The Difference Between Specialty Coffee and Commercial Coffee_What Are the Standards for Classifying Specialty vs Commercial?

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What is Specialty Coffee?

Unless you are extremely skilled in coffee or deeply passionate about it, most people never explore the difference between specialty coffee and commercial coffee. The term "specialty coffee" sounds sophisticated, while "commercial coffee" sounds like a commodity. But does the coffee world really grade coffee as specialty or commercial? Let FrontStreet Coffee explain the main differences, and then we can talk about what actually makes coffee good or not.

First, let's talk about what specialty coffee is.

If you observe carefully, you will find that the term "specialty coffee" appears most often among pour-over enthusiasts who are relatively new to the field. Why? FrontStreet Coffee believes this is mainly because, once you have been involved with coffee for a long time, you come to realize that specialty coffee does not actually have a completely fixed definition.

When describing a coffee as excellent, experienced professionals are more likely to talk about its origin, batch, processing method, freshness, unique flavors, and mouthfeel, rather than saying "because this is specialty coffee, it tastes good."

The reason is roughly this: origin, batch, processing method, and roast approach are objective evaluation criteria, but once it comes to taste, things become subjective, because everyone has different preferences. Some people are accustomed to certain flavors while others dislike them. Opinions therefore often diverge on whether a coffee is good. If you are not a professional but simply an enthusiast, then as long as you think it tastes good, that is enough - do not get caught up in whether it qualifies as specialty coffee.

By the way, FrontStreet Coffee wants to remind everyone that "good tasting" is a two-sided issue. Some of that good taste comes from genuine, natural ingredients, while some comes from various additives. If you have any health awareness, you will understand what I mean.

Differences Between Specialty and Commercial Coffee

Now let's discuss the differences between specialty coffee and other everyday coffees.

To a large extent, the term "specialty coffee" exists mainly to distinguish it from commercial coffee. The coffee sold in chain coffee shops on the street, the inexpensive packaged coffee powder or beans covered in foreign text that you buy online, and the instant coffee you buy in supermarkets are all considered commercial coffee.

Compared to "specialty coffee," the characteristics of commercial coffee are:

1. Cultivation: No emphasis on how the growing environment affects flavor. Large-scale cultivation on plains and in basins yields higher production but results in single, unremarkable flavors.

2. Harvesting: Machine-based, rough batch harvesting without distinguishing between mature and semi-mature green and red fruit. Everything is picked together, which easily damages the fruit skin.

3. Processing: Mostly uses the natural processing method, which costs less and can handle large quantities of beans at once.

4. Storage: No grading is performed; beans are packed straight into burlap bags to await transport.

5. Roasting: Mostly uses dark roasting, creating burnt and bitter flavors that make storage easier and reduce the cost associated with the beans.

6. Extraction: Commercial chain coffee shops often use dark roasting to create espresso blends. After extracting extremely bitter coffee bases, they add creamer and artificial sweeteners to mask the bitterness and add other flavors.

That process might sound tedious to read, so let me give a simple example: beef.

Traceable, high-quality pastures raise numbered, healthy, active cattle that produce traceable, quality steak from specific animals and specific cuts - this can be called specialty steak.

Factories buy large quantities of free-range cattle from various regions, process them collectively regardless of batch, and turn them into processed canned beef with various strange seasonings and even preservatives to make it taste better - this can be called commercial beef.

The difference between "specialty" coffee and commercial coffee follows roughly the same principle.

Why These Differences Matter

Finally, let's talk about what use it is to know these differences.

FrontStreet Coffee believes there is no need to get caught up in whether what you are drinking is "specialty coffee" or commercial coffee. As long as you think it tastes good, and from an ingredient perspective it does not harm your health, it is acceptable.

Of course, if you understand the differences just described, you will have basic coffee appreciation skills and can roughly judge for yourself whether a cup of coffee is good. For example, if attention is paid to bean selection, roasting, preparation, and flavor, and you feel real pleasure when drinking it, then it is good coffee - no need for so-called "experts" to tell you what good coffee is.

Next time you want to tell friends that the coffee you are drinking is excellent, try describing its origin, variety, and flavor characteristics. For example: "I like that low-caffeine Costa Rican one, it has a subtle roasted walnut and popcorn aroma," or "I like that Honduras Lychee Lan bean, it has a fresh lychee fragrance and honey-like sweetness." That beats saying "I drank a cup of specialty coffee, it was so good," which anyone who understands coffee will see through.

Regarding specialty coffee, if you must dig deeper, you can search online for keywords like SCAA, SCAE, and SCAJ. They are the Specialty Coffee Associations of America, Europe, and Japan respectively. From a market and commercial perspective they have more detailed descriptions of specialty coffee, but that does not have much to do with most coffee enthusiasts.

As for how general, "non-specialty" coffee shops should choose their beans, from the coffee market perspective beans are mainly divided into two categories: commercial beans and specialty coffee beans. In terms of price, specialty coffee beans are several times more expensive than commercial beans. From a cost perspective, choosing commercial beans naturally offers greater profit margins, but the taste of coffee made from commercial beans is much inferior to that made from specialty beans. They can still be used for lattes, cappuccinos, and other espresso-based drinks. How to choose and what to buy is a matter of personal preference and judgment.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

The surest way to taste the difference between specialty and commercial coffee is to start with a bean whose origin, variety, and processing you can actually name - and a V60 is one of the clearest ways to brew it. FrontStreet Coffee's light-roast selection is a good place to begin. The FrontStreet Ethiopia Huakui is a naturally processed Ethiopian heirloom with a striking tropical fruit aroma of strawberry, passion fruit, jackfruit, and lychee, low bitterness, and a smooth, juicy body.

For a more classic and approachable cup, the FrontStreet Yirgacheffe Gediding Cooperative offers white florals, bright citrus and lemon acidity, and a green tea finish that is easy to enjoy. If you would like something a little different, the FrontStreet Mozart stands out for its raisin character, while the FrontStreet Strawberry Candy blend - a combination of a Costa Rican honey process and a Panamanian Geisha - brings delicate florals and sweet fruit to a pour-over, a moka pot, an espresso machine, or a cold brew. Each of them lets you point to a specific origin, variety, and process, which is exactly the conversation specialty coffee is meant to start.