Introduction: What Is Q Grade?

According to the Coffee Quality Institute, a Q grade is a score of a specific coffee bean that is evaluated by a Q grader. This person has trained and is credentialed using standards from the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA). 

Essentially, a Q grade is a measure of the quality of the coffee. The Coffee Quality Institute summarizes its process in the below image.

What Is the Meaning of a Q Grade?

keywords: q grade meaning, q grades meaning

Specialty coffee is any coffee that scores an 80 or above. A general outline is below:

• Scores from 80-87 are good quality
• Scores from 87-93 are amazing quality
• Scores 94 and above are the highest quality 

The coffee bean comes from fruit, and there is a long process in the supply chain from where the bean is harvested to when you take that first sip in the morning. Below is a rough outline of the entire process summarized. Keep in mind that at each point in the process, each decision can have an important outcome on the flavor.

• Initial picking of the coffee 
• The beans are either sun-dried, washed, or fermented
• Milling, drying, and hulling of the beans
• Dried again
• Green coffee is ready to be shipped to a roaster
• Roasting process
• Grinding
• Brewing method 

Since there are variables at each stage in the process, there are many factors that can lead to better or worse-tasting coffee. A licensed Q grader is trained to evaluate the final product to determine whether or not the coffee is of good quality.

What Are the Benefits of a Higher-Quality Product?

keywords: benefits higher quality product, higher quality means more value

One of the biggest benefits of a higher-quality product is you have good-tasting, high-quality coffee. Higher quality means higher value. Better-tasting coffee means that you are getting more value out of your daily morning cup of liquid gold. 

Another benefit is that a higher-quality product can open the door for a more sustainable relationship in the supply chain. Having a quality product requires good infrastructure, which can vary by country. Paying a more fair price, which usually isn’t the bottom dollar, for a higher-quality product can allow additional money to go to improving the infrastructure. If roasters are willing to invest their capital into deeper partnerships and improving infrastructure, it can result in a higher-quality product that is more sustainable since more money is moving down the supply chain. This is actually the whole goal of fair trade coffee. As a coffee consumer, this means that when you ensure that you are buying from quality-focused roasters, you are partaking in the long-term sustainability of the coffee industry. 

A higher-quality product is also more sharable. Sagrado is all about slowing down and spending time with the people that matter most to you in life. One way that Sagrado supports those moments is through having high-quality coffee that you can share with your friends and loved ones. 

Conclusion: The Top 3 Best Practices For Finding High-Quality Coffee

1. Check the roaster or coffee shop’s website to see if they have their Q grade for their coffee listed. A lot of roasters will have information on their website about their coffee.

2. Unfortunately, the cheapest coffee on the market isn’t the best quality. Ensuring quality requires time and resources from roasters. Purchasing high-quality and higher Q-graded coffee is better tasting and more sustainable, but it is usually not the bottom-dollar option. 

3. Drink it while it is fresh. Coffee is best consumed a couple of days after roasting and can hold its freshness for a few weeks afterward. While it is still good to consume after that point, the fresher the beans are, the better-quality taste that you are going to get.