Because of the strict standards and specific protocols applied to every stage of production, specialty brews have higher overall quality from bean to cup than commodity coffee. The result is a more delicious morning jolt, which a quick taste test can confirm. Side-by-side with commodity beans, specialty coffees win out with coffee connoisseurs every time.
To achieve this superiority, coffee is harvested at peak ripeness and sorted with a discerning eye. Only the best beans move on to skilled roasters with the knowledge necessary to ensure a high-quality finished product. Followed along the chain from harvester to seller, each batch of specialty beans has characteristics putting it a cut above commodity brands.
You can be sure you’ll get a delicious cup from specialty beans because of the “cupping” step in the production process. Before all beans in a batch are roasted, coffee is brewed to another set of standards set by the SCAA. These include rules for:
- Time between roasting and cupping
- Water used
- Water temperature
- Cup material
- Grind size and timing
- Amount of grounds per unit of water
By the time the coffee reaches your kitchen, someone else has already ensured it meets the standards required to earn the “specialty” designation.
