What Is Specialty Coffee? The Origins of the Term

Ever wonder why one bag of coffee costs $8 and another $25 — even though both are labeled 'premium'? For decades, coffee buyers faced a confusing mess: each producing country used its own rules to grade beans, with no shared standard for what made coffee 'good.' That inconsistency created huge gaps in quality, pricing, and trust. Here's how Specialty Coffee became the solution.

In short: Specialty Coffee is a quality-driven movement that started in the late 1970s to replace inconsistent national grading with a universal standard based on origin, flavor, and minimal defects. The term was coined in 1978, and today it represents carefully grown, processed, and roasted beans scoring above 80 on the 100-point SCA cupping scale.

How Coffee Was Graded Before Specialty Coffee

Before Specialty Coffee, every major coffee-producing country had its own system. These traditional grading methods fell into three broad types: altitude-based classification, bean size screening, and a combined approach using screens, defect counts, and cupping. Each aimed to signal bean quality, but none aligned across borders.

1. Altitude-Based Grading

Many Central American countries, including Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras, and El Salvador, graded coffee by the elevation where it was grown. Higher altitudes slow cherry ripening, leading to denser beans with better flavor potential — and fewer defects due to manual harvesting. For example:

• Guatemala’s SHB (Strictly Hard Bean) grade requires beans grown above 1,350 meters.
• Mexico’s SHG (Strictly Hard Grown) applies to beans from elevations over 1,700 meters.
• Honduras and El Salvador also use SHG, but for beans grown above 1,200 meters.

2. Screen Size (Bean Diameter) Grading

Countries like Kenya, Tanzania, and Colombia sorted beans by physical size using perforated metal screens. The holes were sized in 1/64-inch increments — a No. 17 screen has 17/64-inch (about 6.75mm) openings, and larger numbers mean bigger beans. Bigger beans often develop more complex flavors during roasting. Examples include:

• Tanzania AA: beans larger than 18/64 inch (about 7.14mm).
• Kenya AA: over 7.2mm.
• Colombia Supremo: 17/64 inch (17 mesh) and above; Excelso: 16/64 inch (16 mesh) mixed with up to 11% 14/64 inch beans.

While not perfect, larger beans typically offer more nuanced flavors — a key reason size became a grading factor.

3. Combined Grading: Screens, Defects & Cupping

Brazil, the world’s largest coffee producer, used a three-part system: defect count, screen size, and cup quality. Brazilian grades include:

• Export port (e.g., Santos).
• Grade number (No. 2 is highest, with fewest defects; No. 8 is lowest).
• Screen size (No. 19 means beans pass through a 7.54mm hole).
• Cup quality descriptor (e.g., “Strictly Soft” for top flavor).

This approach helped Brazil manage its massive, varied production by blending beans while still aiming for export quality. Other countries, like Jamaica (with its Blue Mountain classifications based purely on growing region), added their own twists. But without a shared language, buyers worldwide struggled to compare coffees fairly.

Why a Unified Standard Emerged

The lack of a common standard meant quality was subjective, and much of the coffee traded internationally was low-grade. By the late 20th century, specialty roasters and consumers in importing countries demanded more consistency and transparency. That push led to the birth of the Specialty Coffee concept.

The Birth of Specialty Coffee

The term “Specialty Coffee” was first introduced in 1978 by Erna Knutsen of Knutsen Coffee Ltd. at an international coffee conference. She defined it as coffee grown in unique microclimates that produce distinctive flavors — borrowing the wine industry’s concept of terroir. Just as wine grapes express their environment, so too could coffee.

At first, the idea didn’t catch on quickly. Most U.S. importers focused on low-cost commercial beans (like Brazil No. 5), and it wasn’t until the rise of European-style espresso culture and brands like Starbucks in the 1990s that demand for high-quality beans took off. Within a decade, the U.S. transformed from a market of cheap coffee to one that celebrated specialty-grade beans.

What Specialty Coffee Means Today

There’s still no single global definition of Specialty Coffee, but the term generally refers to beans that:

• Are grown in ideal microclimates.
• Have minimal defects (fewer than 5 per 300g sample).
• Score 80 points or higher on the 100-point SCA cupping scale.
• Are traceable to origin and processed with care.

The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) and similar bodies around the world now provide grading frameworks, though specifics vary by country. We’ll explore those standards in the next article.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Specialty Coffee actually mean?

Specialty Coffee refers to high-quality beans grown in optimal conditions, with very few defects (under 5 per 300g), and that score 80 or above on the SCA’s 100-point cupping scale. The term emphasizes origin, flavor complexity, and careful processing — not just marketing.

When was the term Specialty Coffee first used?

The term was coined in 1978 by Erna Knutsen at an international coffee conference. She introduced it to highlight beans with unique flavors grown in specific microclimates, similar to how wine is valued for its terroir.

How did countries traditionally grade coffee beans?

Countries used different methods: some graded by altitude (e.g., SHB in Guatemala for beans above 1,350m), others by bean size (e.g., Kenya AA at 7.2mm+), and some combined screen size, defect counts, and cupping (e.g., Brazil’s No. 2, 19-screen, Strictly Soft grade).

Why wasn’t there a global coffee grading standard before Specialty Coffee?

Each producing country set its own rules based on local priorities (like ease of harvest or export blending). Without a shared standard, international buyers couldn’t easily compare beans, leading to inconsistent quality and confusion in the market.

What’s the connection between Specialty Coffee and cupping scores?

Specialty Coffee is officially defined as beans that score 80 or higher on the SCA’s 100-point cupping scale. This score reflects qualities like aroma, flavor, acidity, body, and aftertaste — all assessed by trained tasters.

Recommended FrontStreet Beans for Exploring Specialty Coffee

Try FrontStreet Coffee’s Ethiopia Humbera for bright floral and berry notes, or their Yirgacheffe-sourced washed coffee for lemony acidity and sweet berries. For something richer, their washed Sidra from Colombia offers tropical fruit and honey-like sweetness. All showcase the distinct origins and processing methods that define Specialty Coffee. Freshly roasted within 5 days · Orders placed before 17:00 ship the same day · Next-day delivery across most of Guangdong Province.