Maybe you’ve heard the term in a coffee shop or seen it on the packaging of our coffee. Specialty coffee. For some it is just a marketing label, for us at Goriffee it is a binding standard of quality.
But what exactly does that mean? Is “premium” coffee the same thing? And can specialty coffee be bad if you prepare it badly?
In this article, we look beneath the surface. We’ll explain the technical definitions, but also why Specialty coffee is about people rather than just beans.
When does coffee become choice?
Many brands use words like “Gourmet”, “Premium” or “Excellence”. These words sound nice, but they mean nothing in the coffee world – they are just marketing names.
However, Specialty coffee is a technical term. In order to be labelled as such, a coffee must pass a rigorous physical and sensory evaluation according to SCA ( Specialty Coffee Association) standards .
It must meet two conditions:
- Physical Inspection: A sample of 350 g of green coffee must not contain any primary defects ( e.g. black or mouldy beans) and a maximum of 5 secondary defects.
- Cupping (tasting): the certified Q-grader (taster) must give the coffee a score of at least 80 out of 100 points.
What does this mean in practice?
- Under 80 points (Commodity coffee): coffee that you normally find in supermarkets. It is often roasted dark to hide taste defects (woodiness, earthiness, mould).
- 80+ points (Specialty coffee): coffee with a clean taste where you can discern the character of the region (terroir) – notes of fruit, flowers, chocolate or spices.
Specialty coffee is a chain that must not be broken
One of the most important things to remember (and one that is often discussed among baristas) is the fact that specialty coffee is just potential.
A green grain can have a farm rating of 90 points. But if one of these things happens, you won’t have specialty coffee in your cup:
- Poor roasting: if the roaster burns the beans, it kills their unique profile. Only bitterness remains.
- Poor preparation: even the best Ethiopia can be ruined by a dirty coffee machine, bad water or improper grinding.
That’s why at Goriffee we say that specialty coffee is about collaboration. The farmer works hard to grow the perfect bean. We have to condition it sensitively. And you (or the barista) have to get it right. Only then is the experience complete.
Commodity vs. Specialty coffee: A clear comparison
To see the difference at a glance:
| Feature | Commodity coffee | Specialty coffee |
| Origin | Often unknown (“Mix of EU and non-EU countries”) | Exactly known (specific farm, region) |
| Retrieved from | Often machine (takes even unripe and rotten cherries) | Manual (selective harvesting of ripe cherries only) |
| Roasting | Dark, oily grains (covers defects) | Light to medium (highlights character) |
| Defects | Allowed to varying degrees | Zero tolerance of primary defects |
| Taste | Bitter, uniform, “coffee” | Complex, fruity, sweet, acidic |
H2: Frequently asked questions and myths (From discussion with baristas)
We have collected questions that not only worry beginners, but also often appear in professional discussions.
Is the coffee at chains like Starbucks selective?
Technically speaking, the big chains usually buy coffee that falls just short of or at the lower end of the quality range. Their business model demands that the coffee taste the same in New York and Bratislava. This is achieved by dark roasting, which suppresses the uniqueness of the bean and creates a uniform bitter taste. Specialty coffee is the opposite of uniformity – it’s about celebrating differences.
Why is specialty coffee sometimes sour?
Coffee is a fruit. High quality Arabica has a natural fruitiness, which we technically call acidity. It’s not that unpleasant astringency you know from vinegar. It’s the freshness of, say, a ripe apple or orange. If you prefer flavours without acidity, look for our range of coffees from Brazil or with the taste profile ‘chocolate and nuts’. More about acidity in coffee read our blog.
What are “Quakers”?
You may have seen beans in a packet of cheaper coffee beans that are much lighter, even yellow, when roasted. Baristas call them “quakers”. These are unripe beans that have no sugar and therefore don’t caramelise when roasted. They taste like paper or peanuts. You shouldn’t find them in specialty coffee – they are considered a defect that is removed by hand sorting before export.
Is specialty coffee more expensive?
Yes, but the question is: by how much? The price per kilo may be double, but when converted to one cup, we are talking about a difference of cents. For that small difference, however, you are getting a product where you know that the farmer has been paid fairly and you are not drinking mouldy or defective beans.
Want to see if you can really tell the difference? The best introduction to the world of specialty coffee is our coffee subscription. Each month, we select the most interesting beans to test how varied the taste of coffee can be.
