Blog

Back

WHAT IS A Q-GRADER?

Time and again baristas or dedicated coffee drinkers talk about Q-Grading. What is it all about? We shed some light on a supposedly simple topic.

By Pascal Herzog

WHAT IS A Q-GRADER?

ALL POSTS

WHAT IS A Q-GRADER?

Time and again baristas or dedicated coffee drinkers talk about Q-Grading. What is it all about? We shed some light on a supposedly simple topic.

With the Q-Grading programme, the coffee world has defined a standard that determines how the quality of Arabica coffee is assessed. Q-Graders are people who have worked intensively with this procedure and have proven in 22 tests that they can judge a coffee according to this standard.

How does it work?A Q-Grader counts the number of defects in green coffee, roasts the coffee and finally pours it to evaluate the sensory attributes using a standardised form. The outcome is a score that can reach a maximum of 100. Coffee that scores over 80 points is given the “very good” attribute and can be called Specialty Coffee.

You may be wondering whether sensory analysis is not always subjective, and to some extent you are right. Due to certain set, shared standards, the perception of quality among the Q-Graders is very similar and we can assume that the differences are minimal.

Does that mean you prefer coffee with high scores? No. At the end of the day, we all have personal preferences. However, by trying as many different coffees as possible, we develop our own perception of quality.

What is Q-Grading not?The standard says nothing about how coffee was grown. Regardless of whether it is a large or small farm, Kenya or Honduras, the coffees are always tested blindly so that the personal biases of the taster do not play a role.

Do you want to learn more?You can discover more about the process on the Coffee Quality Institute website. Here you can get a good insight into the ViCAFE roaster and the work of our Q- Graders.

You might also like to read

TWELVE YEARS OF ViCAFE IN EGLISAU

We are celebrating our birthday. Not a round one, but an even one. Here are eight reasons why it's worth traveling to Eglisau, where ViCAFE originated, this year of all years.

THE MOVIE TO YOUR COFFEE

Mondul Coffee Estate in Tanzania grows sustainable coffee for ViCAFE. We are proud of our partnership with Mondul. Why? We'll show you in our new film.

KENYA 2021: HOPING FOR A GOOD COFFEE HARVEST

While it is autumn in Switzerland, we fly to the summer in East Africa. We want to get an idea of the local conditions and developments and are searching for a new partner farm. It is our first origin trip since the beginning of the Covid19 pandemic and we are heading to Kenya – just in time for the main harvest season.

TANZANIA 2021: COOPERATION WITH A FUTURE

Fahrt auf Mondul Coffee Estate ALLE POSTS Willy on Mondul Coffee Estate During our visit to the Mondul Coffee Estate, we’ll look at the success of our jointly developed projects, make new plans for the future, and experience first-hand the day-to-day operations of a coffee farm. We’ll stay on the farm for two weeks and, […]

ViCAFE HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 2021

We’ve curated this list to include products and accessories to make your #ViCAFEExperience this holiday season magical! Whether coffee is a way of life or just an energy boost in the morning, we’re sure our guide will help you find the perfect gift for the coffee lover in your life.

ABSOLUTE DETERMINATION TO PROTECT NATURAL HABITATS

We get our Indonesian coffee from a small group of farmers called Wih Bershi, which is named after a village in the Gayo Highlands in the far north of Sumatra. This coffee is called Orang Utan Coffee and is part of an incredible project. We’d like to tell you more about it here, and introduce you to one of its driving forces, the tenacious Regina Frey. We visited Regina at her home in Berg am Irchel at the beginning of January.