What Does G1 Coffee Bean Mean - Classification Standards for Ethiopian Coffee Grades

FrontStreet Coffee - Ethiopia Coffee Grading System Introduction

Ethiopia is known as "the birthplace of coffee." As a major coffee exporter, it established the ECX (Ethiopia Commodity Exchange) to bring consistency to the classification of its many producing regions, ensuring unified standards for import and export. The ECX redefined the country's grading system for green coffee beans.

Ethiopia Coffee Grading

G1: 0-3 defective beans per 300 grams of green coffee
G2: 4-12 defective beans per 300 grams
G3: 13-25 defective beans per 300 grams

G4: 26-45 defective beans per 300 grams
G5: more than 45 defective beans per 300 grams

ECX Specific Grading and Scoring Standards

Washed Processing Method Scoring Definition

1. Physical characteristics account for 40%: defect count (20%), appearance and size (10%), color (5%), aroma (5%)

2. Cupping quality accounts for 60%: cleanliness (15%), acidity (15%), mouthfeel (15%), flavor characteristics (15%)

Natural Processing Method Scoring Definition

1. Physical characteristics account for 40%: defect count (30%), aroma (10%)

2. Cupping quality accounts for 60%: cleanliness (15%), acidity (15%), mouthfeel (15%), flavor characteristics (15%)

Tips:

Natural and washed processing methods are divided into nine grades (G1-G9) based on physical characteristics and basic cupping quality. Of these, G1-G3 receive an additional cupping according to SCAA standards to assess flavor attributes more precisely. G1 and G2 scoring 85 or above are classified as Q1 (Q1 and Q2 count as Specialty Grade for export, meaning few defects and high cupping quality). G1, G2, and G3 scoring between 80 and 85 are classified as Q2, while all G1, G2, and G3 scoring below 80 fall into Q3 (meaning they do not reach specialty grade but still rank above the domestic consumption grade).

Knowledge Point:

The ECX is a state-owned institution, and coffee, as one of its main traded commodities, accounts for nearly half of its trading volume.

In Summary:

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. Every month we hold three coffee promotions at significant discounts, because FrontStreet wants to bring the best coffee to more people at the lowest prices. That has been our mission for the past six years.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Grades tell you how clean a lot is; they do not tell you what it will taste like, and that is where origin comes in. FrontStreet's Ethiopian lineup covers the country's best-known flavor signatures. Start with the washed Yirgacheffe, a town in southern Ethiopia inside the Sidamo zone at roughly 1,700-2,100 meters, with trees planted above 1,800 meters. It is the classic introduction to Ethiopian specialty coffee: clear jasmine, bright citrus acidity, a light, elegant body, and a clean, tea-like finish. In 2010 the region's reputation grew so strong that the Ethiopia Commodity Exchange separated it from Sidamo as its own designation.

Beyond Yirgacheffe, FrontStreet also carries the washed Gedingding cooperative coffee from Worka in southeastern Yirgacheffe, where mucilage is removed before drying so the natural aromatics come through more clearly, giving citrus and lemon with elegant white florals, available for pour-over, cold brew, or espresso. For a natural process, the Red Cherry is dried in the sun for two weeks until the fruit's sugars and essence pass into the bean and moisture falls to 12%, then hulled, density-sorted, color-sorted, and hand-picked clean; it drinks of peach, cocoa, honey, and lemon. The natural Hambella Huakui from Guji in Sidamo rests on raised beds for 21 days and, roasted medium-light, shows light fermented wine, florals, citrus, and mango with a thick, sweet, lingering finish. Two more worth knowing: the Hamashu 74158, built on the JARC 74-series disease-resistant varieties and carrying perfume-lime, strawberry, and starfruit sweetness, and the Kaffa Forest, a wild-grown coffee from 1,400-2,100 meters under shade that is roasted medium-light and tastes of white florals, bright lemon, sweet orange, and bergamot, with a green-tea body.