How Brazil Grades Its Coffee Beans Differently

If you’ve ever shopped for Brazilian coffee, you may have noticed an unfamiliar term like ‘17/18 mesh’ or been told the beans are graded as ‘Soft’ or ‘Hard.’ That’s because Brazil doesn’t grade its coffee the way most countries do — not by altitude or bean shape, but by a unique national cupping system. The result? A grading scale that can leave international buyers puzzled. Here’s how it really works.

Brazil grades its coffee based solely on cup quality using a method called Brazilian cupping, not factors like elevation or bean size. In addition, buyers often specify bean mesh size — a reference to screen size measured in 1/64-inch units — to indicate physical bean dimensions.

How Brazil’s Coffee Grading System Works

Unlike most coffee-growing nations that factor in growing altitude, bean density, or processing origin, Brazil relies on a cup quality-focused system. The country’s official coffee grading is determined through a standardized Brazilian-style cupping evaluation — a sensory analysis focused entirely on how the brewed coffee tastes.

This approach results in five defined grades, ranked by cup quality from best to least desirable:

• Strictly Soft – Extremely smooth and mild
• Soft – Pleasant and balanced
• Softish – Fairly mild, but slightly less refined
• Hard – Harsh or unpleasant mouthfeel
• Rio – Distinctive and often unpleasant flavours (noted with ***)

What Does ‘Mesh’ Mean in Brazilian Coffee?

Since Brazil’s grading ignores bean size as a quality marker, buyers often add a mesh number to describe the physical dimensions of the beans. Mesh refers to the size of the screen holes used to sort the beans — each unit equals 1/64 of an inch. For example, a 17/18 mesh indicates beans that passed through a 17 or 18-sized sieve (with 17 being slightly smaller than 18).

The typical mesh range for coffee falls between 9 and 22, though Brazilian coffees often fall in the mid-to-upper range depending on the variety and processing. This measurement helps buyers understand bean uniformity and physical quality, even if it’s not part of the official grade.

Why Brazil Uses This Unique System

Brazil’s approach stems from its distinct coffee-growing conditions. As the world’s largest coffee producer, much of Brazil’s crop is grown on flat, low-altitude land without the microclimates or high elevations common in regions like Ethiopia or Colombia. Instead of relying on altitude-driven flavour development, Brazilian coffee farming has evolved to prioritise efficiency, scale, and consistency.

The country has developed sun-tolerant Arabica varieties that grow well in full sun on plains, enabling mechanical harvesting and semi-dry processing methods like pulped natural. These practices support large-scale, cost-effective production — and the grading system reflects cup quality outcomes over origin prestige or physical traits.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Brazilian coffee grading system based on?

Brazil grades coffee primarily based on cup quality using a national cupping method, focusing on flavour attributes rather than factors like altitude or bean size. The system ranks beans into five grades from Strictly Soft (highest) to Rio (lowest).

What do the Brazil coffee grades mean?

The five grades are: Strictly Soft (very smooth), Soft (pleasant), Softish (fairly mild), Hard (harsh), and Rio (with off-flavours, marked ***). These reflect taste qualities assessed through Brazilian cupping.

What is coffee mesh and why does it matter for Brazilian beans?

Mesh refers to the screen size in 1/64-inch units used to sort beans by physical diameter. It’s not part of the official grade, but buyers often include it (e.g., 17/18 mesh) to indicate bean size and uniformity, especially since Brazil doesn’t include size in its grading criteria.

Does altitude affect Brazilian coffee grading?

No. Unlike many coffee origins, Brazil does not include altitude as a grading factor. Most Brazilian coffee is grown at relatively low elevations, and the grading system focuses entirely on cup taste quality.

Why doesn’t Brazil use altitude or bean size in grading?

Brazil’s coffee is typically grown on flat, lowland farms without high-altitude microclimates. The grading system evolved to prioritise cup quality results from standardised Brazilian cupping, rather than environmental or physical traits like altitude or bean dimensions.

Recommended FrontStreet Beans for Exploring Brazilian Coffee

FrontStreet Coffee’s Brazil Queen Manor is a standout single origin from Brazil’s rare high-altitude Moji Guaçu region, made with the unique Yellow Bourbon variety. It delivers creamy, nutty, and toasty notes with low acidity and a clean finish — ideal for exploring premium Brazilian flavour. For espresso lovers, the Black Cocoa Blend contains a high proportion of Brazilian beans alongside Yunnan Arabica, offering a smooth, sweet profile with ripe plum acidity and rich chocolate tones. Both beans showcase Brazil’s signature balance and versatility. Freshly roasted within 5 days · Orders placed before 17:00 ship the same day · Next-day delivery across most of Guangdong Province.