Kenya's coffee grading system has long confused many enthusiasts—what exactly do the letters AA, AB, and PB stand for? Is AA TOP an additional grade marked outside the official classification? This article will systematically sort out Kenya's official green bean grading standards, explaining them one by one from dimensions such as bean screen size, shape, and hardness, while also clarifying non-official labels like TOP, PLUS, and FAQ that exporters add on their own. The article also uses a comparative brewing of two Front Street Kenyan AA beans to concretely present the actual differences between AA TOP and regular AA in terms of cleanliness, complexity, and sweet-acidity performance, helping readers make clearer judgments when purchasing. [more…]

Friends who frequently buy coffee beans will surely notice that most coffee bean names are followed by English suffixes such as AA and AB. This is especially true for Kenyan coffee beans—Kenya AA, Kenya AB, Kenya PB, Kenya AA+, Top, and so on. "So what do these suffixes mean? [more…]

Kenyan coffee is famous for its bright, juicy acidity, and labels such as AA, AB, and AA TOP are common in China. How exactly are these grades divided? Is there a substantial difference between AA and AA TOP? This article will start with Kenya's official grading system, analyze the criteria for grades such as AA, AB, PB, and E, and explain the meanings of secondary grading terms such as TOP, Plus, and FAQ set by exporters themselves. It will also introduce the K72 washed coffee beans from the Asali Processing Plant in the Thika region, which use SL28 and SL34 varieties, are AA grade, and are light-roasted by Front Street Coffee to present flavors of cherry tomato and smoked plum. [more…]

Kenyan coffee is famous for its bright fruit acidity and rich flavors, making it a favorite among many coffee lovers. But when faced with grading labels such as AA, AA+, and AB, many people feel confused. From the perspective of Front Street Coffee, this article sorts out the development of Kenya's coffee industry, analyzes the origins and specific standards of its grading system, focuses on explaining the differences between AA grade and AA+ grade, and introduces the impact of the K72 washed processing method on flavor. At the end, it also includes the origin information and brewing parameters of Front Street Kenya Little Tomato coffee beans for daily reference. [more…]

Previously, we talked about the coffee grading in Ethiopia. Today, let's take a look at what the coffee grading in Kenya is like! After all, when we see Kenyan coffee, we will see things like AA and AB. What exactly do these refer to? What is AA TOP? [more…]

Kenyan coffee is world-renowned for its rigorous grading system and distinctive flavor characteristics. This article systematically reviews Kenya's coffee bean size grading system, including the specific standards for common grades such as AA, AB, and PB, while also introducing flavor grading methods like TOP and PLUS. Drawing on Front Street Coffee's roasting and brewing practices, and using Kenyan Asaliya coffee beans as an example, the article explains in detail the flavor performance of AA-grade beans and suggested pour-over parameters, providing coffee enthusiasts with a complete reference from bean selection to tasting. [more…]

Kenya AA is globally recognized as one of the top Arabica coffees, holding an important place in the specialty coffee world. Among these, "AA" represents the grade based on green bean size, appearance, and density. Kenyan coffee is classified into 7 grades according to this standard, with AA being the highest level, meaning the largest beans and the richest oil content, capable of releasing Kenya's distinctive intense aroma. Most Kenya AA is washed-processed, presenting a refreshingly sweet fruit profile, accompanied by blackberry notes, bright and complex fruit acidity, and grapefruit aroma, while the mouthfeel has an excellent medium body, crisp and refreshing. Front Street Coffee recommends this bean as the top choice for exploring African specialty coffee. [more…]

When purchasing Kenyan coffee, you will often see bean names followed by letter designations such as AA or AB—what exactly do they mean? Why does Kenya place such emphasis on these grades? This article will systematically outline Kenya's green bean grading system based on bean size, explaining the specific classification criteria for each grade—AA, AB, C, PB, E, TT, T, and MH/ML—and pointing out the limitations of size-based grading: bean size is not the sole determinant of flavor quality, and growing altitude and environment are equally critical. It will also introduce the flavor characteristics of coffee from Kenyan producing regions, along with Front Street Coffee's recommendations for Kenyan coffee. [more…]

Kenyan coffee is renowned for its bright fruit acidity and solid sweetness. Behind this highly recognizable flavor profile lies a strict grading system that has been in use for nearly a century. Since the 1930s, Kenya has established grade classifications based on coffee bean size, shape, and hardness, while also incorporating flavor grade assessments to provide a double safeguard for green bean quality. What exactly do common grades like AA, AB, and PB represent? What do AA+ and TOP AA mean respectively? This article systematically sorts out the grading logic of Kenyan coffee, the screen sizes corresponding to each grade, and uses Front Street Coffee's own roasted Kenyan Asaliya coffee beans as an example to share their origin background, processing method, and brewing suggestions, helping coffee enthusiasts more clearly understand the quality framework of Kenyan coffee. [more…]

Kenyan coffee occupies a pivotal position in the global specialty coffee landscape, and its bright, uplifting acidity and rich layers of complexity have fascinated countless coffee lovers. Yet when confronted with the letter combinations such as AA, AB, and PB on Kenyan coffee bean labels, many people are not clear about what they actually mean. In fact, these designations originate from Kenya's official coffee grading system, which takes into account multiple factors such as bean size, shape, and hardness. This article will systematically sort out Kenya's complete coffee grading system, explain the specific standards for each grade, and clarify the difference between the secondary grading set by green bean traders themselves and the official grades. At the same time, Front Street Coffee will also draw on its own sourcing experience to share the roasting and brewing approach for an AA-grade Kenyan bean from the Asaliya processing station. [more…]

Kenyan coffee, with the wild tension unique to African beans and the fullness and depth of Central and South American coffee, has long been highly sought after by coffee enthusiasts. In China, Kenya AA is the most common grade designation, but above AA there are AA+ and AA TOP, while below it there is AB. If the packaging only says AA without specific estate or cooperative information, it usually only means the beans are uniform in shape and meet appearance standards, and the flavor may not be outstanding; conversely, as long as a specific estate, cooperative, or even buyer is indicated, whether AA or AB, it is worth trying. This article focuses on PB—Peaberry round beans, which in Kenya are specially screened out and sold separately, with scarce production and a distinctive flavor. The following will explain the formation principle of peaberries, their grade positioning, and present a complete cupping record of Kenyan PB. [more…]

Kenyan coffee is renowned for its bright acidity and complex flavors, and its grading system is equally worth understanding in depth. Kenyan coffee beans are roughly divided into eight grades—E, PB, AA, AB, C, TT, T, and MH/ML—based on bean size, weight, and shape and appearance, with Grade AA being the most common and outstanding in quality. This article will analyze in detail the specific classification criteria for each grade, including the 17/18 screen size of Grade AA, as well as cup quality classifications set by exporters such as TOP, PLUS, and FAQ. It will also introduce the Kenyan AA TOP-grade beans launched by Front Street Coffee, originating from the Thika region and processed using the K72 double washing fermentation method, presenting delicate acidity reminiscent of berries and red wine along with a creamy sweet aftertaste, making them a top choice for lovers of acidic coffee. [more…]

Kenyan coffee is famous for its bright fruit acidity and clean flavor, and its grading system is based primarily on bean size and cup quality. Starting from Front Street Kenya AA TOP, this article systematically sorts out the definitions and differences of the eight major grades—E, PB, AA, AB, C, TT, T, and MH/ML—with emphasis on explaining the connection and distinction between AA TOP and AA. At the same time, combined with Front Street Kenya Little Tomato coffee beans, it provides specific parameters for hot pour-over and iced pour-over, the three-pour water-pouring method, and flavor performance, helping coffee enthusiasts understand the purchasing logic and brewing key points for Kenyan beans. [more…]

Kenyan coffee has always held an important position in the specialty Arabica market. Local production is dominated by smallholder farmers, and high-grade beans must be assessed and graded by the Kenya Coffee Board (CBK) before being sold through weekly auctions. This article will outline the brand context and grading logic of Kenyan coffee, with a focus on interpreting the characteristics of the AA Plus micro-lot grade—it has brighter fruit notes and red wine aromas than regular AA. At the same time, it presents the complete profile of Front Street Coffee's Nyeri region Mossball AA Plus, including the SL28 variety, altitude of 1,700 to 1,800 meters, washed processing, and cup tasting notes, helping enthusiasts understand the full picture of Kenyan coffee from the auction system to its performance in the cup. [more…]

The results of the 2017 Taste of Harvest (TOH) East Africa competition's Kenya division have been announced. Fram Farm from the Kirinyaga production area took first place with a score of 85.3. This AA-grade auction lot was secured by Qingdao Fisher Coffee, making it another African TOH champion bean following Ethiopia's Gesha and Uganda's entries. Fram is a family-run private farm with its own washing station, and its main varieties are SL28 and SL34. This article will explore multiple angles including the farm's background, the development history of Kenyan coffee, the grading system, and the K72 washing process, along with Front Street Coffee's brewing recommendations and a flavor description of Kenyan small tomato beans, taking you through the full story behind this champion bean. [more…]

Kenyan coffee is renowned worldwide for its bright, intense fruit acidity and full, robust body, while its grading system—AA, AB, PB, and so on—often leaves enthusiasts confused. What exactly is the difference between AA and AA TOP? Does the grading standard look only at bean size, or does it also take cup profile into account? This article sorts through Kenya's coffee history, growing conditions, variety selection, regional characteristics, grading system, and auction trading model one by one, and combines tasting examples from several Kenyan beans at Front Street Coffee to help readers clarify the real difference between AA and AA TOP. [more…]

Kenya, as a representative producing country of East African specialty coffee, is known for coffee beans with bright fruity acidity and a full body. This article systematically sorts out Kenya's coffee grading system, from E, AA, AB to PB, C, and other grades in terms of bean size and characteristics, and introduces the geographical advantages of major producing regions such as Nyeri and Thika. At the same time, it provides an in-depth analysis of the flavor differences among classic varieties such as SL28 and SL34, as well as Kenya's signature K72 double fermentation washing method. The article also includes the brewing parameters and flavor description of Front Street Cherry Tomato Coffee, providing coffee lovers with a complete reference from bean selection to extraction. [more…]

Kenyan coffee is famous for its clean and refreshing, solid and bright juice-like acidity, but what exactly do the commonly seen "AA," "AB," and even "AA TOP" in China represent? This article starts with Kenya's official coffee bean grading system, sorting out the size, shape, and quality differences among the eight grades AA, AB, PB, E, C, TT, T, and MH/ML, and explains that secondary grading labels such as TOP, Plus, and FAQ, which are independently set by exporters, are for reference only. It then focuses on the Thika producing region, introducing its geographical location, cultivation history, and variety structure mainly consisting of SL28 and SL34, and combines the cupping performance, light roast approach, and iced pour-over parameters of Front Street Coffee's Kenya Cherry AA-grade washed beans to present the cherry tomato, smoked plum, and snow pear-like acidity and honey sweetness of this producing region. [more…]

Kenyan coffee is renowned worldwide for its bright fruit acidity, full-bodied berry notes, and distinctive smoked plum flavor. This article systematically reviews the origins, altitudes, grades, and flavor profiles of ten Kenyan washed coffee beans, offers an in-depth interpretation of the K72 washing process and the origins and performance of the SL28 and SL34 varieties, and provides a detailed introduction to the brewing method for Front Street Coffee's Kenyan Cherry Tomato coffee beans, including practical content such as V60 dripper selection and three-stage extraction parameters, offering coffee enthusiasts a complete reference for Kenyan coffee tasting and brewing. [more…]

Kenyan coffee is renowned worldwide for its clean, refreshing, juice-like bright acidity. What exactly do the commonly seen designations in China such as "AA," "AB," and "AA TOP" represent? This article systematically sorts out the grading system for Kenyan coffee beans—from AA and AB to PB, E, C, TT, T, and MH/ML, the specific classification criteria for these eight grades—interprets the characteristics of major varieties such as SL28 and SL34, and analyzes the commercial logic behind exporters' secondary grading. At the same time, it focuses on the Thika producing region, introducing the origin background and flavor performance of Front Street Coffee Kenya Little Tomato, an AA-grade K72 washed bean, and includes the detailed parameters for high-concentration, high-extraction iced brewing along with the three-stage operation method. [more…]