Coffee Grading Systems: From Highest to Lowest - A Guide to Global Coffee Classification Standards

FrontStreet Coffee - Coffee Bean Grading System Introduction

Overview of Grading Standards

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Defect Rate

First is the defect rate. Evaluators randomly take a 300-gram sample from the green beans that need grading and conduct manual sorting. They pick out unripe beans, moldy beans, damaged beans, insect-damaged beans, and impurities like small stones, then grade them according to the quantity picked out. The fewer defective beans, the better the grade.

However, grading by defect rate has different standards. Internationally, the following three are commonly used:

US Standard (USP), which stands for US Preparation; European Standard (EP), which stands for Euro Preparation; and Gourmet Standard (GP), which stands for Gourmet Preparation.

These standards are formed based on defects and sieve size, and sometimes additional standards are included.

Under normal circumstances, USP/EP standards are relatively common, and the EP standard is higher than the USP standard.

Bean Size

Second is bean size. Evaluators use mechanical screens for sorting and grading. Generally, except for special giant beans like elephant beans, medium and small coffee beans above 17 sieve are the best grade. For example, Jamaican Blue Mountain uses 17 sieve and above as NO.1, 16 sieve and above as NO.2, and 15 sieve and above as NO.3. Sieve is a worldwide standard for particle size measurement, with 1/64 inch as 1 sieve, approximately 0.4mm aperture. 17 sieve means 17/64 inches, approximately 6.75mm aperture.

Altitude

Third is altitude.

Some Central and South American producing countries use SHG (abbreviation for Strictly High Grown) to indicate coffee bean grade, which is high-altitude coffee beans, graded by altitude. This usually refers to coffee beans produced at altitudes above 400 meters, such as El Salvador and Honduras in Central America.

Bean Hardness

Fourth is bean hardness. At the same latitude and same plot, when the altitude is higher, the day-night temperature difference is greater, the coffee growth period is longer, the beans are harder, the nutrients absorbed by the beans are more, and flavor substances will be more obvious. There will be more green beans. Therefore, many coffee-producing countries in Central and South America south of Mexico use this as a standard. When these producing countries export green beans, they only have one grade: SHB.

Special Grade - Peaberry (PB)

Special Grade Peaberry, abbreviated as PB. This is what we commonly call round beans. In Chinese-speaking regions like Taiwan, Indonesia, and Malaysia, this bean is also called male beans. If we must say that green coffee beans have male and female distinctions, there is actually some basis - PB beans generally don't germinate and cannot be used as seeds, while normal flat beans, as long as processed correctly, can generally be used as seeds.

Key Points

Key point: The coffee grading in most coffee-producing countries is not executed by a single standard, but rather examines defect rates, must ensure bean size, and must have a certain altitude level - using multiple standards to measure bean grade.

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