What is specialty-grade coffee?

Introduction - What is Specialty Grade Coffee and Why it Matters?

Although terms like "gourmet" and "artisan" are often used to describe high quality coffee, specialty coffee has specific standards that must be met to earn this designation.

Specialty coffee is the highest quality classification of coffee available in the market. To earn and maintain this designation, coffee must score 80 points or higher on a 100 point scale established by professional coffee graders and have few to no defects, including mold and mycotoxins.

Unlike commodity or commercial-grade coffee, which is often valued primarily for consistency and price, specialty coffee is evaluated for its flavor, aroma, acidity, body, balance, and overall cup quality. These coffees are typically grown in ideal conditions, carefully harvested, processed, and inspected throughout the entire supply chain from harvest to our facility.

To be considered specialty coffee, the bean must have:

• Flavor: Distinct and enjoyable flavor characteristics without major defects.

• Aroma: A clean, pleasant fragrance that enhances the drinking experience

• Acidity: Brightness and liveliness that contribute complexity and character

• Body: A satisfying mouthfeel that can range from light and delicate to rich and full

• Balance: Harmony among all flavor attributes, with no single characteristic overpowering the cup.

Because of these rigorous standards, specialty coffee is recognized for its superior quality, consistency, and traceability from the farm to your cup.

What is commodity-grade coffee?

If you have ever sipped a cup of instant coffee, it’s likely you’ve tried commodity-grade coffee.

Defined as coffee grown for mass production and trade on the global commodity market, it can usually be recognized by several factors:

Price: Commodity-grade coffee is usually a lot cheaper compared to other coffees (hence why it is often used in instant coffee). This is due to the lower quality of the beans and the mass production methods used to grow it. Importantly, the focus for commodity-grade farmers is on quantity over quality.

Flavor: Commodity-grade coffee tends to have a fairly consistent flavor profile, although this can also be a result of the way it is roasted. In general, commodity-grade coffee tends to be simple (rather than presenting complex, subtle flavors in the cup).

Packaging: From glass jars to large tins, commodity-grade coffee can, in many cases, be spotted a mile off by its packaging. It is also often sold in large bags or bulk containers.

Certification: To keep down costs, commodity coffee rarely has any certifications, such as Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance, or Organic on the packaging. These certifications are often not held by commodity-grade coffee producers because they are expensive and time-consuming.

That said, it is important to note that there is nothing inherently "bad" about commodity-grade coffee. It is a source of income for many small farmers around the world, and it can be a delicious and enjoyable part of many people's daily routine.

However, because commodity-grade coffee is often grown in large quantities, using mass production methods, it is not generally considered to be sustainable. Aggressive exploitation of the land can lead to soil erosion and poor water quality for the local communities.

Understanding Quality in Specialty Coffee

Besides just flavor and aroma, specialty coffee is distinguished by several quality and sourcing factors, including:

• Bean Quality & Grading: Evaluation of defects, consistency, and overall coffee quality

• Traceability: The ability to identify where a coffee was grown, processed, and sourced down to the specific farm and lot

• Sourcing Practices: The relationships and supply chains used to obtain coffee (Mayorga participates in direct sourcing)

How Specialty Coffee is Graded

SCA Scoring System

Specialty Grade Coffee is evaluated by using the Specialty Coffee Association, or SCA, grading system, which scores coffee on a scale of 100. In order for a coffee bean to maintain its specialty grade classification, it must be rated 80+ on the scale and also meet rigorous quality standards, assessing attributes from aroma, acidity and body to overall aroma and aftertaste. Specialty grade coffee should also be free of major defects including mold and mycotoxins. At Mayorga, all of our coffees have a minimum rating of 83 points on the SCA scale.

Defect Count in Green Coffee

Before coffee is roasted, the green coffee must first be tested and evaluated for defects. This can include cracked beans, black beans, insect damage,  or foreign material. Specialty grade coffee must be free of major defects, allowing only a very tiny number of imperfections within a sample batch. We test and evaluate our coffee to make sure we are providing consistent quality. 

The Role of Q-Graders

A certified Q-Grade is a professional coffee expert who is trained  to evaluate coffee quality using internationally shared standards. You could often compare them to a wine sommelier. Q-graders are rigorously trained to grade, evaluate, and score coffee based on the SCA scale (out of 100). These assessments help producers and buyers maintain quality in their lineup.

Specialty Coffee vs Regular Coffee

Quality Standards

Specialty Coffee must meet the SCA’s minimum of 80 points minimum. These coffees are assessed for their aroma, acidity, body and quality defects. 

Regular, or often known as commercial, coffee is not typically held to the same quality standards.

Sourcing & Traceability

Specialty coffee can often be traced all the way back to its original producers, farms, and lots, which provides transparency and allows us to maintain quality standards throughout each process of the supply chain. 

Regular coffee can often come from multiple origins or suppliers which could be blended beans in order to reach consistency on a broader, distributed basis.

Flavor Profile

Specialty Grade coffee is known for its unique flavor profiles, tasting notes and characteristics. These could include subtle notes of fruit, chocolate, florals or nuts. 

Regular coffee is sought after for consistency across the board with simpler flavor profiles.

Why Specialty Grade Coffee is important

Specialty coffee is important in helping raise the overall quality standards within the c-market. Compared to commercial grade coffee, specialty grade is meticulously grown, harvested, and tested to high standards. Because these coffees have distinct flavor characteristics, they result in a very enjoyable cup for coffee drinkers. Once you are used to the quality of specialty-grade, it’s hard to go back.

Specialty grade coffee also forces a magnifying glass on the transparency and traceability standards present in the coffee industry. If you work in the specialty coffee industry, roasters typically work directly with producers, and we are able to tell you which lot traces back to a specific farm, processing methods, and growing practices firsthand. All of this helps build trust throughout the supply chain, especially with our customers.  

One of our biggest reasons for sourcing exclusively from 100% organic, specialty-grade coffee farms, is because this helps create economic benefits for these coffee producing communities. Premium coffee requires premium prices, resulting in a more favorable financial gain for farmers who put in the extra effort to grow sustainably grown, quality, clean coffee. As a result, we are directly contributing to a clean, traceable, transparent, quality-driven approach that benefits our producers, our roasters and our customers. 

How to Make specialty coffee at home

Brewing specialty grade coffee isn’t more complicated than your regular daily brew, however, there are a few tips that can elevate your morning cup of coffee that can make a world of difference.

Freshly Ground

At Mayorga, we believe that freshly ground coffee  is always best for brewing whenever possible. Grinding before brewing helps preserve the coffee’s natural aromas and tasting notes. 

Water Quality

In general, you would think that “water is water”, but the quality of the water actually makes a difference! Coffee is made up of 98% water, so pure, clean and filtered water makes a world of  difference. We recommend using water free of strong flavors or odors and avoiding tap water if it negatively affects taste. 

Brewing Methods

The best brewing method is the brewing method that works best for your lifestyle. However, if you want to extract the full flavor profile of specialty-grade coffee, we often opt for a V60 pour-over  since it highlights delicate flavors and clarity. You could also opt for a French Press, which results in a fuller-cup with rich texture. 

In the end, don’t be afraid to experiment! Adjust your water to coffee ratio, grind sizes, and brewing methods that work best for you. If you are using specialty grade coffee, you have so many options to enjoy their unique flavor profiles in a way that works for you

Why direct trade, organic specialty-grade coffee is best

The term “specialty-grade coffee” is often misinterpreted.

Many in the coffee industry assume that it automatically means farmers receive a sustainable price for their coffee and that their land is not being exploited in the way it often is for commodity-grade coffee.

However, the only coffee that ticks both of these boxes, as well as being classified as “specialty-grade” is direct trade and organic.

Direct trade is a scenario whereby intermediaries are cut out of the supply chain, hence leaving a larger share of the profits for farmers. Roasters and farmers connect directly, and often have a personal relationship which allows the roasters to understand the farmers’ genuine needs.

Organic coffee is produced without synthetic fertilizers and synthetic pesticides.  It prevents the pollution of local water supplies as there are no harmful chemicals that runoff the land. What’s more, many people agree that organic coffee has a richer, more complex flavor than non-organic coffee, due to the care and attention given to the plants during the growing process.

Specialty-grade coffee has become increasingly widespread since the 1990s and, thanks to growing demand among consumers, replaced much of the commodity-grade coffee on offer.

However, it’s worth noting that not all specialty-grade coffee is organic, and not all organic coffee is specialty-grade.

At Mayorga Coffee, we guarantee that all our coffees are not only specialty-grade but also organic and direct trade. We work with dozens of independent coffee farmers in Latin America to ensure they are paid the right price for all their hard work.

Check out our full range of organic specialty-grade coffees today.