Why Is Specialty Coffee Special?

According to the specialty coffee association (SCA), specialty coffee is coffee that has been graded above 80. Much like a movie, its quality isn’t dependent on the acting you see on screen, but the writing, production, directing, and everything else that went into making the movie, all the way to the final product. What makes … Read more

Is Gourmet Coffee The Same As Specialty Coffee?

The phrase “gourmet coffee” is 100% a marketing term. It has no objective meaning when it comes to coffee quality. It is generally used when the company cannot officially say “specialty” or “premium” (in other words, lower-grade beans). Historically, the term gourmet referred to a culinary connoisseur. What is considered gourmet coffee? Gourmet coffee is … Read more

How Do You Make Specialty Coffee?

What makes a coffee a specialty coffee? For a coffee to qualify as “speciality”, it must have zero Primary defects and less than five Secondary defects Cupping involves roasting the coffee and brewing simply with hot water, and relies on the skill of the taster to assign scores to each of the coffee’s attributes, such … Read more