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…]

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…]

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…]

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…]

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…]

Kenya is not only a tourist destination, but also an important black tea producing region globally. Since the introduction of tea cultivation in 1903, Kenya has developed into the world's third-largest tea producer and exporter. Local tea gardens are mainly distributed in the highlands of the East African Rift Valley, with the industry structure composed of large estates and smallholder cooperatives, among which KTDA manages over 60% of the output. Kenyan black tea is primarily processed using the CTC method, producing a strong and bright liquor that is highly favored in the international market. This article will provide a detailed analysis of the grading system for Kenyan black tea, including the specific differences between main grades such as BP1, PF1, D1, PD, F1, and secondary grades, helping coffee and tea enthusiasts gain a comprehensive understanding of the quality characteristics and classification logic of Kenyan black tea. [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 world-renowned for its bright acidity and rich fruity flavors, and AA and AB, as the two most common grades, what exactly is the difference between them? This article will start from the perspective of Front Street Coffee and systematically sort out Kenya's coffee grading system—including the specific classification criteria for eight grades such as AA, AB, PB, and E—and further explain the differences between green beans and roasted beans, as well as the factors affecting coffee bean prices. At the same time, we will also share the hot pour-over and iced pour-over practical parameters for Front Street Kenya Asalia and AA TOP, helping you better understand this high-quality coffee from the Thika producing region. [more…]

Coffee enthusiasts often ask in the shop exactly what the difference is between Ethiopia's G1 and G2, what Kenya AA actually means, and what Costa Rica's SHB grade signifies. These combinations of letters and numbers actually reflect how each producing country evaluates the quality of green coffee beans. Due to differences in history, trade, climate, and terrain, different origins have developed their own grading systems, with evaluation criteria covering multiple dimensions such as defect percentage, bean size, growing altitude, green bean density, and processing method. This article will systematically sort out the origins of coffee grading and introduce, one by one, the green bean grade standards of representative producing countries such as Ethiopia, Kenya, Colombia, Jamaica, Costa Rica, Panama, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Brazil. [more…]

Kenya AA coffee occupies a pivotal position in the global specialty coffee landscape, yet the letter grades surrounding it are often confusing. What exactly do these codes—E, PB, AA, AB, C, TT, T, MH/ML—mean? From the perspective of Front Street Coffee, this article systematically sorts out Kenya's grading system based on raw bean screen size, and takes an in-depth look at a Peaberry from the Ichamama Factory in the Nyeri region, presenting the unique charm of Kenyan PB in full through raw bean information, cooperative background, four-roast comparison experiments, and cupping performance. At the end, it also includes Front Street Kenya Small Tomato AA's brewing parameters and flavor description, offering readers an intuitive AA vs. PB reference. [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…]

When selecting coffee beans, you'll often come across labels like Yirgacheffe G2 or Kenya AA. Behind these letters and numbers lies the logic each producing country uses to assess green bean quality. Due to differences in history, trade, climate, and terrain, grading criteria vary widely from country to country—some focus on defect rates, some measure bean size, and others test altitude or hardness—and they cannot be directly compared across origins. Front Street Coffee has compiled the grading systems of representative producing countries including Ethiopia, Kenya, Colombia, Jamaica, Costa Rica, Panama, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Brazil to help you understand the ins and outs behind green bean grades. [more…]

Kenyan coffee occupies an important position in the global specialty coffee scene thanks to its bright berry-like acidity, sugarcane-like sweetness, and juicy mouthfeel. Many consumers notice labels such as "AA," "AB," or "TOP" on coffee bags when making a purchase—but what exactly do these markings mean? This article systematically sorts out Kenya's coffee grading system, from the traditional size-based grading to the quality grading procedures established by the Kenya Coffee Research Institute, interpreting one by one the specific meanings and distinguishing criteria of grades such as AA, AB, PB, C, E, TT, and T, while also explaining the origins of secondary rating labels such as TOP, Plus, and FAQ and their cupping score ranges. In addition, the article uses Front Street Coffee's Kenya Asalia AA TOP as an example to provide detailed brewing parameters and flavor descriptions, helping coffee enthusiasts gain a more comprehensive understanding of the quality logic and tasting key points of Kenyan coffee. [more…]

Kenyan coffee stands out among Africa's specialty origins for its bright and delightful acidity, and the core that sustains its consistent quality is precisely the two signature varieties, SL28 and SL34. In this article, Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) systematically sorts out the varietal origins of Kenyan coffee: from the selection process at the Scott Laboratories, to the genetic classification and bean appearance differences of SL28 and SL34, and on to the later Ruiru 11 and Batian. The article also provides a detailed interpretation of the green bean grading system that Kenya still uses today, explaining that the difference between AA and AB lies mainly in bean size rather than flavor quality, and includes complete information, roasting curves, and brewing suggestions for Front Street's two beans, Kenya Asaliya and Sachini PB, to help coffee enthusiasts fully understand the flavor logic of Kenyan coffee. [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 famous for its bright fruit acidity and clean mouthfeel. Its grading system is government-led, based on bean size and cupping score, and classifies green beans into eight grades: E, PB, AA, AB, C, TT, T, and MH/ML. AA is the most common specialty grade, while TOP is an additional quality designation marked by coffee traders after cupping. Front Street Coffee's Kenyan Little Tomato and AA TOP are representative examples. This article provides a detailed overview of Kenyan grading standards and, combined with Front Street Coffee's own-roasted Kenyan beans, shares the specific parameters and brewing techniques for hot pour-over and iced pour-over, helping coffee enthusiasts better bring out the cherry tomato, smoked plum, and creamy sweetness of this bean. [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…]

Kenya AA coffee is often hailed as one of the world's top specialty coffees, but what exactly do the letters AA and PB stand for? This article systematically breaks down the grading system for Kenyan green coffee beans, including the meaning and specifications of each grade—E, PB, AA, AB, C, TT, T, and MH/ML—and takes a deep dive into the flavor differences between AA and PB peaberry beans. Drawing on years of roasting experience, Front Street Coffee uses an Ichamama Peaberry as an example to share its roasting approach and cupping performance, while also offering brewing parameter recommendations for Kenya AA, helping coffee lovers gain a comprehensive understanding of what to look for when buying and tasting Kenyan coffee. [more…]

Kenyan coffee is renowned worldwide for its bright acidity and intense fruity aromas, and AA grade is the most sought-after representative among them. But what exactly does AA mean? How does it differ from other grades? This article, from the perspective of Front Street Coffee, systematically reviews the varietal origins, breeding mechanisms, grading standards, the K72 washing process, and the terroir characteristics of core producing regions such as Nyeri, Kirinyaga, and Murang'a, helping you fully understand the value system of Kenyan specialty coffee. [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…]