What Is Specialty Coffee? Grades, Scores and How to Spot It
Specialty coffee is coffee that scores 80 points or more out of 100 when it is tasted by trained graders, and that has almost no physical defects in the raw beans. It is a quality grade, not a flavour or a brewing method. Anything below that line is usually called commercial coffee, which is most of what ends up in supermarket cans, pods and instant jars.
Where the term comes from
The phrase was first used in 1974 by Erna Knutsen, a green coffee buyer in San Francisco, in the Tea & Coffee Trade Journal. She used it for beans with exceptional flavour grown in special micro-climates. The idea stuck, and over the following decades the industry built grading standards around it.
How coffee gets graded
Coffee is graded twice before it is ever roasted for sale: once by looking at the raw beans, and once by tasting them.
1. The green bean inspection
A grader takes a 350 g sample of unroasted (green) beans and counts the defects: black or sour beans, insect damage, broken or mouldy beans, stones and twigs. To be considered specialty, a coffee must have no more than 0 to 5 defects per 350 g sample, a standard set by the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) and quoted by the International Coffee Organization (ICO).
2. The cupping
Next, a sample is lightly roasted, ground and brewed in a standard way, and graders taste it side by side with other coffees. This is called cupping. Graders score attributes such as aroma, flavour, aftertaste, acidity, body, balance and sweetness. A total of 80 or more on the 100-point scale is the line for specialty.
| Score | Description |
|---|---|
| 90 to 100 | Outstanding |
| 85 to 89.99 | Excellent |
| 80 to 84.99 | Very good (specialty) |
| Below 80 | Not specialty grade |
In 2024 the SCA adopted a new system called the Coffee Value Assessment, which replaced its 2004 cupping form. It separates describing what a coffee tastes like from scoring how much a cupper likes it (SCA). Even so, "80 points and up" is still the shorthand most buyers and roasters use for specialty.
What is a Q Grader?
A Q Grader is a coffee taster licensed by the Coffee Quality Institute after passing a set of sensory and grading exams. The licence means they cup and grade to the same standard as other Q Graders around the world, so an 84 from one grader should mean roughly the same thing as an 84 from another. Roasters and importers use Q Graders to check coffee before they buy it and to keep their roasts consistent.
Specialty vs commercial vs "premium"
| Specialty | Commercial | "Premium" or "gourmet" | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Defined by | Cupping score of 80+ and a defect limit | Price and volume | Marketing, no shared standard |
| Traceability | Usually country, often region or farm | Often a blend of many origins | Varies |
| Typical bean | Arabica | Arabica and Robusta | Varies |
| Where you see it | Independent roasters, cafés | Supermarket cans, pods, instant | Anywhere |
"Premium" and "gourmet" sound like grades but have no agreed definition, so they tell you very little on their own. Almost all specialty coffee is Arabica, although there is a separate quality program for fine Robusta. Our guide to Arabica vs Robusta explains the difference between the two species.
How to tell if you are buying specialty coffee
There is no single logo for specialty coffee, but a few clues on the bag are a good sign:
- A roast date or roast month. Specialty roasters want you to drink their coffee fresh, so they tell you when it was roasted, not just when it expires.
- A named origin. At least the country, and often the region, farm or co-operative.
- Tasting notes. Descriptions like "jasmine, cranberry, dark chocolate" come from cupping the coffee.
- Arabica, named as such. "100% Arabica" is not proof of specialty on its own, but specialty coffee is almost always Arabica.
- A roaster who talks about grading. Mentioning scores, Q Graders or how the green coffee is selected is a good sign.
- A higher price. Specialty coffee costs more to grow, sort and buy, so a very cheap bag is unlikely to be specialty.
Does specialty coffee taste better?
Usually, yes, in the sense that it has fewer defects and more distinct flavour. But better is personal. A specialty light roast can taste bright and fruity, which some people love and others find sour. If you like a smooth, chocolatey cup, look for a specialty medium or dark roast rather than assuming specialty means light and acidic. See dark roast vs medium roast for how roast changes the cup.
Specialty is also not the same thing as organic or fair trade. Those are separate certifications about how coffee is farmed and traded, and a coffee can have one, both or neither.
Specialty coffee in a drip bag
A brewing format does not decide the grade, the coffee inside does. A drip bag filled with specialty coffee is specialty coffee. Instant is different: it is brewed and dried in a factory, so it is rarely made from specialty beans.
KNDZ drip bags use 100% Arabica, specialty-grade coffee from Ethiopia and Colombia, roasted in micro-batches in Toronto by a Certified Q Grader, with the roast month printed on every pack. Our Everyday Medium Roast cups with notes of jasmine, cranberry and dark chocolate. Read more about KNDZ, or shop our coffee.
Frequently asked questions
What makes coffee specialty?
Two things: a cupping score of 80 or more out of 100 from trained graders, and almost no physical defects, no more than 0 to 5 per 350 g sample of green beans.
What score is specialty coffee?
80 points or higher on the 100-point scale. Coffees scoring 80 to 84.99 are described as very good, 85 to 89.99 as excellent, and 90 or more as outstanding.
What is a Q Grader?
A coffee taster licensed by the Coffee Quality Institute after passing sensory and grading exams. Q Graders cup and score coffee to a shared international standard.
Is specialty coffee always Arabica?
Almost always. There is a separate quality program for fine Robusta, but nearly all coffee sold as specialty is Arabica.
Does specialty coffee mean organic or fair trade?
No. Specialty is a quality grade based on taste and defects. Organic and fair trade are separate certifications about farming and trade, and a coffee can have any combination of them.
Is specialty coffee worth it?
If you drink coffee every day, most people notice the difference: fewer harsh or stale flavours and more distinct taste. It costs more because the beans are sorted, graded and bought more carefully.
Related guides
- Arabica vs Robusta coffee: Taste, caffeine and why specialty is mostly Arabica.
- Canadian coffee brands worth ordering from: Ten specialty roasters by region.
- How to store coffee: Keep specialty coffee tasting fresh.
- Does coffee expire?: What a roast date and a best-before date tell you.