tags: [] - coffee/green-beans - coffee/quality aliases: - Coffee quality designations - Coffee grading systems - Coffee bean grades

Coffee Qualities¶

Tags: #coffee/green-beans #coffee/quality Aliases: Coffee quality designations, Coffee grading systems, Coffee bean grades Related: Quality Control MOC | Green Coffee Grading Process | Green Coffee Quality | Defect Categorisation | Peaberry Coffee Status: ✅ Complete

Overview¶

Coffee quality designations are regional grading systems that classify green coffee by physical attributes — primarily bean size, defect count, bean density, and processing quality. No universal grading standard exists; each major producing country operates its own system, with grading criteria varying significantly between origins. Grades primarily communicate physical quality and enable international trade; they do not guarantee cup quality, which must be assessed by cupping.

Kenyan Grading System¶

Kenya uses a screen-size and density-based system that is among the most recognised globally:

Grade	Screen Size	Diameter	Notes
AA	Screen 17–18	6.75–7.14 mm	Top grade; largest flat beans; ~30% of crop
AB	Screen 15–16	5.95–6.35 mm	Second grade; ~50% of crop; often excellent value
C	Below screen 15	<5.95 mm	Third grade; smaller beans; often used in blends
E (Elephant)	Extra-large	—	Two beans fused; very rare; novelty grade
PB (Peaberry)	Round/spherical	—	Single round bean; separated from flat-bean grades; premium pricing
TT (Triage)	Light AA/AB	—	Low-density floaters from AA/AB separation; lower quality
T (Triage Lights)	Lightest	—	Lightest beans; significant defects; minimal commercial use

AA can command 10–30% price premiums over AB, though cup quality comparison often favours AB as the better-value purchase. The peaberry grade (PB) commands a separate premium but does not reliably produce superior cup quality.

Colombian Grading System¶

Colombia grades primarily by screen size:

Grade	Screen Size	Notes
Supremo	Screen 17+ (6.75 mm+)	Largest beans; premium grade; smaller percentage of crop
Excelso (UGQ)	Screen 14–16 (5.56–6.35 mm)	"Usual Good Quality"; majority of crop; often rivals Supremo in the cup
UGQ	Mixed screens	Standard commercial grade; consistent baseline for international trade
Europa	Small defect allowance	Commercial export grade; price-competitive

Supremo vs Excelso price differentials are typically 5–20%, though cup quality does not reliably track this premium.

Brazilian Grading System¶

Brazil combines a cup quality descriptor with a defect-count type number:

Quality descriptors (cup):

Descriptor	Description
Strictly Soft	Highest quality; clean, sweet cup; no defects; specialty tier
Soft	High quality; clean cup; minimal defects
Softish	Acceptable quality; some defects; commercial grade
Hard	Lower quality; more pronounced defects; commercial/industrial use
Rio/Rioy	Specific medicinal/iodine off-flavour defect; significantly discounted

Type numbers (defect count per 300 g sample):

Type	Defect Count
Type 2	4 defects
Type 3	12 defects
Type 4	26 defects

Lower type number indicates higher physical quality. Quality descriptor and type number are combined (e.g., "Strictly Soft Type 2") to communicate both cup character and physical cleanliness.

Ethiopian Grading System¶

Ethiopia grades by defect count per 300 g sample:

Grade	Defect Count	Notes
Grade 1	0–3 defects	Specialty; clean, complex cup; premium export
Grade 2	4–12 defects	Specialty-capable; slight defects acceptable
Grade 3	13–27 defects	Commercial grade; blend use common
Grade 4	28–45 defects	Lower quality; budget commercial; often for local consumption
Grade 5+	45+ defects	Significant defects; rarely exported

Washed and natural-process lots are graded separately, with natural-process coffees typically allowed a higher defect tolerance given inherent processing variability.

Indonesian Grading (Sumatra)¶

Indonesia uses a defect-count system; wet-hulling (giling basah) processing creates inherently higher defect tolerances than washed coffees:

Grade	Max Defects per 300 g	Notes
Grade 1 (G1)	11	Highest quality; specialty-acceptable for wet-hulled coffee
Grade 2 (G2)	24	Good commercial quality; common export grade
Grade 3–5	25–80+	Progressively lower quality; less common in specialty

Central American Altitude Grades¶

Central American origins commonly use altitude-based designations that indicate bean density rather than defect count:

Grade	Altitude	Notes
SHB (Strictly Hard Bean)	1,350–1,450 m+	Premium designation; hardest, densest beans; most developed at altitude
HB (Hard Bean)	1,200–1,350 m	Good density; commercial quality
EPW (European Preparation)	Any altitude	Processing standard; hand-sorted, minimal defects
American Preparation	Any altitude	Lower quality threshold; more defects allowed

SHB is used in Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Honduras, with exact altitude thresholds varying by country.

Peaberry Grades¶

Peaberry (PB) is a cross-origin grade designation for the naturally occurring single-seed cherry mutation, representing approximately 5–10% of any harvest. Peaberries are separated from flat-bean grades because their round shape requires different roasting parameters. Peaberry coffee is commonly marketed at a premium, though origin and processing quality are more reliable predictors of cup quality than the peaberry designation itself.

Grade vs Cup Quality¶

Grading is a preliminary physical quality screen, not a cup quality guarantee:

AA can be poor; AB can be exceptional — cupping is required for cup quality assessment
Supremo does not reliably outperform Excelso in the cup despite the price premium
Direct-trade and specialty coffee relationships increasingly prioritise cupping scores and traceability over grade designations
Grade enables trade standardisation and price communication; it is the starting point for quality assessment, not the conclusion

Key Facts¶

No universal coffee grading standard exists; each major origin operates its own system
Kenyan grading uses screen size (AA = screen 17–18, 6.75–7.14 mm); Ethiopian and Indonesian grading uses defect count; Central American grading uses altitude
Grade does not guarantee cup quality — cupping is required for quality assessment
Peaberry (PB) occurs naturally in 5–10% of cherries and commands a premium based on marketability, not proven cup superiority
Brazil combines cup quality descriptors (Strictly Soft through Rio) with type numbers (defect count per 300 g)
AA vs AB price differential: typically 10–30%; Supremo vs Excelso: typically 5–20%

References¶

Changelog¶

Date	Change
2026-05-02	Compliance review: full rewrite — bold pseudo-header glossary with no frontmatter, no H2 sections; rebuilt as encyclopedia article covering Kenyan, Colombian, Brazilian, Ethiopian, Indonesian, and Central American grading systems

This article is part of All-About-Coffee.com - The comprehensive coffee knowledgebase.