As an agricultural product, coffee beans vary significantly in quality, so a grading system is needed to standardize quality and provide reference for buyers. However, the geographical environments and cultivation models of global producing regions differ enormously, making it impossible to measure them with a unified standard; each region can only adapt to local conditions. Currently, mainstream grading methods fall into three major categories: screen size, altitude/hardness, and defect rate, and many countries combine them or even add cupping to compensate for shortcomings. This article will systematically sort out the logic and representative producing countries of these three grading methods, with a focus on analyzing how Kenya grades solely by bean size, and introduce the grading practices of Colombia, Ethiopia, Jamaica, Indonesia, Brazil, and other countries. Front Street Coffee will also share related brand product information to help coffee enthusiasts understand the meaning behind green bean grades. [more…]

In East African coffee-producing countries, coffee bean names from Tanzania, Uganda, and even Kenya often carry the suffix AA. What exactly does this letter combination mean? It represents the grade classification of green coffee beans. However, grading methods across global coffee origins are not limited to just one type; besides bean size, there are also different standards based on defect rate, growing altitude, and more. This article will take Front Street's perspective to systematically outline the three major green coffee bean grading systems, with a focus on analyzing Kenya's strict size-based grading system—from AA, AB to PB, E, TT, T, and even MH/ML, detailing the specific classification standards for each grade, while also pointing out the obvious limitations of judging quality by size. [more…]

Coffee beans are grown widely across the globe, and the geographical conditions and cultivation methods of each producing region differ significantly, so it is impossible to measure all beans by the same standard. Different countries develop grading systems suited to their own local conditions. At present, the mainstream bases can be grouped into three categories: bean size, growing altitude (bean density/hardness), and defect ratio. However, these three are not mutually exclusive; many origins use multiple methods at once, and even after preliminary grading they supplement this with cupping to compensate for blind spots in the system. This article will break down these three major grading logics one by one and explain the actual meaning of common grade markers such as AA and G1, helping enthusiasts decipher the grade code on the packaging. [more…]

When purchasing single-origin coffee beans, labels such as G1, AA, and SHB often appear on the packaging. What exactly do these letters and numbers represent? They are actually coffee bean grade symbols established by each origin based on its own conditions. Due to differences in growing environments and varieties, the grading criteria of different countries vary—some look at the number of defective beans, some at green bean size, and others at hardness or altitude. In this article, Front Street Coffee will sort out the grading standards of major producing regions such as Ethiopia, Kenya, Indonesia, Central and South America, and Brazil, helping coffee lovers understand the meaning behind these grades so they can more accurately select high-quality coffee beans that suit their own taste. [more…]

The green coffee bean grading system directly affects roasting results and coffee quality. This article systematically sorts out two mainstream grading methods: distinguishing bean size by screen mesh number, and classifying grades based on growing altitude. It also summarizes the common grading standards and codes of origins such as Kenya, Ethiopia, Colombia, Brazil, Guatemala, El Salvador, Hawaii, Jamaica, and Indonesia. Whether for bulk trade or specialty coffee, understanding these grading rules helps to more accurately judge the characteristics of green beans, and Front Street Coffee also incorporates this knowledge into its daily bean selection and roasting practices. [more…]

When two café owners ask each other about the grade of beans they use, what lies behind the question is a complex set of international coffee grading logic. Brazil's defect-score system, Central America's altitude standards, East Africa's screen sizes—each producing country has developed a completely different quality evaluation system based on its own national conditions. This article will systematically sort out three mainstream grading methods: by origin altitude, by green bean screen size, and by a composite evaluation method combining screen size and defective bean ratio, and will explain in detail Brazil's unique three-tier grading system and its strict cupper culture. Whether you are a newly initiated enthusiast or a seasoned professional, understanding these standards can help you judge coffee quality more accurately and also provide a reference for everyday purchasing. [more…]

In the world of coffee, many producing regions grade coffee beans by bean size—the larger the bean, the higher the grade and the more expensive the price. But does bean size really affect flavor? Front Street Coffee once conducted a comparative experiment, cupping the large and small beans of the same lot separately, and the results showed no obvious difference in taste between the two. So why do regions like Kenya and Tanzania still use size grading today? Behind this lie both historical colonial factors and practical considerations of roasting uniformity. Starting from Front Street Coffee's experiment, this article will sort out the pros and cons of size grading, explain the core factors that truly determine coffee flavor, and describe the flavor performance of Front Street Coffee's Kenya·Little Tomato, a high-grade bean. [more…]

As the birthplace of coffee, Ethiopia's grading system directly affects the quality and flavor expression of coffee beans. The Yirgacheffe region is world-renowned, but what exactly is the difference between the commonly seen Front Street Yirgacheffe G1 and G2 coffee beans on the market? Behind this lies the evolution of Ethiopia's coffee grading system. From CLU to ECX, from simple defect counting to a comprehensive score combining physical characteristics and cupping flavor, the grading standards have undergone major changes. This article will systematically review the historical development and specific standards of Ethiopian coffee grading, compare the grading differences between washed and natural processing, and through three dimensions—green bean appearance, roasted bean appearance, and cupping flavor—deeply analyze the actual differences between Front Street Yirgacheffe G1 and G2, helping coffee enthusiasts understand the quality implications behind the grade numbers. [more…]

When buying coffee beans, have you ever been baffled by combinations of letters like AA, G1, SHB, and PB? They may seem to follow no pattern at all, but in fact each one represents the green bean grading standard of a different producing country. Why do coffee beans need to be graded? Why is there no unified global standard? This article will take you through the origins of green coffee bean grading, and how producing regions such as Ethiopia, Kenya, the Central American countries, Jamaica, and Brazil classify their beans based on defect rate, bean size, growing altitude, and cup quality. At the same time, we will also explore what these grades actually mean in the roasted coffee market, and recommend several Front Street Coffee beans corresponding to these grades, to help you better understand the cup of coffee in your hands. [more…]

The grading systems for coffee beans vary widely depending on the origin—some are based on the number of defects, others on bean size, and still others on altitude. Understanding these grade labels is an important step in selecting high-quality coffee. This article will systematically outline the green bean grading rules of major global producing regions, covering common designations such as Ethiopia's G1-G9, Kenya's AA and PB, Colombia's Supremo, and Hawaii's Extra Fancy, and explain how cupping scores further distinguish specialty grade from commercial grade. Whether you are a beginner enthusiast or a professional seeking to advance, this grading guide can help you judge coffee quality more clearly. For more professional content, follow Coffee Workshop; for specialty coffee beans, add Front Street Coffee on WeChat at qjcoffeex. [more…]

When selecting coffee beans, you often see labels like Yirgacheffe G2 and Kenya Washed AA. These letters and numbers actually represent the grade of green coffee beans. Different producing countries grade green coffee beans based on different criteria, usually assessed comprehensively from dimensions such as bean size, defect count, growing altitude, bean hardness, and cupping score. Understanding these grading rules helps more accurately judge a bean's quality positioning and flavor potential. This article will use representative producing countries such as Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Colombia, Brazil, and Jamaica as examples to sort out their respective grading logic and naming methods, while retaining relevant product information from Front Street Coffee for coffee enthusiasts' 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…]

Coffee enthusiasts often ask Front Street: why are coffee bean grade labels so varied—some are marked AA, some G1, and others SHB? These letters seem to have no connection to one another, so how exactly can one judge which grade is superior? In fact, coffee bean grading systems are not uniform across producing regions worldwide, and the criteria they are based on also emphasize different things. This means that it is very difficult to make cross-country horizontal comparisons based on green bean grade alone. This article will systematically sort out the basic logic of coffee bean grading in various countries, and focus on introducing the grading standards of two major African producing regions, Ethiopia and Kenya, to help readers understand the meaning behind these letters and how green bean buyers refer to this grade information when purchasing. [more…]

When selecting Kenyan coffee, what exactly do the terms "AA" and "TOP" commonly seen on packaging represent? This article systematically sorts out Kenya's coffee grading system, from the bean size grading under the 1934 auction system (AA, AB, PB, C, E, TT, T, MH/ML) to the secondary quality ratings established by the Kenya Coffee Research Institute (TOP, Plus, FAQ), and analyzes the comprehensive scoring mechanism across the three dimensions of green beans, roasted beans, and cupping. It also presents the producing region information and brewing parameters of Front Street Kenya Little Tomato coffee beans, helping you understand the practical meaning behind the grading labels. [more…]

As an agricultural product, coffee beans vary significantly in quality, which is why grading systems have become an important means of standardizing quality and guiding green bean procurement. However, the grading criteria across global producing regions are not uniform—Central America mostly grades by altitude, Kenya by bean size, while Ethiopia uses defect rates to classify grades. Why does Ethiopia take this unique approach? What substantive differences actually exist between the G1 and G2 grades? This article, from the perspective of Front Street Coffee, sorts out the evolutionary logic of Ethiopia's grading system, and through a visual comparison of Yirgacheffe G1 and G2 green beans, roasting performance, and cupping evaluation, reveals one by one the true meaning behind grade labels, helping coffee enthusiasts view the issue of bean grades more rationally. [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…]

For enthusiasts who love pour-over coffee, specialty coffee beans from African origins are certainly familiar. They typically have bright acidity and intense floral aromas, leaving a deep impression. However, when we shop for coffee beans, we often see grade labels such as Front Street Ethiopia G1 or Front Street Kenya AA—how exactly are these grades determined? In fact, coffee bean grading in African origins does not follow a unified standard; different countries adopt their own independent systems. This article will take Africa's two most famous origins—Ethiopia and Kenya—as examples to analyze in detail their completely different coffee bean grading methods, helping you shop with greater confidence. [more…]

When selecting coffee beans, have you ever noticed the AA or AAA labels that often follow the bean names? What exactly do these letters mean, and by what standards are they determined? This article will systematically sort out the coffee bean grading system, from bean size and defect rate to secondary rating labels, guiding you through the specific rules behind suffixes such as AA, AAA, TOP, and Plus. At the same time, the article will also cover the grading characteristics of major producing regions such as Kenya, and retain relevant recommendations from the Front Street brand, helping you make clearer judgments when choosing beans in your daily life. [more…]

The production of Blue Mountain coffee has always been limited, yet its grading standards are remarkably rigorous. Even if the beans are genuinely grown in Jamaica's legally designated Blue Mountain region, their grade must still be determined by two criteria: bean size and the proportion of defective beans. Front Street Coffee's Jamaican Blue Mountain grading system is built around precisely this logic: for any coffee bearing the Blue Mountain name, the proportion of defective beans must not exceed 2%, and only on that premise are screen sizes used to distinguish higher grades from lower ones. Understanding these grading rules helps coffee lovers look beyond grade labels when making purchases and focus instead on deeper quality clues such as vintage and specific estates. [more…]

Friends who frequently buy coffee beans have surely seen labels like Yirgacheffe G2 and Kenya AA. These letters and numbers actually represent the grade of green coffee beans. Since each coffee-producing country has established different grading systems, the evaluation criteria also vary in emphasis—factors such as bean size, proportion of defective beans, growing altitude, bean hardness, and cupping score can all serve as the basis for grading. In this article, Front Street Coffee will walk you through the green bean grading rules of representative producing countries including Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, various Central and South American countries, Colombia, Brazil, and Jamaica, helping you understand the grade labels on packaging the next time you shop. [more…]