Coffee Glossary · Quality
Grading (Green Coffee)
The classification of green coffee into commercial tiers by measurable criteria — screen size, defect count, density, altitude designation, and cup — expressed in each origin's system: Kenya's AA/AB, Colombia's Supremo/Excelso, Central America's SHB/SHG, Brazil's NY 2/3 with cup descriptions, Ethiopia's Grade 1–5. Grades standardize contracts (a buyer can order 'Grade 1' sight unseen) and stratify price. Specialty trade layers cup scores and lot traceability atop these physical grades rather than replacing them.
Related terms
Screen Size
Bean size measured by passing green coffee over perforated screens, numbered in 64ths of an inch — screen 16…
Defects (Green Coffee)
Physical faults in green coffee counted under grading systems like the SCA's: category 1 (primary) defects —…
SCA Score (Specialty Grade)
The 100-point cupping score under Specialty Coffee Association protocol, summing graded attributes; 80 points…
Bean Density
How much mass a coffee bean packs per volume — measured in g/L or judged by feel and appearance (tight,…
Cupping
Coffee's standardized tasting protocol: coarse-ground samples steeped in bowls under strict ratios and…
MASL (Meters Above Sea Level)
The standard measure of coffee-growing altitude, and one of quality's strongest predictors. Higher farms are…
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