Quality

Quality is defined as “the standard of something as measured against other things of a similar kind or the degree of excellence of something.”

In that sense, the concept of quality coffee is relative and totally subjective. It takes into consideration the presence and absence of several desirable characteristics and some not so desirable characteristics. Characteristics include – acidity, aroma, flavour, caffeine content. These characteristics are determined from a variety of points along the coffee production chain inclusive of type of bean, type of soil & environment, date of harvest and type of roast.. There are a number of studies which focus on the coffee markets and what is considered as ‘quality’, these studies speak to factors such as purchasing consumer behavior and quantified consumption, as well as sustainable development and ethical consumption in line with the principles of fair trade

Given its subjective nature, a standardized grading system is necessary to manage and score coffee in order to maintain quality standards across the many different coffees available from the many different places. This grading is known as the Q-grading system.

This allows the industry to operate in coordination with a common message to educate consumers about the quality of coffee and to give them confidence in the quality of the coffee they are buying. Having a range of quality levels emphasizes the value perceived at different price points and offers an aspirational element for many consumers. Intermediate quality coffees in particular help create a more focused coffee culture, but at the same time take into account the financial realities of consumers.

The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) created the dominant system of evaluating coffee, known as Q-grading. The Q-grading systems and its accompanying certifications are managed by the Coffee Quality Institution (CQI). It was created to standardize coffee grading over the world, which meant it had to overcome some of the subjectivity of taste. The Q-grading standards are also designed to distinguish specialty coffee (Q-score 80) from lower quality coffee.

What we Mean by Talking About Coffee Quality

Research shows that coffee is considered a high-quality food. “In the minds of consumers, consumption of coffee is more and more often equated with pleasure and positive experiences and is often related to lifestyle and social status”.

For some groupings, much emphasis is placed on issues of sustainable development, including fair trade.

Quality and the Coffee Shop
It is said that quality is the most important factor in the success of a coffee shop. This being so we must therefore understand what quality means to the customer. Studies indicate three important characteristics that are of high importance to the coffee customer:

➤

Unique flavor
➤

Body or mouthfeel
➤

Finish or aftertaste

For consumers, the concept of product quality is relative and depends on their needs and interests. Therefore, when talking about the quality of coffee from the consumer perspective and promoting domestic consumption, the term refers to a range of quality levels that includes a variety of price points and consumer preferences. The quality of coffee, in other words, is not limited to specialty coffees with high scores under the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) system.

In fact, when we look at the importance of quality as a factor of differentiation of coffee, we are not limiting ourselves to high-quality coffee or roasted coffee but a spectrum of qualities – for example, from "very bad" to "very good" – that includes several intertwined factors. Consumers of all strata want to know that they will receive good value for what they pay for, and there is a wide range of coffee qualities that can attract different consumers with different economic realities and price points.

It is intriguing to note the difference in how quality is defined by the consumer vs that of the coffee shop owner and the barista. Customer answers about quality focused primarily on the end-product, that is, the cup of coffee they receive from the barista. For the customer they expect coffee to be brewed properly and are able to identify when it is not. Many consumer enjoy trying coffee with unique flavors and like trying something new and as such often prefer a wider variety of bean and coffee roaster options. In contrast, coffee shop professionals speak to sourcing, serving, and everything in between as it regards quality.

Regardless of your background however, be it, roaster, barista or consumer many agree that roasting, brewing, and freshness are key to quality.

While coffee is a commodity in terms of international prices, there are significant differences in the qualities of one roasted coffee versus another, as well as in the quality of one soluble coffee versus another.

How Coffee is Graded
The Q system uses a standard and universal language to evaluate coffee at both the export and consumer levels, first certifying coffees as specialty or not, and then awarding a score on a 100-point scale. (Coffees with a score of less than 80 are classified as commodity, i.e., they are not specialty coffees.) Q certified coffees attract premium rates for farmers and exporters and allow green-coffee purchasers to pick by score and other criteria to provide roasters with the richness of alternatives we experience as coffee consumers in cafés and on store shelves—across origins, processing techniques, and coffee types. And this only applies to Arabica coffees! There is a whole distinct system in place for the Robusta coffee species, which are tougher plants than Arabica but far less desirable in terms of flavor. Overall, either Q-grading systems rely on about 5000 trained Q-graders worldwide to give gradings on coffee through rigorous methodologies known as coffee cupping – essentially, blind taste and aroma tests

Other Grading Systems & Terminologies

AA
AA is a coffee grading term that refers to a specific, larger than normal, bean size. Kenya AA coffee beans, for example, pass through Grade 18 (18/64" diameter) sieve perforations, but are too large to pass through Grade 16 (16/64" diameter) sieve perforations. AA+ refers to coffee beans AA or larger. The term AA is used as a coffee quality "grade" due to the general correlation (with many exceptions) between coffee bean size and coffee flavor.

Altura
Altura means height in Spanish and is used to describe high grown, or mountain grown, coffee

Excelso
Excelso is used mostly as a coffee grading term, especially in Colombia. Excelso coffee beans are large, but slightly smaller than Supremo coffee beans. Excelso coffee beans pass through Grade 16 (16/64" diameter) sieve perforations, but are too large to pass through Grade 14 (14/64" diameter) sieve perforations. The term "Excelso" is used as a coffee quality "grade" due to the general correlation (with many exceptions) between coffee bean size and coffee flavor. Colombia Supremo coffee beans are slightly larger than excelso beans and will pass through Grade 18 (18/64" diameter) sieve perforations, but are too large to pass through Grade 16 perforations. Supremo and Excelso coffee beans may come from the same tree, but are sorted by size.

Grade
Grade is generally used to indicate coffee bean size, which is associated with coffee quality. While there are many exceptions, coffee beans grown at higher elevations tend to be denser, larger, and have better flavor. The process of determining coffee bean size, or grading, is done by passing unroasted beans through perforated containers, or sieves. For example, Grade 18 beans, also called AA, will pass through a sieve with 18/64" diameter holes, but are retained by the next smaller sieve with 16/64" diameter holes. Traditionally, even grades were used for Arabicas (20, 18, 16, etc), and odd numbers were used for Robustas (17, 15, 13, etc). The method of grading coffee (classifying coffee quality) varies by country, and may include bean size, bean density, number of defects, growing altitude, taste, etc

Hard Bean
Synonymous with "high grown (HG)", "hard bean (HB)" refers to coffee grown at altitudes about 4,000 - 4,500 feet above sea level. Beans grown at high altitudes mature more slowly and grow to be harder and denser than beans grown at lower elevations. The inherent consistency and taste attributes of high grown beans makes them more desirable, and generally more expensive, than coffees grown at lower elevations.

Strictly Hard Bean
Also called "strictly high grown (SHG)", "strictly hard bean (SHB)" usually refers to coffee grown at altitudes higher than about 4,500 feet above sea level. Beans grown at high altitudes mature more slowly and grow to be harder and denser than beans grown at lower elevations. The inherent consistency and taste attributes of high grown beans makes them more desirable, and generally more expensive, than coffees grown at lower elevations

E Strictly Soft Bean
Strictly Soft (SS) beans are grown at relatively low altitudes (under 4,000 feet). Beans grown at lower altitudes mature quickly and produce a lighter, less dense bean. Strictly Soft Arabica beans have a more rounded flavor compared to the generally more flavorful and dense Arabica beans grown at higher elevations.

Supremo
Used mostly as a coffee grading term in Colombia. Supremo coffee beans are slightly larger than Excelso beans and will pass through Grade 18 (18/64" diameter) sieve perforations, but are too large to pass through Grade 16 perforations. Supremo and Excelso coffee beans may come from the same tree, but are sorted by size. Excelso coffee beans are also large, but slightly smaller than Supremo coffee beans. Excelso coffee beans will pass through Grade 16 (16/64" diameter) sieve perforations, but are too large to pass through Grade 14 (14/64" diameter) sieve perforations. The term "Supremo" is used as a coffee quality "grade" due to the general correlation (with many exceptions) between coffee bean size and coffee flavor.

How Coffee Quality is Maintained

Some of the same standards used for the export market should be employed for the local market from the farmer to the barista to ensure a similar quality of product. For example, in roasting there are some factors roasters need to have in place that would increase the quality of the end product:

01

Efficient Layout & Design -
Layout of a space has an enormous impact on workflow and efficiency. Since each roast depends on split-second timing, having easy access to tools and products can have a direct impact on coffee quality. Scrambling to find the right beans for the next load, or the right vessel for the cooling tray drop takes the roaster’s attention off the current batch and can lead to ruined or imperfect results. A roastery that is well organized and laid out with workflow in mind makes roasting and packaging much more efficient, which can ease pressure on staff members and reduce the risk of accident.

02

Consistent Storage Methods -
Make sure that you also keep both green and roasted bean storage conditions consistent. If you are confident that your beans always start out at the same temperature and haven’t been exposed to light, oxygen, or moisture, you have a stable, repeatable starting point. This simple step means worlds to product consistency.

03

Roast Profiling Software -
There are a vast number of variables to consider when roasting. For example, ambient air temperature and humidity can change daily. Manual roasters without software don’t allow you to track these variables and written roast profiles cannot map out the process to adjust for any fluctuations. Monitoring the roast in real time and relating it to the ideal roast profile will ensure you are on track with your recipe every time. Profiling software also provides objective accountability. If a roast tastes off, you have the ability to pull the roast chart from that specific batch and check for anomalies.

Barista

Many coffee professional believe Barista training significantly impacts the consumers view and in fact the actual reality of ‘quality coffee’. With tens of thousands of dollars worth of specialized equipment in coffee shops, and trips to all corners of the world to source the best beans, how could quality boil down to how well a shop trains its baristas?

Quality beans or roasting means little if the maker of the coffee lacks the skill to deliver all the flavours and notes efficiently. Barista training completes the pipeline of quality from producer to consumer. More quality baristas will go a long way to strengthening a popular coffee culture in coffee-producing countries.

This may be so because the barista impacts every factor that the consumer / customer at the coffee shop deem most important for quality inclusive of:

Taste
Consistency
Coffee shop experience

The barista can literally make or break the customer experience with the coffee served. Here are a few tips for your barista training:

Get baristas certified
Hire intentionally
Host a “Barista Bootcamp”
Train your new barista at the cafe AND at the roaster
Focus on the “Why”
Cup Rigorously
Encourage baristas to share skills and knowledge
Employ a Coffee Educator
Reward training with pay raises

One-time Training is not Enough

Staff training overall is very important to create quality coffee. Your staff, your barista and everyone in the business should be constantly challenged to hone their palettes, techniques, and customer service skills.

Quality standards provide consumers with peace of mind of a higher quality product. It is important for all to seek constant improvement in quality in their product and service offerings with economic feasibility and sustainability at the fore of minds.

Contact the relevant authorities in your country to see where you can adopt some quality certifications. Nothing can replace a commitment to excellence at every step of the quality chain, from sourcing, roasting, brewing, to serving.

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Quality

What we Mean by Talking About Coffee Quality

Other Grading Systems & Terminologies

How Coffee Quality is Maintained

01

02

03

One-time Training is not Enough

Financial Considerations

Special Markets

Delivery Modalities

Coffee Considerations

Country Experiences