We only sell Specialty Coffee.
What does that mean?
Specialty Coffee (Grade 1):
• Highest grade of green coffee beans.
• Top 3-6% of all coffee produced worldwide.
• Must meet stringent quality and supply chain transparency standards set by the Specialty Coffee Association.
• Zero “primary defects” are allowed in any random sample
º Primary defects are things like mold, fungus, significant insect damage,
rotten beans, and foreign objects (Not sure about you, but we like our coffee beans to only contain coffee, not sticks and rocks).
• Specialty coffee is usually found at smaller, artisan roasting companies (like ours).
Premium Coffee (Grade 2):
• Second highest grade.
• Allowed to have some primary defects.
• Typically used for “high-end” national brands (think of brands from Seattle like the one with
a big green logo and a weird mermaid) and “fancier” supermarket coffees.
• We avoid it, but if you don’t mind a “relatively” small number of defects like mold, fungus,
significant insect damage, rotten beans, etc. in your coffee, then go for it!
Exchange Grade Coffee (Grade 3):
• Third highest grade.
• Starting to get sketchy!
• If you knew how many defects there are in this, you probably wouldn’t drink it
• Spoiler Alert: it’s up to 23 primary defects per sample. So, we definitely won’t touch it!
• Generally, this is your more common coffee available in the supermarket.
Standard Grade Coffee (Grade 4):
• One word: “Sus!” Okay, so we’re not actually sure if that is a word (Maybe ask one of the teachers).
• This stuff can have as many as 86 primary defects per sample!
º Note: the standard sample size is 300 grams (~2/3 lbs.), so that is a lot of defects!!!
• You do you, but we wouldn’t drink this stuff with someone else’s mouth!
• Often used for instant coffee, K-cup type pods, or in supermarket blends.
Specialty Coffee (Grade 1):
• You probably won’t run into this stuff, but if you do…Run away! That’s all! Just run away!
º Might be found in instant coffee packets that already contain the creamer and sugar, or
other flavorings that mask the taste (sometimes referred to as “3-in-1”).
Note: Other companies may use words like “Gourmet” or “Fancy” when describing their coffee, but these are just marketing terms that have no actual meaning. They want you to pay more for no reason. Don’t be fooled!