How Coffee Bean Grading is Performed - An Introduction to Ethiopian Defect Bean Grading Standards

FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Defect Bean Grading System

This is the earliest grading method, and currently, the main representative countries that use the defect bean proportion method include Ethiopia, Indonesia, and others. Indonesian beans are mainly divided into 6 grades, namely G1~G6. Ethiopian coffee bean grading is based on a 300g sample of coffee beans, from which the number of defective beans is selected.

Quality and Grading of Ethiopian Coffee Beans

Grading Based on Defect Bean Proportion

This grading method deducts points for defective beans and then conducts taste tests. Defective beans are a significant factor that damages coffee flavor, so the final step in green bean processing is to remove these defective beans. This method is widely adopted in Brazil. When we buy coffee beans, we often see "Brazil Santos NO.2" - NO.2 is the highest grade of Brazilian coffee beans because it's rare to have beans with no defects at all, and maintaining a consistent supply is difficult. Therefore, Brazil sets NO.2 as the highest grade, rather than NO.1.

With the rise of the specialty coffee trend, coffee-producing countries are paying increasing attention to the quality of coffee beans. Controlling defective beans is one of the most important approaches, so grading based on the proportion of defective beans has become increasingly common.

Key Point

Coffee grading in most coffee-producing countries is not based on a single standard. Instead, it examines defect rates, ensures bean size uniformity, and requires certain altitude conditions. These multiple standards are used to determine the grade of the beans.

In Brief

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