What Is Specialty Coffee? Origins of the Standard

Coffee buyers used to face a confusing patchwork of national grading systems with no common rules—until Specialty Coffee changed the game. If you’ve ever wondered why some countries grade coffee by altitude while others rely on bean size or taste tests, you’re not alone. The lack of a shared standard made it hard to compare beans across regions, leaving importers and roasters guessing.

In short: there is no single global standard for green coffee grading—but Specialty Coffee, introduced in 1978, was the first serious push toward a universal quality benchmark based on origin, processing, and sensory traits.

How Coffee Used to Be Graded by Country

Before Specialty Coffee became a thing, every major producing country had its own way of classifying beans. These systems guided international trade, but they weren’t aligned. For decades, pricing and quality expectations varied wildly depending on local rules. Over time, coffee-consuming nations demanded consistency—and Specialty Coffee was the response.

Traditional Grading Methods Still in Use Today

Historically, producing countries graded coffee using three main methods, often in combination:

1. Altitude-Based Grading

Higher elevations produce slower-ripening, denser beans with fewer defects. Most Central American countries grade this way. For example:

• Guatemala: SHB (Strictly Hard Bean) for beans grown at 1,350+ meters
• Mexico: SHG (Strictly Hard Grown) at 1,700+ meters
• Honduras & El Salvador: SHG at 1,200+ meters

2. Screen Size (Sieve) Grading

Countries like Kenya, Tanzania, and Colombia sort beans by physical diameter using perforated metal discs. Mesh sizes are measured in 1/64-inch units. Examples:

• Tanzania AA: 18/64 inch (≈7.14mm)
• Kenya AA: 7.2mm+
• Colombia Supremo: 17/64 inch (≈6.75mm), Excelso 16/64 inch (≈6.35mm) with 11% 14/64 inch beans allowed

Larger beans often have more complex cup profiles.

3. Combined Grading (Size, Defects & Cupping)

Brazil uses a three-part system:

• Defect count (lower = better; No.2 is top tier, No.8 is lowest)
• Screen size (No.12 to No.20, where higher numbers = larger beans)
• Cup quality descriptor (e.g. “Strictly Soft” = highest-rated flavor)

For example: a Brazilian lot might be labeled “Santos No.2, 19 sieve, Strictly Soft”—meaning low defects, large beans, and premium cup quality. This approach helps manage blends from Brazil’s vast, varied growing regions.

Other National Systems

Jamaica, for instance, grades based on plantation location rather than a universal defect or size metric. The lack of a shared international standard created confusion—fuelling the rise of Specialty Coffee.

The Birth of Specialty Coffee

The term “Specialty Coffee” was first publicly introduced in 1978 by Erna Knutsen of Knutsen Coffee at an international coffee conference. She defined it as coffee grown in unique microclimates that produce distinctive flavour profiles—much like terroir in fine wine.

Initially, the idea didn’t catch on quickly. Why? Because most U.S. coffee imports at the time were low-grade commercial lots—like Brazil No.5—not the high-quality beans that define Specialty today. It wasn’t until the rise of espresso culture and brands like Starbucks in the 1990s that demand for better coffee pushed Specialty into the mainstream.

Today, there’s still no single, rigid global definition of Specialty Coffee. Instead, various national Specialty Coffee Associations (SCA) set their own evaluation protocols—which we’ll explore in the next article.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the original meaning of Specialty Coffee?

Specialty Coffee originally referred to beans grown in distinct microclimates that produce unique, high-quality flavours, a concept introduced by Erna Knutsen in 1978. It draws a parallel to wine terroir, where environmental factors shape taste.

How did traditional coffee grading work before Specialty Coffee?

Before Specialty Coffee, countries used their own systems—often based on altitude (e.g. SHB in Guatemala), bean size (sieve numbers in Kenya or Colombia), or a mix of defect count, size, and cup quality (as in Brazil). There was no global standard.

Why did Specialty Coffee emerge as a concept?

As coffee-consuming countries sought consistent, high-quality beans, the fragmented and inconsistent grading systems used by producing nations led to the demand for a unified standard—giving rise to the Specialty Coffee movement in the late 1970s.

What are some examples of altitude-based coffee grades?

Examples include Guatemala’s SHB (1,350m+), Mexico’s SHG (1,700m+), and Honduras’ SHG (1,200m+). These grades indicate beans grown at higher, cooler elevations, typically resulting in denser, higher-quality beans.

Which countries grade coffee by bean size using screens or sieves?

Countries like Kenya, Tanzania, and Colombia use metal sieves measured in 1/64-inch increments. For instance, Tanzania AA beans must be 18/64 inch (≈7.14mm) or larger, while Colombia’s Supremo grade starts at 17/64 inch.

What is Brazil’s unique three-part coffee grading method?

Brazil grades coffee by defect count (e.g. No.2 is best), screen size (12–20), and cup quality term (e.g. “Strictly Soft”). A typical label might read “Santos No.2, 19 sieve, Strictly Soft.”

Recommended FrontStreet Beans for Learning Specialty Coffee

To explore the origins of Specialty Coffee, try FrontStreet’s Ethiopia Humbera (Yirgacheffe region, floral and citrusy with berry notes) and Colombia Huila (sweet, juicy, and aromatic with floral undertones). Both are single-origin beans that highlight the terroir-driven qualities central to Specialty Coffee. Freshly roasted within 5 days · Orders placed before 17:00 ship the same day · Next-day delivery across most of Guangdong Province.