Green coffee lot descriptions are full of grading shorthand: SHB, EP, AA, Grade 1, Screen 15/16, Fancy. At a quality supplier, these terms mean something specific. At a loose broker, they’re marketing. Intercontinental Coffee Trading (ICT Coffee), a San Diego-based specialty importer with Q Grader-certified staff, explains what each one means and why it matters when evaluating green coffee wholesale.
Why Green Coffee Grading Matters for Specialty Roasters
Green coffee grading gives buyers a standardized way to evaluate what they’re getting before roasting. A Grade 1 Ethiopian and a Grade 3 from the same region cup differently — more defects mean more off-flavors, and roasting doesn’t fix a defective bean. For specialty roasters, the grade directly predicts what your customers will experience.
Different countries use different grading standards, and industry shorthand like SHB or EP means something specific within each country’s export framework. ICT’s Q Grader team evaluates lots against both the country-specific grade and the SCA specialty standard — because a passing export grade is a minimum, not a specialty guarantee. What a licensed Q Arabica Grader does goes well beyond checking an export certificate.
The SCA Specialty Grade Standard: What Grade 1 Actually Means
The SCA defines specialty grade coffee as: fewer than 5 full defects per 300g sample, zero primary defects (black beans, sours, insect damage), and a minimum cup score of 80 on the Q scale. Many lots labeled “specialty” meet the defect threshold but lack a documented cup score — the label is technically accurate but incomplete. A genuine specialty lot has both.
ICT’s quality control process applies the full SCA standard to every lot before it’s offered for wholesale. When ICT lists a lot as specialty grade, it has been cup-scored by a calibrated Q Grader — not just sorted for visible damage. That distinction matters when you’re building single-origin or premium offerings.
SHB and SHG: What the Altitude Classifications Mean
SHB (Strictly High Bean) and SHG (Strictly High Grown) are altitude-based terms used in Central America — different names for the same designation: coffee grown above 1,200 meters. Guatemala uses SHB; Honduras and Nicaragua typically do as well. The term refers to altitude, not cup quality — but altitude correlates strongly with quality because high-altitude beans develop more slowly, produce denser seeds, and cup with more complexity than lowland lots.
Below SHB: HB (Hard Bean, 1,000–1,200m) and SH (Semi-Hard, below 1,000m). For specialty single-origin use, SHB is the minimum. See ICT’s Guatemalan coffee guide for how SHB plays out in a specific origin context.
EP: What “European Preparation” Means on a Lot Sheet
EP stands for European Preparation — a sorting standard that limits defects to 8 full defects per 300g sample. EP does not indicate cup quality; it indicates a cleaner physical sort. “SHB EP” on a Colombian or Central American lot means the coffee is grown above 1,200 meters and sorted to European Preparation standards — a meaningful spec for buyers who want low defect counts without necessarily having a Q score on file.
EP-sorted coffees cup cleaner because physical defects (broken beans, insect damage, parchment-on coffee) contribute off-flavors. For blend components where predictability matters, EP sorting is a practical spec to request. What to look for when buying green coffee beans covers lot evaluation in broader detail.
Want Q Grader-verified green coffee wholesale? Request free samples from ICT Coffee — every lot evaluated against SCA specialty standards before it ships. Up to four samples, no commitment required.
AA, AB, and African Grading Systems
Kenya grades by screen size. AA means beans retained on screen 18 (approximately 7.2mm) — the largest, most premium grade. AB mixes screen 15 and 16. C and TT grades go into commercial blends. Kenyan AA commands a price premium and typically produces the bright, winey, blackcurrant-forward profile Kenya is known for in specialty.
Ethiopia grades from 1 to 5 by defect count per 300g. Grade 1 (fewer than 3 full defects) is specialty territory; Grade 2 is the low end of exportable specialty; Grade 3 and below are commercial. When ICT lists an Ethiopian Grade 1, that defect count has been verified against the actual lot — not estimated from export paperwork.
Screen Sizes: What the Numbers Tell You
Screen size refers to the mesh opening (in 64ths of an inch) used to sort beans by size. Screen 18 is approximately 7.2mm; Screen 15 is approximately 6mm. Larger screens generally correlate with denser bean development. A lot listed as “Screen 15/16” means beans retained on a 15-screen but passing a 16-screen — moderately sized and appropriate for most roast profiles.
Screen size uniformity matters for roasting consistency — mixed-size lots heat unevenly even with careful profiling. Specialty lots sort to within one or two screen sizes. When reading a lot spec, compare the screen range to what your roaster handles well. ICT’s live inventory listings include screen size and moisture data.
How ICT’s Q Graders Apply These Standards
ICT’s Q Grader-certified team applies all of the above — SCA defect counts, cup scoring, screen size verification, moisture testing — to every lot before it’s offered. When ICT lists a grade designation and cup score, both have been independently verified by a credentialed evaluator using calibrated equipment. That doesn’t happen at most commodity importers. ICT’s storage standards maintain that quality through to delivery.
Frequently Asked Questions About Green Coffee Grading
What is the difference between specialty grade and commercial grade coffee?
Specialty grade meets two criteria: fewer than 5 full defects per 300g with zero primary defects, and a minimum cup score of 80 on the Q scale. Commercial grade meets the country’s export standards but hasn’t been evaluated against the SCA specialty protocol. Most commodity coffee wholesale is commercial grade.
Does a higher grade always mean better flavor?
Grade predicts quality but doesn’t guarantee flavor. A Grade 1 Ethiopian and a Grade 1 Colombian are both specialty grade but taste nothing alike. Grade tells you what isn’t in the bag — defects, off-sized beans, foreign material. The cup score tells you what is. For specialty sourcing, you want both.
What does “Fancy” mean on a green coffee lot description?
Fancy is a US market term used for Hawaiian coffees — specifically Kona, where Fancy means screen size 19 and above. Outside of Hawaiian coffee, “Fancy” has no standardized meaning. If you see it on a non-Hawaiian lot, ask the supplier what grading standard they’re actually using.
How can I verify that a green coffee lot has been genuinely Q Grader evaluated?
Ask for the Q Grader’s CQI registration number and the date of evaluation. Registered Q Graders are in the Coffee Quality Institute’s public database. ICT Coffee produces evaluation records available to wholesale buyers on request. If a supplier can’t provide those credentials, “Q Grader verified” is marketing, not verification.
Buy Green Coffee That’s Actually Graded to Standard
ICT Coffee’s Q Grader-certified team evaluates every lot in our wholesale inventory against SCA specialty standards — defect count, screen size, moisture, and cup score. What the spec sheet says matches what’s in the bag.
Request your free green coffee samples and see the difference between Q Grader-verified specialty lots and what you might be buying elsewhere.