The Brew Blog

The SCA 100-point coffee scoring system — what 87 points actually means, the ten dimensions cuppers evaluate, and how to read coffee scores accurately.

What does specialty coffee mean? The SCA defines it at 80 points, but 84 is where the industry's serious buyers draw the line. Here's what the scores actually mean.

Green coffee grading explained: how raw beans are assessed for defects, screen size, density, and moisture before roasting — and what specialty grade really means.

Coffees grown at higher elevations consistently produce denser beans, more complex flavor profiles, and higher cupping scores than coffees from the same origin grown lower down.