Everyone drinks coffee, but not all coffee is the same. In the supermarket you'll find bags labelled “100% Arabica” or “rich blends”, while our specialty coffee roasters talk about single origins, cupping scores and flavour profiles. But what really makes specialty coffee different from standard supermarket coffee?
In this blog you'll discover the most important differences – based on insights from the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) and World Coffee Research.
Specialty Coffee quality & score
Specialty coffee is coffee of the highest quality. According to the SCA, a coffee only earns the specialty label when it scores 80 points or higher on the cupping table (on a scale of 100). Supermarket coffee is usually bought in bulk and often contains beans with defects.
Grading scale
- 90-100 points: Outstanding
- 85-89.99 points: Excellent
- 80-84.99: Very good
- Below 80: No grade, and NOT considered a specialty coffee.
Origin & transparency
- Supermarket coffee: often blends from various countries, with no clear information about origin.
- Specialty coffee: traceable back to the farm or co-operative. You know where the coffee comes from, which variety it is and how it was processed.
Flavour & experience
- Supermarket coffee: often roasted dark, so all the flavours end up tasting alike: bitter, strong and flat.
- Specialty coffee: carefully roasted to bring out unique flavour profiles. Think notes of chocolate, red fruit, citrus or nuts.
Freshness
- Supermarket coffee: often sits on the shelf for months.
- Specialty coffee: roasted in small batches and usually marked with a roast date. At BAM Coffee we don't want to sell any coffee that's more than 3 months old.
Sustainability & impact
Specialty coffee roasters often work directly with farmers or co-operatives. That way farmers get a fairer price and far more attention goes to sustainable growing methods.
Conclusion: a conscious choice
Specialty coffee isn't just tastier, it's also more sustainable and more transparent. By choosing specialty coffee, you're choosing:
✅ better quality
✅ fairer trade
✅ a richer flavour experience
👉 Order from BAM Coffee and taste what really good coffee is like.
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