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Bean Grades



Glossary:


AA
Acidity
Acrid
Affogato
After Dinner Roast
Aftertaste
Aged Coffee
Air Roaster
Alkaline
Altura
Altura Coatepec
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Americano
Antestia
Arabian Mocha
Arabica
Aroma
Artisan Coffee
Arusha
Ashy
Aspiration
Astringent
Baggy
Baked
Balance
Bani
Bar
Bar System
Barista
Batch Roaster
Bean Probe
Bean Temperature
Beneficio
Bird Friendly
Biscotti
Bits
Bitter
Black and White
Black Beans
Black Eye
Black Russian
Blade Grinder
Blend
Blotchy
Blue Mountain
Boat Shaped
Body
Boiler
Bouquet
Bourbon
Bourbon Santos
Brazil
Bready
Breve
Brewing
Bright
Briny
Bugisu
Bullhead
Burr Grinder
Cafe
Cafe au Lait
Cafe Bonbon
Cafe Noisette
Caffe
Caffeine
Cappuccino
Caramelly
Carbony
Caturra
CBB Damaged
Chaff
Chiapas
Chicory
Chipinge
Chocolatey
Cinnamon Roast
Citrus
City Roast
Clean
Coatepec
Coffea Canephora
Coffee Berry Borer
Coffee Cherry
Coffee Fest
Coffee Future
Coffee Kids
Coffee Leaf Rust
Colombia
Complexity
Costa Rica
Crema
Crushed
Crust
Cultivar
Current Crop
Cyclone Separator
Dark Roast
Decaffeinated
Demitasse
Diseased
Dominican Republic
Doppio
Dose
Doser
Doser Grinder
Double
Drip Coffee
Drip Tray
Drought Affected
Drum Roaster
Dry
Dry Process
Earthy
El Salvador
Elephant Beans
Espresso
Espresso con Panna
Espresso Granita
Espresso Machine
Espresso Pod
Espresso Romano
Estate
Ethiopia
Ethiopia Harar
Ethiopia Sidamo
Ethiopia Yirgachefe
Excelso
Faded
Fair Trade
Fazenda
Ferment
Filter Basket
First Crack
Flat
Flavored Coffee
Floaters
Floral
Foxy
French Press
French Roast
Freshness
Frothing
Fruity
Gelato
Gicleur
Gourmet Coffee
Grade
Grande
Grassy
Green Coffee
Grind
Grounds for Health
Group
Guatemala
Guatemala Antigua
Guatemala Coban
Guatemala Huehuetenango
Half Caf
Hard Bean
Harmless
Harsh
Harvest Machine
Harvesting
Hawaii
Herbal
Hidey
Honduras
Hulling
Iced Latte
Iced Mocha
ICO
India
India Monsoon
Indonesia
Instant taste
Irish Coffee
Italian Roast
Jamaica
Java
Kenya
Knock Box
KVW
Latte
Latte Art
Macchiato
Malty
Medicinal
Medium Roast
Mellow
Methyl Chloride
Mexico
Mocha Java
Mocha Latte
Moldy
Monsooned
Mottled
Musty
Neutral
New Crop
Nicaragua
No Fun
Nose
Nutty
Oniony
Organic
Outer Skin
Over Fermented
Pales
Papery
Papua New Guinea
Parchment
Parchment Coffee
Past Crop
Peaberry
Peasy
Peru
Piston Espresso Machine
Porta-Filter
Primary tastes
Processed Coffee
Pulled Long
Pulled Short
Pulp
Pulper Nipped
Pulping
Pyrolysis
Quad
Quaker
Quakery
Ragged
Rancid
Red Eye
Ripe Coffee
Roast Master
Robusta
Rubbery
Rwanda
SCAA
Scorched
Second Crack
Semi Dry Process
Shell
Shot
Silver Skin
Single Origin
Skinny
Smooth
Solo
Sorting
Sour
Spicey
Spot Price
Steam Wand
Steaming Pitcher
Stinker
Strictly Hard Bean
Strictly Soft Bean
Sulawesi
Sumatra
Supremo
Swiss Water Process
Taint
Tall
Tamper
Tamping
Tanzania
Tobacco
Turkish Coffee
Uganda
Under Dried
Utz Certified
Valve Bag
Varietal
Vente
Vienna Roast
Vietnam
Water Purification
Water Softening
Wet
Wet Mill
Wet Process
Whole Bean
Winey
With Legs
Withered
Woody
Yemen
Zimbabwe


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Coffees by Origin
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Coffee Terms - Bean Classification and Grading

Altura, High GrownSupremo Grade Coffee Beans




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

AlturaAltura 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

GradeGrade 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

Synonymous with "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.   


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

SupremoUsed 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.   

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