Gourmet coffee drinkers prefer high-quality Arabica beans to cheaper, lower- quality robusta, but the difference doesn’t stop there. The Green Coffee Classification Chart provided by The Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) defines the characteristics of five classes of coffee: specialty grade, premium grade, exchange grade, below standard grade, and off grade.

Only about five percent of the world’s total coffee production is specialty, the highest grade. And that’s what you get in every cup of Passion Café. In the green bean (pre-roasted) phase, this coffee has no defects and has a distinctive character. Premium also has no primary defects, but does not necessarily boast as strong a character as specialty. Each successive grade lower exhibits decreasing cup quality, with off grade having as many as 50% defective beans.

Ultimately, specialty coffee must be served up and enjoyed in the cup. Just as superb roasting and brewing cannot make up for inadequate beans, specialty beans will fail to live up to their promise if compromised by poor roasting or brewing techniques. From the choice of beans to the caring ways in which they are roasted, flavored and packaged, Passion Café stands on high "grounds." Once you purchase these uniquely flavored specialty-grade beans, you’ll want to maximize your pleasure with them through proper storage and brewing.