption capacity of 20–25 kg. In monsoon or winter-arrival lanes, 30–35 kg. That translates to roughly 10–12 units of 2 kg sticks or 20–25 units of 1 kg bags in normal season, and 15–18 of 2 kg in monsoon. For a 20ft, halve those counts. Always check the supplier’s certified absorption capacity at 90% RH.
Ventilation setting in dry boxes. You can’t adjust passive vents on a standard dry container. Don’t cut extra holes or “improve” airflow. The liner is your barrier and desiccant your buffer.

Reefer checklist that avoids surprises

Set 15–18°C. Fresh air vent closed (0 m³/h). No RH control. Pre‑cool the empty reefer to 18°C, then load room‑temperature coffee. Avoid loading beans that are cooler than the box.
Monitor. Ask for continuous temperature data. Confirm plugs at each transshipment.

Week 7–12: Arrival, cupping, and claims readiness

Rest beans 24–48 hours before opening hermetic. Then sample and cup promptly. Baggy notes can fade if mild and recent, but musty doesn’t.
Document everything. Photos of stuffing, liner, desiccant placement, and arrival condition help resolve claims fast.
Feedback loop. If you see early signs of condensation or odor, adjust next shipment immediately. Don’t wait for a pattern to emerge.

Quick answers to the questions we get most

Is reefer worth it for wet-hulled Sumatra coffee on a 35‑day ocean transit?

If aw is below 0.58 and you use hermetic plus a liner with 20–25 kg of desiccant capacity in a 40ft, dry can be fine most of the year. If aw is 0.60 or higher or you’re shipping Oct–Mar toward a colder destination, reefer almost always beats the expected discount and claim risk.

What’s the per‑kilo break‑even premium for reefer vs dry on a 20ft?

Use this shortcut. Reefer premium ÷ 19,200 kg. With a USD 3,100 premium, break‑even is about USD 0.16/kg. Expecting more than 16 cents/kg of value loss using dry? Book reefer.

Can a container liner and desiccants replace a reefer during monsoon?

Sometimes. Liner + 20–25 kg desiccant capacity in a 40ft, hermetic bagging, and aw ≤0.58 can perform near reefer on 30–35 day lanes. But for wet‑hulled at aw ~0.60 or longer 40–45 day voyages, we don’t risk it in monsoon.

What moisture and water activity targets make dry containers safe?

Arabica moisture 10.0–11.5%, Robusta 10.5–12.5%, and aw 0.53–0.58. At aw 0.60, risk rises sharply in dry containers unless everything else is perfect.

What ventilation setting should I use?

Dry container. No adjustable setting. Use a liner and the right desiccant capacity. Don’t add DIY vents.
Reefer. 15–18°C. Fresh air vent closed (0 m³/h). No humidity control.

How many desiccant units for a 40ft from Indonesia?

Think in absorption capacity, not unit count. For 30–40 days, target 20–25 kg total capacity. In monsoon or winter‑arrival, 30–35 kg. That’s roughly 10–12 x 2 kg sticks in normal season and 15–18 x 2 kg sticks in monsoon. Space evenly along walls and near doors.

Does reefer shipping actually prevent mold and baggy flavors?

Reefer dramatically reduces the temperature swings that cause container rain. It doesn’t fix beans that are already too wet. If aw and moisture are right, reefer keeps them right. You’ll see fewer mold claims and far less baggy on arrival.

Common mistakes that quietly kill quality (and how to avoid them)

Skipping water activity. Moisture alone doesn’t predict risk. We reject more dry-box plans on aw than on moisture percentage.
Under-sizing desiccant. Counting “sticks” without checking absorption capacity at 90% RH. Always spec capacity by kilograms, not pieces.
Wrong reefer vent. Leaving fresh air vents open invites humid air and defeats the point. Keep it at 0 m³/h for green coffee.
Mixing packaging. Jute-only plus hermetic in the same container moves moisture and odor between stacks. Pick one approach per container.
Loading hot beans into cold boxes. That flash-condenses inside bags. Match coffee and box temperature before stuffing.

Where products fit into this decision

Wet‑hulled Sumatras like Sumatra Mandheling Green Coffee Beans and Sumatra Lintong Green Coffee Beans deserve reefer in monsoon or strict aw control plus liner/desiccant in dry.
Fully washed, stable lots like Arabica Bali Kintamani Grade 1 Green Coffee Beans or balanced naturals like Bali Natural Green Coffee Beans ship safely dry on shorter lanes with proper prep.
If you’re intentionally seeking aged notes, choose designed‑for‑aging lots such as Musty Cup Green Coffee Beans (Aged Arabica) or Past Crop Green Coffee Beans, rather than hoping transit “ages” your coffee.

Need a lane-specific plan for Jakarta–Rotterdam in January or Indonesia–USA in 30–40 days? Share your aw, packaging, and carrier options and we’ll model the break‑even with you. Contact us on whatsapp. If you’re still scouting origins and profiles, you can also View our products.