Coffee Origins
Broadly Speaking, Coffees Can Be Divided Into Three Commercial Categories
From rare, exemplary cups to everyday mainstream coffee, here is how the market broadly sorts coffee by quality, availability, and where it is sold.
1. Exemplary Quality
Exemplary quality coffees have a high intrinsic value with a fine or unique cup. They are usually of quite limited availability and mostly retailed under straight estate or origin names.
They are usually very well presented washed coffees, including some superior washed Robustas, but the category also includes some naturals (Ethiopian Harar, Yemeni Mochas, and some Indonesian Arabicas) and top organic coffees. These are usually, but not always, roasted by comparatively small firms and marketed through fairly exclusive outlets, such as retail coffee shops, bars, and upmarket delicatessens.
2. High Quality or Premium Brands
High quality or premium coffees are good cupping coffees, well presented but not necessarily visually perfect. They are retailed both as straight origins and as blends.
The category includes good quality, well-prepared organic coffees, and washed as well as superior quality natural Robustas. The market for this quality band is much broader and includes a good percentage of today’s specialty coffee. These coffees are also produced by leading multinational coffee companies and marketed through normal retail outlets such as supermarkets.
3. Mainstream Quality
Mainstream coffee is of average quality and reasonably well presented, but certainly not visually perfect. It will offer a decent, clean, but not necessarily impressive cup.
Discover Ethiopian Specialty Coffee
From our own washing stations in Sidama, Yirgacheffe, and Guji, we follow every lot from ripe cherry to export.
Explore our coffees, or tell us what you are looking for and we will keep you close to the season.