Coffee Grading

Coffee grading helps buyers and sellers agree on quality and price. Different countries use different systems, but they all look at similar things: bean size, defects, altitude, and cup quality.

Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) Grades

The global standard used by specialty coffee traders. Coffee is scored out of 100 points:

90-100: Outstanding – Specialty Grade
85-89.99: Excellent – Specialty Grade
80-84.99: Very Good – Specialty Grade
Below 80: Below Specialty Grade

Bean Size Grades

Measured using screens with round holes sized in 64ths of an inch:

Screen 20: 20/64 inch
Screen 19: 19/64 inch
Screen 18: 18/64 inch
Screen 17: 17/64 inch
Screen 16: 16/64 inch
Screen 15: 15/64 inch

Kenya’s Grading System

Based on bean size and quality:

E: Elephant grade – largest beans, peaberries
AA: Screen 17/18, best quality
AB: Screen 15/16, good quality
C: Below screen 15, lower quality
TT: Light beans
T: Triage (defective beans)

Colombian Grading System

Based on altitude and bean size:

Supremo: Screen 17+, highest grade
Excelso: Screen 15/16
Extra: Screen 14
Caracol: Peaberry beans

Ethiopian Grading System

Grades 1-5, based on cup quality and defects:

Grade 1: Less than 5 defects, excellent cup quality
Grade 2: 5-12 defects, very good cup quality
Grade 3: 13-25 defects, good cup quality
Grade 4: 26-45 defects, fair cup quality
Grade 5: More than 45 defects, poor cup quality

Guatemala’s Grading System

Based on altitude:

Strictly Hard Bean (SHB): Above 1,400m
Hard Bean (HB): 1,200-1,400m
Semi-Hard Bean: 1,100-1,200m
Extra Prime: 900-1,100m
Prime: Below 900m

Brazilian Grading System

Based on screen size and defects:

Type 2: 4-12 defects
Type 3: 13-26 defects
Type 4: 27-46 defects
Type 5: 47-86 defects
Type 6: 87-176 defects
Type 7: 177-360 defects
Type 8: More than 360 defects

Common Defects in Grading

Primary Defects:

Full black beans
Full sour beans
Fungus-damaged beans
Foreign matter
Large stones
Large sticks

Secondary Defects:

Partial black beans
Partial sour beans
Parchment beans
Floaters
Immature beans
Withered beans
Shells
Broken beans

Processing Method Grades

Used mainly for naturals and honey processed coffees:

Fine Natural: Even colour, no defects
Natural Regular: Some colour variation allowed
Yellow Honey: 100% mucilage left
Red Honey: 50% mucilage left
Black Honey: Multiple layers of mucilage

Cup Quality Evaluation

Professional tasters score these attributes out of 10:

Fragrance/Aroma
Flavour
Aftertaste
Acidity
Body
Balance
Uniformity
Clean Cup
Sweetness
Overall