Thursday, October 29 2026

An Analysis of the SCAA and COE Coffee Certification Systems: Differences in Scoring Standards and Their Essential Distinction from SOE

In the world of specialty coffee, the SCAA and COE are two authoritative systems that cannot be overlooked. The former established industry standards and cupping protocols, while the latter selects top-tier green beans through rigorous competitions. How do their scoring logics differ? And why are COE and SOE often confused? This article will trace the development and operational mechanisms of the SCAA, CQI, and COE, explain in detail the differences in cupping score sheets, and use the example of the 22nd-place sun-dried Typica that Front Street Coffee bid for at Ethiopia's first COE competition in 2020 to present the complete story from origin to cup. [more…]