Specialty Coffee is coffee that has almost no defects and has gone through a rigorous and peculiar quality check. In order for coffee to be labeled as Specialty Coffee, it needs to have a specific score—of 80 or more.

Q-graders

Think of wine, for example. There are certified sommeliers to ensure the quality of wines is of a certain standard. There is a similar process in coffee. We have what we call Q-graders. Q-graders are trained and certified professionals, here to evaluate the quality of coffee. Similarly to wine, coffee has to go through a certain process of quality checking and tasting (cupping) in order to be qualified as specialty coffee. Q-graders are the sommeliers in coffee. They utilize cupping, a score sheet, and a flavor wheel to come to that conclusion. It all comes down to how the coffee was cultivated: region, climate, elevation, process, and more.

Grades

The coffees we produce here at Kanfuela Kaffé are all scored 84 and above and are Grade 1.

Coffee is graded like this:

GRADE 1: SPECIALITY-GRADE COFFEE BEANS. (What is usually found at locally-owned specialty shops/roasters- like us)
GRADE 2: PREMIUM GRADE COFFEE BEANS (also found at coffee shops/restaurants)
GRADE 3: EXCHANGE GRADE COFFEE BEANS (usually found at supermarkets/hotels)
GRADE 4: STANDARD GRADE COFFEE BEANS (That tasteless coffee from those gas stations and motels.)
GRADE 5: OFF GRADE COFFEE BEANS (Stay away from these!)

Now you know the difference between what makes a cup of coffee so special when you go to a local coffee shop vs one that is tasteless from a hotel/gas station/hospital?

But make no mistake, there is more to it. It takes a whole team to deliver top notch specialty-grade coffee to customers.

All the players:

The Farmer
The Green Coffee Buyer/Exporter
The Roaster (like us)
The Barista
The Consumer (you)
Read more about it here on the Specialty Coffee Association site.
To learn more about the difference between specialty coffee and regular coffee, read here!

Hope this helps!