Coffee Bean Grading Guide: What grade is the coffee you usually drink?

There is still a long way to go to educate more people about coffee and let more people understand it.

Main content of this article:

①Detailed explanation of coffee varieties;

②How to grade coffee beans;

①

Detailed explanation of coffee varieties

The word "coffee" comes from the Greek word "Kaweh", which means "strength and passion". The coffee tree is an evergreen shrub belonging to the Rubiaceae family. There are more than 40 species of coffee plants, but there are only three types of coffee beans that can be used for human consumption or commercial purposes in the food industry: Arabica, Robusta and Liberia. Among them, the Liberia species is rarely circulated in the market because of its poor flavor and inability to resist leaf rust. We mainly introduce Arabica and Robusta coffee to entry-level coffee lovers.

1. Arabica

The native place of Arabica is Ethiopia, which is known as the cradle of mankind and coffee. The Garden of Eden where Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit in mythology is believed to be surrounded by several major coffee producing areas in Ethiopia. It was initially found to have a good effect of refreshing the mind and was taken as medicine. Later, it was used by Muslims as a secret medicine for healing the body and mind and for evening prayers. It spread from Arabia to the world and became a widely loved beverage by people all over the world.

Arabica coffee beans account for about 70% of the global production. It has excellent aroma and flavor, which makes it the only native coffee variety that can be drunk directly. However, Arabica has high requirements for the environment and planting. It is not resistant to drought, frost, pests and diseases, especially leaf rust (the plague of coffee), which can cause large areas of coffee plantations to fail. Sri Lanka was once a world-famous coffee producing area. At the end of the 19th century, the rampant leaf rust caused the destruction of coffee estates across the country. After that, Sri Lanka switched to growing black tea.

The main production areas of Arabica are Central America, South America, Africa (mainly in East African countries such as Ethiopia and Kenya), Asia (mainly in Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia and Vietnam), and Hawaii in the United States. Arabica coffee trees are suitable for tropical cold and high-altitude areas. They especially like to grow on steep slopes, especially terrains with large temperature differences between day and night, suitable sunshine and shade, and prone to morning fog, which can produce high-quality Arabica beans. Fertile volcanic soil with sufficient moisture and rich organic matter is an excellent environment for coffee cultivation. The main production areas of coffee are mainly concentrated in tropical countries between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, among which the quality of coffee north of the equator is better than that of coffee south of the equator.

Arabica coffee beans are grown on steep slopes, making them difficult to harvest mechanically. They are mainly picked by hand, and transportation is also inconvenient. Therefore, the price of Arabica beans is significantly higher than that of Robusta beans.

Arabica beans are small-grain beans that are flat and oval in shape. They have a strong, rich and delicate aroma, pleasant sourness, smooth texture, and less bitterness.

The Arabica species originated in Ethiopia and spread to various places. After repeated mutations and hybridization, many coffee varieties have been derived. Some have been improved in quality and flavor, while others have been improved in adaptability to the environment, resistance to diseases and pests, and yield. Dozens of varieties have now been developed, including: Bourbon, Typica, Caturra, Catuai, Pacamara, Kadimo, Maragogipe, Mondo Novo, Kent, Amare, and variants of Colombia.

2. Robusta

Robusta means "tenacious and strong". Robusta is a variety resistant to leaf rust found in Congo, Africa. It has stronger resistance to pests and diseases, drought and cold than Arabica. Robusta grows in hot and humid areas and is widely planted in lowlands and plains below 1,000 meters above sea level. Robusta beans have a unique "strange aroma" and bitterness. People who like it will think it is a very charming aroma, while people who don't like it will think it is a musty smell. A cup of coffee made from Arabica and Robusta blended coffee beans, as long as the proportion of Robusta beans exceeds 3%, the whole cup of coffee will taste like Robusta. Its style is so distinct and strong that almost no one drinks 100% Robusta coffee. If Robusta beans are used directly, they are mainly used in the formulation of blended beans. Robusta beans are more used for instant coffee, bottled coffee drinks, raw materials for the food industry, etc. The caffeine content of Robusta beans is about 2-3 times that of Arabica, much higher than the 1.5% of Arabica.

Robusta beans are mainly grown in lowlands and plains below 1,000 meters above sea level. They grow fast, are resistant to pests and diseases, and can be grown on relatively poor land, so their aroma and taste are far inferior to Arabica beans. The main producers of Robusta beans are Indonesia, Vietnam, Brazil and other countries.

Robusta beans have a large yield and can be harvested mechanically when grown in lowlands and plains. They have a great price advantage over Arabica beans, so they are used in large quantities in commercial beans. Because Robusta beans are rich in oil, the home of espresso, Italy, uses a very high proportion of Robusta beans. Some Italian bean manufacturers or stores use a blending ratio of 30-60% of Robusta beans. One thing to remind you is that not all Arabica beans are good beans, and not all Robusta beans are bad. In recent years, Uganda, the home of Robusta beans, has also cultivated high-quality Robusta beans .

The flavor of Robusta beans is relatively mediocre and pungent, with less obvious sourness and stronger bitterness. Unroasted Robusta beans smell like raw peanuts, and the taste after roasting is close to wheat tea. Deep roasting produces a rubbery smell (also known as a burnt tire smell), so when used in instant or canned coffee beverages, flavorings are generally added, otherwise ordinary people will not be able to enjoy it.

②

How to grade coffee beans (easy version)

F For domestic consumption in producing countries only (generally not discussed). Coffee is the second largest commodity in the world after crude oil. Most of the major coffee producing countries are poor countries. As an important cash crop, coffee is an important resource for national export and foreign exchange earnings. It is also the most important source of income for farmers in coffee producing areas. Therefore, all high-grade beans are used for export and foreign exchange earnings, and those that do not meet export standards are kept for their own use. The government of Ethiopia, a world-renowned coffee producing country, once used administrative means to restrict domestic coffee consumption in order to increase foreign exchange earnings through exports. The regulatory measures even included controlling circulation and sales channels. Farmers had to keep the poor beans that could not be sold for themselves. (Afei also drank this kind of coffee in Indonesia at one yuan a cup, and it was really a shame not to add sugar)

E Coffee outside the specification (generally not evaluated). The unlimited coffee served in hotel buffets and the free coffee provided at breakfast are basically made from beans of this grade. Don't complain that the free coffee in hotels is unpalatable, because it is free, so the hotel must save costs. However, many coffee shops also use this kind of bitter, astringent and smelly beans, which is really unacceptable. The industry has lost its conscience. I once drank this kind of ground coffee in a coffee shop on Xidi, Xiamen. I couldn't swallow it and it was countless times more unpalatable than instant coffee. There is also the coffee shop that claims to be the largest in X continent, which also uses beans of this grade.

D General circulation products (cup test score below 70). This is what the coffee industry often calls "commodity beans". Starbucks, McCafé and most commercial coffee shops use beans of this grade. They are purchased in bulk and circulated in large quantities in the coffee market. Their sales volume accounts for a major share of the market. We can easily buy them in large chain supermarkets and e-commerce platforms. In particular, the largest sales volume on JD.com and Tmall Taobao is usually this type of commodity beans. Among them, illy and Lavazza are the most well-known to consumers. The coffee capsules used in capsule machines are also basically beans of this grade. Commodity beans are generally blended beans. Strictly speaking, some well-known brands of commodity beans have stable quality because of their strict quality management and special production and packaging processes. Consumers normally will not drink coffee that is too unpalatable, but it is just not unpalatable. If you want to drink various flavors and rich layers in commodity beans, you basically don't have to think about it. You just need to look at the production date and shelf life of these beans, and you will probably understand. The tasting period of boutique coffee is about one month, and the shelf life is generally three months, otherwise the flavor is basically lost. The shelf life you see on the packaging of commercial beans is usually between 18 and 24 months, so this grade of coffee tastes bitter, but not smelly.

C Premium coffee (cup test score 70-80 points). Some conscientious coffee shops in the industry, some more artistic coffee shops, and some five-star and above hotels provide non-free coffee to customers, which will use beans of this grade. In fact, the boundary between commodity beans and boutique beans is quite vague in premium coffee. If you must find the difference, then compared with commodity beans, premium beans are mostly fresher and have better flavor recognition. There will be a certain proportion of boutique beans in the blended beans. Or some well-known coffee bean varieties, the uniformity and consistency of the beans are not very high, and the cup test scores are not very high, but the freshness and taste are better, they smell good and taste not too bitter, and can make people feel pleasant after drinking.

B Specialty Coffee (cupping score 80-90 points). The term "specialty coffee" was first proposed by American Ms. Knudsen. The most popular way of saying it is coffee beans with unique aroma and outstanding flavor cultivated under ideal climate and geographical conditions, which are different from mediocre commercial coffee. Specialty coffee focuses on every link of coffee variety, origin, environment, screening and processing. The American Specialty Coffee Association's evaluation criteria for specialty coffee include: whether it has rich dry aroma, wet aroma, acidity, body, aftertaste, taste and whether the taste is balanced. Specialty coffee beans must be of excellent varieties, excellent planting environment, and manually harvested to prevent coffee beans of inconsistent maturity from mixing together and affecting the taste. They must be high-quality beans that have been screened and have no defects.

Specialty coffee is basically not circulated in the commodity market and supermarkets. It is mainly roasted in coffee studios and specialty coffee shops. The roasters are usually very passionate about coffee, have systematic knowledge and rich experience in the processing of coffee bean varieties, grades, and styles, and can find the best roasting curve for coffee beans to maximize the flavor of coffee. The time from roasting to the hands of consumers is very short, which can maximize the flavor of fresh coffee. Specialty coffee must be in the best tasting period. If it exceeds the tasting period, it cannot be considered as specialty coffee. Compared with the commodities mentioned above, the requirement of specialty coffee is not "not difficult to drink", but "very delicious" . Specialty coffee is generally fragrant, rich, balanced and delicate, without unpleasant bitterness and odor. Since many of my friends entered the door of specialty coffee, they often can't help sharing their happy and beautiful joy with friends after drinking coffee.

The consumers of boutique coffee are mainly real coffee lovers. There are also some famous boutique coffee shops in China where you can drink boutique coffee. The owners of real boutique coffee shops usually have a high level of attainment and persistent pursuit of coffee. They regard letting customers drink good coffee as their ideal.

A Cup of Excellence (cupping score 90+), also known as COE (Cup of Excellence) in the industry, you can think of it this way, COE is equivalent to the best of the best, the most excellent coffee beans . Every year, the Specialty Coffee Association of America collaborates with the host country of the COE cupping competition to complete the cupping screening and online auction of specialty coffee. Specialty coffee growers or coffee farms submit their best coffee beans to the association's inspectors for review. After three stages of strict review, coffee beans that are considered to be the highest grade will be awarded the COE title. Coffee beans with the COE title can be traded at high prices in international online auctions dominated by specialty coffee. This system can not only improve the quality and reputation of coffee farms, but also significantly increase the volume of coffee transactions, and further increase the income of coffee farmers.

COE coffee beans are almost flawless, with extraordinary quality and deliciousness. In addition to the aroma, flavor, acidity, mellowness, aftertaste and taste that specialty coffee should have, COE's judging criteria place great emphasis on cleanliness and balance, requiring flawlessness. As for the intoxicating aroma, myriad flavors, and mellowness that specialty coffee should have, everything is present.

COE beans are also the most expensive. Top-grade beans such as Geisha, which are priced at 90+, attract coffee lovers to buy them as soon as they appear on the market. After all, the rich have enough money to drink as they please . There are very few boutique coffee shops that also provide COE coffee for customers to enjoy. Most coffee lovers who consume COE are hardcore coffee enthusiasts or life lovers who are rich and know how to appreciate life . After all, the price is really expensive. One pound of excellent beans can buy 5-10 pounds of boutique beans and 20-30 pounds of commodity beans. However, compared with the sky-high price of tea, the price of COE coffee beans can be said to be very honest . Tea that costs 100,000 or 200,000 yuan per kilogram has appeared in newspapers and the Internet, while the price of COE coffee beans of two to three thousand yuan per pound has skyrocketed. In recent years, the price of some COE beans that are not well-known but of very good quality has also fallen to within a thousand yuan. It can be said that "the swallows in the halls of the rich and powerful in the old days have flown into the homes of ordinary people." Drinking COE coffee is no longer a distant legend.