What “Specialty Grade” Actually Means, And Why We Obsess Over Specialty Coffee
When we say Steel Oak specialty grade coffee, we’re not throwing around a marketing buzzword. Specialty coffee is a globally recognized standard that has been refined over decades, and it shapes every roast we produce at Steel Oak Coffee Roasters. It’s the reason our coffee tastes the way it does—and why it can’t be replicated by mass-market blends.
What Is Specialty Coffee?
The simplest definition is that specialty coffee is coffee scoring 80 points or higher on the Specialty Coffee Association’s (SCA) 100-point scale. That score isn’t a guess—it’s the result of a meticulous grading process performed by certified professionals who evaluate aroma, flavor, acidity, body, and balance.
While coffee is grown in more than 70 countries, only about 5–10% of the global harvest qualifies as specialty grade coffee. This is the top tier of the market, defined by craftsmanship, terroir, and consistency from farm to cup. For us, "What is specialty coffee?" is best answered in the cup you brew at home with Steel Oak Coffee beans.
How the 100-Point Scale Came to Be
Scoring coffee is a relatively new concept. In the 1970s, Erna Knutsen—credited with coining the term “specialty coffee”—began promoting high-quality microlot coffees to roasters in the United States. At that time, coffee was graded in broad categories like “premium” or “extra fancy,” which revealed little about flavor.
The push for a more precise system led to the development of the 100-point coffee scoring system in the 1980s and 1990s, driven largely by the Specialty Coffee Association of America (now the SCA). Inspired in part by the wine industry’s point system, the goal was to create an objective, standardized way to evaluate coffee quality worldwide.
How Coffee Scoring Works
Evaluation begins before the coffee is roasted. Green coffee beans are inspected for size, uniformity, and defects. Even one primary defect—such as a sour bean or significant insect damage—can lower the score below specialty grade.
Once roasted, the coffee is tasted in a standardized process called “cupping.” Certified Q graders assess fragrance, aroma, flavor, aftertaste, acidity, body, and balance. They also look for sweetness, cleanliness, and uniformity across multiple cups of the same sample.
- 90–100: Outstanding
- 85–89.99: Excellent
- 80–84.99: Very Good (minimum for specialty)
- Below 80: Not specialty grade. Commercial grade quality.
This process is the same whether the coffee ends up at a world-class café in Melbourne or in your kitchen as Steel Oak single origin coffee.
Why We Focus on Specialty Grade Coffee
For Steel Oak Coffee, specialty grade coffee isn’t just a quality tier—it’s a promise. Every batch we roast comes from producers who share our values for careful cultivation, ethical sourcing, and sustainable farming. We roast in small batches to preserve peak freshness, highlight distinctive origin flavors, and maintain full traceability from farm to cup.
This level of quality isn’t something you can fake. If a coffee doesn’t meet specialty grade standards, we don’t put our name on it. That’s why whether you order Steel Oak coffee for home brewing or pick up beans at the Steel Oak Coffee Shop in Ormond Beach, you’re always getting coffee at the very top of the scale.
The Controversy Around Coffee Scoring
While the 100-point scale is the most respected grading method in the industry, it’s not without criticism. Some argue that subjectivity can influence results, even among trained graders. Others point out that cultural preferences for certain flavor profiles—like bright, fruity Ethiopian coffees—can impact how coffees are perceived and scored.
There’s also a perception issue: coffees that score in the low 80s may taste exceptional to many drinkers, yet they can be overshadowed by “elite” lots scoring in the high 80s or above. Still, despite these debates, the scale remains the global benchmark for defining what is specialty coffee.
How Chain Coffee Shops Compare
Most large chains, including Starbucks and Dunkin’, don’t operate within the specialty coffee scoring framework for their core offerings. While they may occasionally feature higher-grade coffees for limited releases, their everyday blends rely on large-scale sourcing and darker roasting for consistency across thousands of locations.
In practice, that means the green coffee used often falls below 80 points, making it commercial grade rather than specialty. The flavor focus is roast-forward and uniform, rather than highlighting the unique characteristics of origin. At the Steel Oak Coffee roastery, we take the opposite approach, selecting coffees for their distinctive profiles and roasting them to bring those qualities forward.
How Grade Level Impacts Coffee Pricing
Coffee pricing is closely tied to quality grade. Specialty grade coffee represents only a fraction of the world’s annual coffee harvest, and that rarity drives its value. Higher-scoring coffees often come from smaller lots, where farmers selectively harvest only perfectly ripe cherries. That extra care requires more labor and time, both of which add to the cost.
Production practices also influence price. Specialty coffee farmers may invest in improved processing equipment, sustainable growing methods, and more rigorous sorting—all of which preserve quality but increase production costs.
On the global market, these factors mean that coffee scoring in the mid-to-high 80s often sells for significantly more per pound than commercial-grade coffee. For roasters like Steel Oak Coffee, paying those higher prices is an investment in flavor, ethics, and consistency.
We believe that cost is justified when you taste the results in your cup. Whether you order Steel Oak single origin coffee online or subscribe to our Steel Oak Coffee subscription box, you’re getting beans sourced for quality first—not price alone.
From Farm to Your Mug
Specialty grade coffee begins with the work of skilled farmers. It’s hand-picked at peak ripeness, processed with precision, and carefully stored to maintain quality. By the time it reaches our roastery, the coffee has already undergone an extraordinary amount of care. Our responsibility is to honor that work with roasting that preserves its integrity and lets you taste the difference.
Whether you subscribe to our Steel Oak Coffee subscription box or stop by for a bag of Steel Oak fresh roasted coffee, you can trust that every cup meets the highest possible standard.
Steel Oak Coffee roasts nothing less than specialty grade coffee. Every batch is fresh, traceable, and scored to meet the highest standards. Anything less simply isn’t us.