How Coffee Bean Grades SHB are Classified Costa Rican Coffee Bean Grading System Based on Altitude

FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Costa Rica's Grading System

The Republic of Costa Rica is a republic in Latin America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the south. It is the first country in the world to have no standing army, with its capital in San José. Costa Rica is the second smallest country in Central America, situated between Nicaragua and Panama, with its name meaning "beautiful coast."

Costa Rica's exceptional natural environment—with fertile volcanic ash, moderate and suitable temperatures, stable and abundant rainfall, sufficient daytime sunlight, and significant day-night temperature differences—has made coffee one of the country's main agricultural products. They also produce various grades of coffee beans, from commercial affordable Arabica beans to those from the Cup of Excellence (COE) competition, as well as the exceptional Geisha coffee variety. Additionally, there are countless post-processing methods in white, yellow, red, and black varieties, offering a dazzling array of options.

However, with the evolution of specialty coffee, the standards of large production regions can no longer satisfy the curiosity of coffee enthusiasts pursuing quality. This has led to the discovery of more and more micro-regions and small batches from small estates.

Grading System

Coffee beans from Costa Rica are graded by altitude.

SHB "Strictly Hard Bean": Coffee beans grown at altitudes exceeding 1,200 meters.

HB "Hard Bean": Coffee beans grown at altitudes between 1,000 and 1,200 meters.

SH "Semi-Hard Bean": Coffee beans grown at altitudes below 1,000 meters.

Altitude has always represented the quality of coffee, with higher altitude meaning better quality. Additionally, the high altitude results in abundant rainfall, which is very beneficial for the growth of coffee trees. Moreover, the low nighttime temperatures at high altitudes cause the trees to grow slowly, allowing the coffee cherries to absorb more nutrients, resulting in richer coffee flavors. Although Costa Rica has gained recognition from coffee connoisseurs through its honey-processed coffee beans, this is inseparable from Costa Rica's superior geographical and climatic conditions, and the fact that all cultivated coffee varieties are Arabica.

Knowledge Point: In the late 18th century, Costa Rica became the first country in Central America to fully establish a coffee industry.

In Brief

FrontStreet Coffee is a coffee research center dedicated to sharing coffee knowledge with everyone. We share without reservation to help more friends fall in love with coffee. Additionally, we hold three discounted coffee events each month because FrontStreet Coffee wants to provide the best coffee at the lowest prices to more friends. This has been our mission for the past six years!

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