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?

Brazil is the world's top coffee producer: as the largest growing region, its coffees of every grade and type account for one-third of global consumption and hold a commanding position in the international trade market. Although Brazil faces natural disasters several times more frequent than other regions, its vast planting area more than compensates. The country grows numerous varieties, but its industrial policy prioritizes mass production and low prices, so truly premium lots are not abundant—though they make excellent blending components. The most famous of all is Santos coffee, mellow and neutral in taste, brewable on its own or blended with other beans. Other Brazilian types such as Rio and Paraná require less care and can be produced in enormous quantities; their flavor is somewhat rough, but the value for money is real.

Because production is spread across the country and quality is inconsistent, Brazil has established its own grading standards: NO.2–NO.8 by impurity content, NO.13–NO.19 by bean size, and six flavor grades. Nearly all the arabica varieties offer decent quality at stable prices, with "Brazil Santos" the most famous—since the earliest days an essential component of blended coffee and a household name. Recently, the "Tolma Cup" designation has also earned high praise. From inexpensive instant coffee to premium estate beans, Brazil offers everything. Limited by its natural environment, Brazilian coffee grows at lower altitudes than in neighboring countries—roughly 600-1200 meters above sea level—which is why the country developed its own grading system. Note that "Soft" in the name refers not to the hardness of the bean but to a mild, smooth flavor profile.

When buying Brazilian beans you will typically see a description like: Brazil Santos No.2, Screen 19, Strictly Soft. Brazilian coffee is evaluated by a comprehensive method covering the proportion of defective beans, screen size, and cupping results. Here is how to read it:

Brazil - Country of origin

Santos - Export port

2 - Defect count grade, with No.2 the highest and No.8 the minimum standard for export sale.

Screen 19 - Bean size, expressed in Brazil as 12-20, where larger numbers mean larger beans. "19" indicates beans that pass through a 54-millimeter hole screen. This sizing applies only to flat beans; round beans must be graded with special oval-hole screens (8-13).

Strictly Soft - The cupping grade, with Strictly Soft the highest.

Brazilian cupping grades, from highest to lowest: Strictly Soft, Soft, Softish, Hard, Riada, Rio, Rio Zona. From Hard downward, the beans are considered commercial grade.

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 maintains such an elaborate quality grading system is chiefly its enormous production area and sheer volume of 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: The three-stage brewing method clearly distinguishes the front, middle, and back-end flavors of the coffee. Because the V60 has many ribs and fast drainage, pausing during pouring extends the extraction time, better drawing out the nutty and chocolate flavors in the later stages.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Brazilian coffee is defined by moderate acidity and a superb balance of sweetness, bitterness, and body—which is exactly why it suits medium roasting so well, releasing nutty aromas and a mellow, softly tart cup that works as a single origin or a blend base. If you simply want a first taste of Brazil, FrontStreet Coffee's pulped natural Cerrado Red Bourbon is a classic: Cerrado is one of the country's most respected growing regions, and this Red Bourbon at medium roast shows rich cream-roasted peanut, toast, caramel, and hazelnut, round on the palate with only a light bitterness—fine for pour-over, moka pot, espresso SOE, siphon, or French press.

FrontStreet Coffee's other Brazilian single origin, the Queen Estate Yellow Bourbon, comes from Mogiana near southern Minas, where fertile red volcanic soil feeds full, aromatic development; a mix of traditional farm management and modern standardized operations has lifted quality considerably. Yellow Bourbon—a mutation of Red Bourbon with cleaner fruit character—reveals a delicate sugarcane sweetness alongside fruit and chocolate notes that no other origin quite matches, through pour-over, moka pot, or home espresso machine.

Brazil's low acidity, balance, and friendly price also make it the backbone of many espresso blends: the crema-rich FrontStreet Classic blend, the nut-forward FrontStreet Premium blend, the balanced Dark Cocoa blend beloved by baristas, and the shop-focused Commercial blend all contain Brazilian components. Beyond contributing chocolate and cream aromatics, Brazil lends gentle sweet-tart-bitter structure, and its even profile supports extraction stability shot after shot.