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The ranking system of raw beans in coffee producing countries introduces what is the best grade of coffee beans.

Published: 2024-11-17 Author: World Gafei

Last Updated: 2024/11/17, Ethiopia (rated in proportion to defective beans) before the emergence of the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange (Ethiopia Commodity Exchange referred to as ECX), Ethiopia's coffee export grade was established by the CLU Department (Cupping and Liquoring Unit) under the Ministry of Agriculture, mainly according to the number of defective beans in 300g. The classification criteria are as follows.

Ethiopia (graded in proportion to defective beans)

Before the emergence of the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange (Ethiopia Commodity Exchange referred to as ECX), Ethiopia's coffee export grade was established by the CLU Department of the Ministry of Agriculture (Cupping and Liquoring Unit), which mainly graded coffee raw beans according to the number of defective beans in 300g, as shown in the table below.

Grade

Number of defects (per 300g)

Grade 1

≤ 3

Grade 2

4-12

Grade 3

13-25

Grade 4

26-45

Grade 5

46-90

General washing treatment is G1-G2, due to the technical problems of sun treatment at that time, sun beans are generally G3-G5, with the improvement of sun treatment technology, now the sun beans can also reach the G1-G2 level.

After the establishment of ECX (Ethiopia Commodity Exchange) in 2008, it was graded by the combination of physical properties of raw coffee beans and cup flavor characteristics.

ECX defines all coffees as unwashed and washed as three types:

The number of defects in Speciality is less, and the cup test has high flavor quality.

Commerical does not reach the boutique grade, but it is higher than the domestic consumption grade (Local / Domestic).

Local / domestic (Local / Domestic) coffee with relatively poor flavor caused by many defects (unripe beans), out-of-season and poor storage.

Among them, boutique and commerce are aimed at the export international market. ECX divides coffee raw beans into nine grades according to the total score of physical attribute characteristics and cup test flavor characteristics, of which the physical feature score accounts for 40% and the cup test mass score accounts for 60%.

Physical characteristics (40%):

Washing treatment: number of defects (20%), appearance size (10%), color (5%), smell (5%)

Non-washing treatment: number of defects (30%), odor (10%)

Cup test quality (60%)

Grade

Score

Water washing

Non-washing

Grade 1

91-100

Grade 2

81-90

Grade 3

71-80

Grade 4

63-70

Grade 5

58-62

Grade 6

50-70

Grade 7

40-49

Grade 8

31-39

Grade 9

20-30

Then the G1-G3 was tested again according to the SCAA standard, and its flavor properties were evaluated in more detail, and the G1 and G2 were rated as Q1 for no less than 85, Q2 for G1 and G2 G3 between 80 and 85, and G3 for all G1Magi G2 G3 below 80.

Q1 and Q2 are classified as boutique grade exports. G4-G9 remains unchanged and is classified as commercial grade export together with G3.

Kenya (graded by particle size)

Kenyan coffee grading is mainly based on the size of coffee particles, usually divided into eight grades.

E (elephant bean): the "E" here stands for Elephant, that is, "elephant", but it is not the elephant bean in the coffee bean variety (Maragogype). It is a kind of bean whose two seeds are intertwined with each other because of abnormal development, forming a "seemingly one" bean, which can be regarded as a flaw. Generally speaking, there are two seeds in a fruit, affixed face to face, so there will be a flat side, called flat beans, mother beans. E is two seeds in the process of growth, stick together, become super-large beans. Aah! aah! The size of grade E particles is more than 18 mesh (1 mesh is 1x64 inches), and the number is rare.

AA: the size of this grade is about 17018 items (about 6.7~7.1mm), which is the Kenyan coffee grade that most people often hear. In boutique coffee, this grade is usually called AA TOP, and it is also a bean that most coffee shops will sell. But AA does not represent the best, it is just that the size of beans should not be confused with flavor.

AB: most coffee beans are in this category, and they are called AB mainly because A with a mesh size of 6.80 mm,B is 6.20mm, and these two sizes of coffee beans (An and B) are sold together, so they are called AB, with a size of about 15 million 16 mesh (about 6.0~6.4mm).

C: the particle size falls between 14015 mesh (about 5.6~6.0mm), which is smaller than that of B grade.

PB: the full name is Peaberry, also known as small round beans, can also be called public beans. Compared with ordinary flat beans, this is also rare, accounting for about 10% of all coffee beans, mainly because only one seed in the fruit has developed to get small and round beans. Some people will particularly like the flavor of PB, so they will pick out the PB and sell it.

TT: these coffee beans are light beans selected from AA and AB beans by air sorter. They are usually light in weight and substandard in hardness, as well as broken and defective beans.

T: lighter beans, broken beans, and even broken fragments of beans selected from C-grade beans.

MH/ML: this kind of coffee beans will not be exported. They are usually coffee beans that are overripe and fall to the ground. They are of poor quality, accounting for about 7% of all coffee beans, only for the Kenyan domestic market.

There are many countries classified by the size of raw beans, such as Tanzania, Rwanda, Colombia, Jamaica and so on.

Colombia

Grade

Size standard

Supreme Screen 18 +

More than 95% 18 mesh

Supreme

More than 95% 17 mesh

Excelso Extra

More than 95% 16 mesh

Excelso EP

14-16 mesh

U.G.Q

More than 14 mesh

Jamaica

Grade

Size standard (defect rate less than 3%)

NO.1

More than 17 mesh

NO.2

More than 16 mesh

NO.3

More than 15 mesh

More than 14 mesh

Costa Rica, Panama, Guatemala and other Central American regions (graded by raw bean hardness)

At the same latitude and on the same plot, the higher the altitude, the greater the temperature difference between day and night, the longer the coffee growing period, the harder the beans, the more nutrients absorbed in the beans, the more obvious the flavor substances will be.

Grade

Altitude

SHB (Strictly Hard Bean) extremely hard bean

≥ 1400m

HB (Hard Bean) hard bean

1200-1400m

SH (Semi Hard Bean) slightly hard beans

1100-1200m

EPW (Extra Prime Washed) excellent water-washed beans

900-1100m

PW (Prime Washed) high quality water washed beans

800-900m

EGW (Extra Good Washed) washed beans with extra good water

600-800m

GW (Good Washed) good quality water washed beans

≤ 600m

Sal Vaido, Honduras (classified by altitude)

Grade

Altitude (El Salvador)

Altitude (Honduras)

SHB (Strictly High Grown) extremely high altitude growth

≥ 1200m

≥ 1221m

HG (High Grown) highland growth

900-1200m

915-1220m

S (Standard) standard

610-915m

CS (Central Standard) Central Standard

500-900m

Brazil (graded by mesh size, defect rate, cup test score)

Brazil believes that only completely flawless beans can become NY.1, while completely flawless beans do not exist. So, among the raw beans in Brazil, the best is NY.2.

According to the size of beans.

Types

Quality

NY.2

17-18 mesh FC

NY.2/3

14-16 mesh FC

NY.3/4

DD Quality

NY.4/5

14-16 mesh GC

According to defect rate