How Brazil Grades Its Coffee Beans

When buying specialty coffee from most origins, you’re used to seeing elevation, processing method, and even farm name listed. But with Brazilian coffee, you’ll often find an extra note: a number like ‘Strictly Soft’ or a reference to ‘17/18 mesh.’ That’s because Brazil doesn’t grade its coffee the way most countries do—it has a totally different system.

Brazil grades coffee based on cup quality using a national cupping protocol—not factors like altitude or bean shape. The system has five defined grades, and buyers often also note the bean’s mesh size, which refers to screen size measured in 1/64-inch units.

What Are the 5 Brazil Coffee Grades?

Brazilian coffee is officially classified into five quality tiers, ranked primarily by sensory evaluation through the country’s standardized cupping method. These grades reflect how ‘soft’—or pleasant and mild—the cup tastes, among other attributes. The scale is as follows:

• Grade 1: Strictly Soft – the highest grade, indicating a very mild and pleasant cup
• Grade 2: Soft – high quality with a generally soft cup character
• Grade 3: Softish – moderately soft, a step down in cup quality
• Grade 4: Hard – noticeably harsher or less pleasant in the cup
• Grade 5: Rio*** – the lowest grade, often with strong or undesirable flavor characteristics

Why Brazil Doesn’t Grade by Altitude or Size Alone

Unlike many coffee-growing regions where altitude and bean size heavily influence grading, Brazil takes a different approach. Much of Brazil’s coffee grows on flat land at relatively low elevations, which makes altitude a less useful benchmark. Instead, the focus is on the sensory profile achieved through a uniquely Brazilian cupping method. While bean size does play a supporting role in trade, it is not the primary grade-defining factor.

What Is Bean Mesh Size and Why Does It Matter?

In Brazilian coffee trading, ‘mesh’ refers to the size of the screen holes used to sort beans by diameter. The measurement is given in ‘mesh’ or sometimes ‘mesh’ (mùshù), where 1 mesh equals 1/64 of an inch. Common bean sizes range from 9 to 22 mesh. For example, 17/18 mesh indicates that most beans passed through a 17 or 18 mesh sieve (about 6.75 to 7.14 mm in diameter). While mesh size isn't part of the official grade, it is commonly cited alongside the grade to indicate bean uniformity and physical quality. This is especially relevant since much of Brazil’s coffee is mechanically harvested and processed, making bean size and uniformity more practical markers in trade.

How Brazil’s Cupping System Defines Quality

The Brazilian cupping method evaluates coffee based on how ‘soft’ the cup is—meaning smooth, low-acid, and sweet in flavor. This contrasts with other regions that may prioritize brightness, complexity, or origin-specific tasting notes. The goal is to identify beans that produce a mild, balanced, and easy-drinking cup. The softness rating directly informs the five-tier grade, with Strictly Soft being the most desirable and Rio*** considered the least favorable. This system suits Brazil’s production model, which favors consistency, volume, and a mellow profile over high acidity or intense fruitiness.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best grade of Brazilian coffee?

The highest grade of Brazilian coffee is “Strictly Soft” , which indicates a very mild, pleasant, and high-quality cup. It is the top tier in Brazil’s 5-level grading system based on cupping evaluation.

Does Brazil grade coffee by altitude?

No, Brazil does not primarily grade coffee by altitude. Unlike many other coffee-producing countries, Brazil uses a cupping-based system where the sensory profile—especially the softness or mildness of the cup—is the main criterion for grading.

What does 'mesh' mean in Brazilian coffee?

In Brazilian coffee, 'mesh' refers to the size of screens used to sort beans by diameter. It is measured in 1/64-inch units, where, for example, 17 or 18 mesh indicates beans around 6.75–7.14 mm in size. Though not part of the official grade, it is commonly used to describe bean uniformity.

What is the difference between Strictly Soft and Soft in Brazilian coffee grading?

“Strictly Soft” is the highest grade, denoting an exceptionally mild and high-quality cup, while “Soft” is the second tier, still good quality but slightly less refined in cup character than Strictly Soft.

Why don’t Brazilian coffees list altitude on the bag?

Most Brazilian coffee is grown at relatively low elevations, often on flat terrain. Since altitude is less relevant to the cup profile in Brazil’s growing conditions, the country emphasizes cup quality and bean size in its grading and marketing rather than elevation.

Is Brazilian coffee usually soft or acidic?

Brazilian coffee is typically known for being low in acidity and having a soft, mild, and often sweet or nutty profile—qualities that align with the ‘soft’ grading criteria used in its national system.

Top FrontStreet Coffee Beans from Brazil

For a true taste of high-quality Brazilian coffee, try the FrontStreet Coffee Brazil Queen Manor. Grown at higher altitude in the rare Mogiana region, it’s made from the unique Yellow Bourbon variety and offers creamy, peanutty, and nutty notes with low acidity and a clean finish—ideal for filter or espresso. Also explore FrontStreet’s Classic Blends that include Brazilian beans for balance and body, and the Black Cocoa Blend, which features a prominent Brazilian component contributing to its smooth, sweet profile. Freshly roasted within 5 days · Orders placed before 17:00 ship the same day · Next-day delivery across most of Guangdong Province.