Guatemala Coffee Grading System: Are Higher Grade Guatemala Coffee Beans Always Better?

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FrontStreet Coffee - Guatemala Coffee Grading

Anyone familiar with coffee knows that high-altitude green beans, when roasted under the same conditions, perform significantly better than low-altitude green beans in terms of aroma persistence and flavor complexity. Therefore, using altitude as a grading criterion is a typical classification method in the coffee bean grading standards of various producing regions. In Central American coffee-growing areas, coffee is mostly graded by altitude.

In Guatemala, coffee beans grown at altitudes above 1400 meters are called "SHB."

Coffee Grading by Altitude

This grading standard is mainly used because coffee produced at high altitudes generally has higher quality than that produced at low altitudes. Higher altitudes mean lower temperatures, and slower coffee production is beneficial for the accumulation of desirable compounds. Additionally, high-maturity green beans expand well during roasting, which facilitates the roasting process and results in more stable quality.

Currently, coffee-producing countries that adopt this grading standard include Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, and other Central and South American countries. Taking Guatemala as an example:

Guatemala Coffee Grade Classifications

SHB (Strictly Hard Bean) - Extremely hard beans, grown at altitudes above 1350m, representing the highest grade of coffee.

HB (Hard Bean) - Hard beans, grown at altitudes between 1200m-1400m, and SH (Semi Hard Bean) - Semi-hard beans.

EPW (Extra Prime Washed) - Extra premium washed beans.

PW (Prime Washed) - Premium washed beans, EGW (Extra Good Washed) - Extra good quality washed beans.

GW (Good Washed) - Good quality washed beans, with growing altitudes of approximately 1200m, 1000m, 800m, 600m-800m, and below 600m respectively.

Key Knowledge Point

Guatemala boasts over 300 microclimates throughout its territory, the most in the world.

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