Best African Kenya Coffee Bean Brands and Complete Kenya Coffee Grade Guide

FrontStreet Coffee - Kenya Coffee Introduction

Most Kenyan coffee grows at altitudes between 1,500-2,100 meters, with harvests occurring twice a year. To ensure only ripe berries are picked, people must patrol through the forests, making approximately 7 rounds back and forth. Kenyan coffee is cultivated by smallholder farmers who, after harvesting, first send the fresh coffee beans to cooperative washing stations. The washing stations then send the washed and dried coffee in "parchment coffee" form (coffee beans covered with endocarp) to the cooperatives ("parchment coffee" is the final state before the coffee beans are hulled).

Kenya's Official Green Bean Grading System

E Grade (Elephant Beans): This grade represents the largest particle size of Kenyan coffee beans, above screen size 18 (18/64"), also known as elephant beans. Their quantity is very rare, and this grade is almost never seen on the market.

AA Grade: Particle size (screen size) between screen 17-18 (7.20mm sieve), with limited production. This is the most sought-after grade in the mid-to-high-end market.

AB Grade: Particle size (screen size) between screen 15-16 (6.8mm-6.2mm sieve), accounting for the majority of production and is the most common green bean grade.

PB Grade: Round green beans. PB (Peaberry) is quite special, typically produced from the ends of coffee trees that flowered too late or too early. Due to its scarce production, accounting for only 10% of yield, peaberries from the same coffee tree are generally priced higher than other flat beans. When peaberries are specially collected together, defective beans are mostly removed, reducing the defect ratio, making particle size more uniform, resulting in more even roasting and improved flavor.

C Grade: Particle size (screen size) between screen 12-14 (4.8mm-5.6mm sieve).

TT Grade: Lighter green beans blown out from AA and AB grade beans using an air classifier, indicating soft beans that do not meet hardness standards.

T Grade: Particle size (screen size) below screen 12 (4.8mm sieve). Lighter green beans blown out from C grade beans using an air classifier, indicating soft beans that do not meet hardness standards, are small particles, and contain some broken and defective beans.

MH/ML Grade: Beans that have not undergone wet processing or selection, as they are beans that fell after harvest, accounting for approximately 7% of all coffee beans. This belongs to the lowest grade, sold only in Kenya's domestic market.

Kenya AA (Kenya Ngariama AA): Among the world's recognized, highest-grade Arabica coffee series, Kenya AA is indispensable. Here, AA refers to the grade of green bean size, appearance, and density. The evaluation grades include 7 levels from AA (largest green beans) to T (smallest green beans).

Kenyan coffee, with AA being the largest grade, contains the most oil content. This oil component is unique to Kenya and can induce rich aromas. Most Kenya AA coffee is processed using the washed method.

Knowledge Point: Coffee roasting is the process that triggers Maillard reactions and caramelization reactions inside green beans, producing more wonderful flavors.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

To taste what Kenya's washed processing is capable of, try FrontStreet Coffee's Kenya "Cherry Tomato," grown at 1,550-1,750 meters in Thika on SL28 and SL34 varieties and fermented through Kenya's signature 72-hour double washing. Light-roasted to preserve its vivid acidity, it offers cherry tomato and dark plum on the nose, a bright, solid acidity like fresh-squeezed juice, mid-palate sweetness of snow pear and black plum, and a clean finish of yellow sugar and green tea.