Brazilian Coffee Bean Grading System | Naming of Brazil Santos Stictly Soft No.2 Coffee

Brazilian Coffee Bean Grading | Brazilian Santos Strictly Soft Extremely Mild No.2 Coffee Naming Method?

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Brazil is one of the world's top coffee-producing countries. As the largest coffee production region, various grades and types of coffee from Brazil account for one-third of global consumption, holding a significant position in the global coffee trading market. Although Brazil faces natural disasters several times higher than other regions, its vast planting area is sufficient to compensate. There are numerous coffee varieties here, but its industrial policy focuses on mass production and low prices, so premium-quality coffees are not abundant. However, they are excellent choices for blending with other coffees. Among them, the most famous is Santos coffee, which has a mellow and neutral taste. It can be brewed directly or mixed with other coffee beans to create blended coffee, making it another great choice.

Other types of Brazilian coffee such as Rio, Paraná, etc., require less care and can be produced in large quantities. Although their flavor is somewhat rough, they are still considered good value for money. Due to distribution across the country and inconsistent quality, Brazil has established its own standards (graded NO.2-NO.8 based on impurity content, NO.13-NO.19 based on bean size, and six flavor grades). Almost all Arabica varieties have good quality and stable prices, with the most famous being "Brazil Santos," which has been an essential component of blended coffee since ancient times and is well-known to the public. Recently, "Tolma Cup" has also received high praise. From inexpensive instant coffee to premium estate beans, Brazil offers it all. Limited by natural environment, Brazilian coffee grows at lower altitudes compared to neighboring countries, approximately only 600-1200 meters above sea level, thus developing its own grading system. The term "Soft" in the name does not refer to the hardness of the beans but indicates a mild and smooth flavor profile.

When purchasing Brazilian coffee beans, you will typically see descriptions like: Brazil Santos No.2, Screen 19, Strictly Soft. This is because Brazilian coffee beans are evaluated using a comprehensive method based on the proportion of defective beans, screen size, and cupping tests. The above description is understood as follows:

Brazil - Country of origin

Santos - Export port

2 - Grading method indicating the quantity of defective beans mixed in, with No.2 being the highest grade and No.8 being the minimum standard for export and sales.

Screen 19 - Indicates the size of the beans, represented by 12-20 in Brazil, where larger numbers indicate larger particles. "19" indicates beans that pass through a 54-millimeter hole screen. However, this grading method is limited to flat beans; round beans must be graded using special oval hole screens (8-13).

Strictly Soft - Indicates the cupping grade, with Strictly Soft representing the highest grade.

Here, I can also briefly explain Brazilian cupping grades. From highest to lowest, they are Strictly Soft, Soft, Softish, Hard, Riada, Rio, Rio Zona. Starting from Hard and including lower grades, they are considered commercial beans.

Grade 1: Strictly Soft

Grade 2: Soft

Grade 3: Softish

Grade 4: Hard

Grade 5: Riado (Light Iodine)

Grade 6: Rio (Strong Iodine)

The reason Brazil adopts such a complex quality grading system is mainly due to its vast production area and excessive coffee bean output.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommends Brewing: 【V60 Pour-Over】

Dripper: Hario V60

Water Temperature: 88°C

Grind Size: Fuji Mini grinder setting 4

Brewing Method: Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, 15g of coffee grounds. First pour 25g of water for 25s pre-infusion. Second pour to 120g, then pause. Wait until the water level in the coffee bed drops to half before continuing to pour. Slowly pour until reaching 225g total water. Extraction time approximately 2:00.

Analysis: Using a three-stage brewing method to clearly distinguish the front, middle, and back-end flavors of the coffee. Because the V60 has many ribs and faster drainage, pausing during pouring can extend the extraction time, better extracting the nutty and chocolate flavors from the later stages.

Important Notice :

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