What Is Coffee Grading?
It is not uncommon for coffee bean bags to have the words Supremo or AA printed on them, but what do these labels really mean? Would you consider Excelso or AB over a higher grade of coffee?
In this article, let's take a look at the actual meaning of classification and when it's best to ignore it.
What Is Coffee Grading?
Coffee grading is a basis for evaluating the quality of green coffee beans before export. At present, there is no unified grading system in the world, but different grading systems according to different coffee-producing countries.
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This means that different regions will use different standards to grade coffee, and sometimes the same meaning will be presented in different terms. The International Trade Center points out that the classification and classification of coffee are usually based on the following standards:
Although there is no unified grading standard, there are suggestions. The Specialty Coffee Association SCA has a standard for judging the grade of green beans. SCA describes it as a "quantifiable quality identification method, and defines the grade or grade of coffee based on scientific verification." number."
SCA's standards include the ratio of defective beans and the water activity of green beans. They also outline how the environment should be when evaluating coffee grades, including the appropriate light source and the size of the table.
Although many producing countries follow SCA standards and improve their respective agreements based on experience, not every producing country has a relevant entity organization that regulates coffee exports.
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For example, Ecuador does not have a physical organization that can establish a basis for classification. Most exporters in Ecuador follow the standards of neighboring Colombia, and the grading method is directly in accordance with the SCA agreement without fine-tuning. Still, the quality control room exporter is responsible.
Although the classification is usually defined based on the defect rate and related variables, one of the most important considerations is the size of the beans, and this classification is simple to use different sizes of screens to sieve the coffee beans.
Some people generally think that larger bean grades are better, but this is not accurate. There are many exceptions to this rule, especially different varieties of coffee beans will have different sizes.
The size of the beans is useful for determining the consistency of each batch of coffee and also helps to ensure consistent roasting.
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Consistency, the final coffee product with better quality is produced, but the size of the beans alone is not enough to judge the quality.
How Does The Grading System Work?
The SCA standard recommends that a sample of coffee beans is 350 grams, and the coffee beans will pass through a series of sieves or sieves to determine the size of the batch of beans.
Bean size is important because consumers generally think that larger coffee beans represent better quality.
Commercial-grade coffee is usually made into recipe beans and roasted, so bean size is important because coffee beans of different sizes transfer heat to different degrees during roasting.
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Although the screen size used in each country or region of production is the same, the terminology is different. For example, very large coffee beans (19-20 mesh) are called AA in Africa and Supremo in Colombia.
Areas Not Suitable For Size Classification
Ethiopia has a lot of wild coffee, and the beans are usually small in size, so the classification method is different from other countries.
As long as you observe Ethiopian coffee beans, you will find that they are generally smaller, so the size of the beans will not affect the quality of Ethiopian coffee, and Ethiopian coffee beans are much smaller compared to other countries.
The reason why the beans are smaller is due to growth factors. There are many qualities called native species in Ethiopia, which are not yet defined qualities. Almost all Ethiopian coffee is grown by small farmers, and there are various Wild Arabica.
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Comparing Ethiopian and Kenyan coffee, Kenya also has many wild Arabicas. Kenya and Tanzania are very strict in size classification but use a different method than Ethiopia.
In Kenya, coffee must be graded according to bean size before being sent to auction and then graded according to density. In Ethiopia, there is no such grading method. Just put the graded beans in a container. Before participating in the auction, the cup will be cupped by the country's cup tester, and then a grade will be obtained based on the flavor profile measured by the cup. It's not just based on the size or density of the beans, but the cup flavor grading.
Even if you don't look at the area of wild coffee, there are still some problems with the use of bean size grading.
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Some coffees are grown at higher altitudes, such as the coffee in Nariño, Colombia, which often have a very unique cup profile and a smaller screen size. Obviously, this is not only affected by altitude but also by planting latitude, soil mineral content, and climate.
Therefore, in addition to the size of the beans, each grading system will also use other methods to assist in the judgment, and these grading methods are agreements reached by both exporters and buyers.
Each customer is free to request the production method of green coffee beans and usually has stricter grading and packaging specifications for the fine-quality batches. This requires the experience of exporters and buyers and more effort to control and work.
When it comes to the defects of green coffee beans, although different countries have different standards, the guidelines set by SCA are still very important. They can be used as communication tools because they are based on long-term research and accumulation of experience, which often involve a certain region. The specific defects that occur may be caused by local processing methods and varieties, which will affect the flavor quality of coffee.
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How Does The Grading Affect The Price?
Grading directly affects prices, and Andre said that buyers often choose coffee based on grading standards rather than cupping samples.
"Last year, I bought Colombian coffee, and I cupped several samples of Supremo and Excelso, and I realized that many smaller sizes of coffee have more complex cupping flavors. In the end, I chose small sizes. Excelso, because their flavor is richer than that of Supremo with a larger mesh."
"But we usually ask the supplier to send some samples, such as Supremo with better quality, because we usually use Supremo in the structure of formula beans. If it is used as commercial formula beans, we will require the use of specific size beans or It's coffee grown at a specific altitude, and these are usually green beans that have been bought a few years ago."
Andre also considered coffee prices in Kenya and Tanzania. He said: "I find that buyers of commercial beans usually pay more for larger coffee beans, and smaller ones pay less. . And they will be willing to pay more for round pearl beans. If they are buying specialty coffee, they will measure the flavor by the cup, even if the size of the beans is too large or small, it doesn't matter."
Coffee grading is an area that cannot be unified in the coffee industry. When different countries use different systems for grading, it is more difficult to compare. However, grading should not be used as a basis for judging quality. After all, quality should not be limited to bean size and origin.
When you buy coffee, you can dig deeper and find out the taste you want through cup testing. Be open to each cup of the sample, and you may find the flavor you like in an unexpected cup.
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