What is the SCAA grading system?
The SCAA (now the Specialty Coffee Association, or SCA) grading system is a standardized set of criteria used to evaluate the quality of green coffee. It combines physical grading, which counts defects per a set weight, with sensory evaluation, or cupping, to determine if a bean meets the strict standards required to be classified as specialty coffee.
Before a coffee can be sold as "specialty," it must pass through a rigorous gauntlet of evaluation. The SCA (formerly SCAA) grading system is the language that allows a farmer in Colombia and a roaster in Japan to communicate about quality. By standardizing what constitutes a "defect" and what warrants a "specialty" score, the system creates a common ground for the entire industry.
The physical portion of the grading process is a systematic search for flaws. A sample of 350 grams of green coffee is placed on a sorting table. Graders categorize the beans into "Primary Defects" (such as full black beans, sour beans, or foreign matter like rocks and sticks) and "Secondary Defects" (such as partial insect damage or broken beans). A coffee cannot be graded as Specialty if it contains any primary defects or more than a strict, low threshold of secondary defects.
The sensory portion is just as critical. This involves "cupping," a standardized method of brewing and tasting coffee that allows graders to objectively score characteristics like acidity, body, flavor, and uniformity. The SCA 100-point scale is the ultimate output of this session. A score of 80 points or higher is the internationally accepted threshold for specialty-grade coffee. Anything below this is typically relegated to the "commercial" or "commodity" market.
It is important to note that the SCA grading system is not the only way to evaluate coffee, but it is the most widely adopted framework in the specialty sector. It provides producers with actionable feedback—if they know their coffee is being downgraded due to specific defects like "quakers" (unripe beans that remain light after roasting), they can adjust their picking or sorting practices to improve the final grade and, ultimately, their farm's income.
For the reader, understanding this system demystifies the labels on your coffee bag. When a roaster mentions an "86-point" coffee, they are referring to the results of this standardized cupping process. It represents a promise that the coffee has been carefully sourced, physically inspected for quality, and sensory-evaluated to ensure it provides a superior experience in the cup.
- · https://sca.coffee/
- · https://ncausa.org/