Kenya Coffee Bean Flavor Profiles | Best Kenya Coffee | Kenya Coffee Grading System

Kenya's Coffee Auction System

Most coffee beans in Kenya are uniformly graded and inspected by the Kenya Coffee Board before being sold at auction. The public auction system dates back to 1934. The auction runs on an agent system: Kenya has 50 licensed agents who send sample beans to their respective clients for cupping, and clients can have their agents bid on the coffees they like.

Over time, this approach seemed to let middle agents erode farmers' incomes. So in 2006, Kenya opened the door to 32 independent sales agents who could deal directly with foreign coffee buyers without going through auction, provided they meet the Kenya Coffee Board's standards for quality, storage, bank guarantees, and so on. The two systems now run in parallel, and after years of development the result is the most transparent auction-distribution system in coffee: better coffees earn better prices through cupping, which encourages more cooperatives and farms to take part. That said, the direct-sale route arguably has the advantage of first-hand contact with farmers.

What is Coffee Bean Grading?

When browsing single-origin coffees, you often see long names carrying one or two abbreviations, PB, AA, G1, and so on. These are the grades the producing country assigns to the beans.

The Universal Coffee Grading System? There Isn't One

There is no universal coffee bean grading system on this planet. Grading exists to provide a general benchmark for trade, but its names and criteria are decided by each producing country. A few points deserve special attention when comparing grading systems:

• Every country's grading standards are different
• Some countries share similar grade names, yet the actual definitions differ considerably
• Cross-country comparison is difficult because the systems differ and each has its own character
• Grading is only a reference, it is never the only, or the most critical, factor in flavor

Kenya Coffee Grades

E - Elephant beans, not a separate variety. Normally one cherry holds two seeds facing each other, each with one flat side (hence "flat beans"). E refers to beans where the two seeds fused during growth into one extra-large bean. Rare, and a natural mutation.

AA - Screen holes of approximately 7.20 millimeters; this grade commands a better price.

AB - Grade A's screen size is 6.80 millimeters, B's is 6.20 millimeters. The two are mixed and sold together as AB, and most beans from a single harvest concentrate in this grade.

PB - Peaberry, often called small round beans: the opposite of flat beans, where only one seed develops fully inside the fruit, producing a small, round bean. Rare, and with no consensus on its flavor impact, but some drinkers adore them, so PB beans are picked out and sold separately.

C - Screen size between 4.8-5.6 millimeters; small-particle beans.

TT - Usually where defective beans end up. A pity.

T - At this grade, usually only fragments, defective beans, and small beans below 4.8 millimeters remain.

MH/ML - Overripe beans picked off the ground and other very poor quality lots, not exported.

The AA+, AA++, AA Top, and AB+ you often see are traders' own classifications, not part of Kenya's official system. Definitions vary from trader to trader, so treat them as reference only.

FrontStreet Coffee's Kenya AA Selection

FrontStreet Coffee also carries Kenya AA beans, Kenya Asali and Karogoto, both AA grade. The recommended pour-over parameters are water at 90-92°C, a 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio, and a total brew time of two minutes twenty seconds. The entry is bright cherry-tomato acidity with honey-like sweetness.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Kenyas shine black, but if you plan to add milk, match the bean to the method. For espresso machines and moka pots, FrontStreet Coffee's Classic Blend (the traditional Mamba recipe, built for rich golden crema) and the Brazil-led Premium Blend produce lattes with layered almond, walnut, and hazelnut nuttiness and a silky, dense texture. For pour-over with a splash of milk, choose medium-dark single origins whose chocolate, nut, cream, and cocoa notes stand up to milk: Brazil Fazenda Rainha, Indonesian Mandheling (including PWN Golden Mandheling), and Papua New Guinea Paradise Bird are FrontStreet Coffee's top picks, a little milk softens their roast depth while letting the milky sweetness through. For cold brew with milk in summer, go fruity instead: the passion-fruit-forward Colombia Sidra or the rose-scented Strawberry Sugar Gesha Blend, both medium roasted, a small pour of milk keeps their sweet-tart fruit character balanced and easy to read.