Coffee Glossary · Quality
Bean Density
How much mass a coffee bean packs per volume — measured in g/L or judged by feel and appearance (tight, closed center cuts) — and a direct proxy for altitude and maturation quality. Dense beans grew slowly and cool, accumulating the sugars and acids that survive roasting as complexity; they also tolerate more roasting energy without scorching. Mills separate density on vibrating gravity tables (the 'densimetric' step), sending light floaters — often defective — out of export lots.
Related terms
MASL (Meters Above Sea Level)
The standard measure of coffee-growing altitude, and one of quality's strongest predictors. Higher farms are…
Screen Size
Bean size measured by passing green coffee over perforated screens, numbered in 64ths of an inch — screen 16…
SHG / SHB (Strictly High Grown / Strictly Hard Bean)
Altitude-based grade designations used by Central American origins: SHG (Mexico, Honduras, Nicaragua) and SHB…
Cupping
Coffee's standardized tasting protocol: coarse-ground samples steeped in bowls under strict ratios and…
Defects (Green Coffee)
Physical faults in green coffee counted under grading systems like the SCA's: category 1 (primary) defects —…
Grading (Green Coffee)
The classification of green coffee into commercial tiers by measurable criteria — screen size, defect count,…
Reading up before buying? Volcana Coffee exports SGS-inspected specialty Arabica and Fine Robusta from the Bolaven Plateau, Laos — and we're happy to walk new importers through every term on a real offer sheet.
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