Coffee beans are also divided into "aristocratic and poor classes". Evaluation of the quality of coffee

Quality Evaluation of Coffee

Coffee producing countries have their own grading methods and quality evaluation criteria in order to grade their harvested coffee, of course, there are also famous coffee mochas. Like Yemen in Matali, there are no countries with uniform export specifications and no coffee culture of the same style. If the common evaluation criteria of coffee producing countries around the world, it would be much more convenient for buyers, but unfortunately, the current classification criteria are still based on the national conditions of each producing country. As for supply and demand, it depends on the market situation and degree of coffee chain stores.

Having said that, we can still roughly distinguish according to the following three points.

(1) grading according to the altitude of the place of origin

(2) grading according to the sieve (size of raw beans)

(3) grading according to the proportion of screen and defective beans.

1. The quality is evaluated by the altitude of the producing area.

Generally speaking, the quality of high real estate coffee is better than that of low real estate, so the height of producing area is also included in one of the quality evaluation criteria. The higher the altitude, the lower the relative temperature, the coffee fruit can slowly mature, so that fully ripe beans have good expansibility. As a result, coffee-producing countries in Central America evaluate the quality of coffee beans almost exclusively by the altitude of their origin. This is the most basic knowledge of coffee.

For example, coffee from Guatemala, the highest quality coffee in the country, is called SHB, an acronym for StrictlyHard Bean, and is grown at an altitude of more than 1350 meters. The highest quality SHG (Strictly HighGrown) species in Mexico

Planted in the highlands above 1700 meters above sea level. SHG in El Salvador and Honduras is also grown in highlands above 1200 meters above sea level.

The main cultivation areas of coffee in Central American countries are the slopes of the hills. Planted in that place, ripe and red fruits can only be picked carefully by hand. Although the cost is high, magazines and defective beans can be produced.

High-quality coffee.

2. Evaluate the quality by screen.

Countries that use sieves to evaluate quality include Kenya, Tanzania, Colombia and other Colombian producers of fresh and bright coffee (one of the types of coffee traded on the New York Futures Exchange based on origin). The so-called judging quality according to the screen means to evaluate the quality according to the size of raw beans. For all kinds of raw beans, the size of the beans is determined by a perforated iron plate screen.

The size of the hole in the sieve is 1 canopy 64 inches, so the 17 sieve refers to 17 canopy 64 inches, which means that the raw bean can pass through the sieve with a hole size of 6.75 mm.

The most advanced coffee beans in Tanzania are large granulated beans called AA, which need a sieve of more than 18 (7.14mm). AA in Kenya also uses large granular beans with holes above 7.2mm. Colombia has a special grade.

(Supremo) and upper selection (Excelso) two grades, the special grade needs more than 17 sieve, and the upper selection requires sieve 14 + 16 (refers to 11% of sieve 14 beans mixed with sieve 16).

3. Evaluate the quality according to the screen and the proportion of defective beans.

Brazil, a big coffee country, uses the proportion of defective beans (deduction method), sieve mesh, and taste test to synthesize three grading methods to derive the third evaluation method.

For example, when buying Brazilian coffee beans, you will see the sign "Brazil Santos NO.2, sieve 19, extremely mild (Strictly Soft)", which states as follows:

Brazil-producing country

Santos (Santos)-export port

NO.2---- represents the grading of the number of defective beans mixed in, NO.2 is the highest grade, and NO.8 is the lowest limit of output sales specifications.

Sieve No. 19-indicates the size of beans. In Brazil, 12-20 means that the larger the number, the larger the granules. This classification is limited to flat beans. Round beans should be graded with a special oval mesh (8-13).

Extremely mild (Strictly Soft)-represents the grading of Cup Testing, and extremely mild means the highest level.

Brazil's three-stage grading method has not been adopted in other countries.

P.S.: in addition to the three classifications mentioned above, some areas, like Jamaica, use cultivated land classification.