AvailableSpecialty
Ethiopia · Yirgacheffe
- Species
- Arabica
- Process
- Fully washed
- Grade
- Grade 2
- Screen
- 15+
- Crop
- 2025/26
- Quantity
- 120 bags
Jasmine · Bergamot · Lemon
Grading reference
Ethiopia Coffee Grades
Ethiopian grading looks simple — a number — and is the most information-dense system in the region. Understanding what the number contains, and what changes between washed and natural, is the difference between specifying an Ethiopian lot well and specifying it by accident.
- Grades
- 6
- Species
- Arabica
- Authority
- Grade 1–9 classification combining raw defect count and cup score, administered under the Ethiopian coffee authorities alongside the Ethiopia Commodity Exchange (ECX)
- Bag standard
- 60 kg jute
At a glance
Ethiopia grade classes
This classification runs on defect count and cup evaluation rather than on bean size, so there is no screen ladder to plot. Screen is contracted separately where a buyer needs one.
Classified on defects and cup
None of these designations is a screen separation. The classification runs on defect count and cup evaluation, which is why there is no size ladder to plot — screen is contracted separately where a buyer needs one.
- Grade 1ArabicaThe tightest raw-defect class in the national classification, combined with a cup evaluation. Applied to both washed and natural preparations.
- Grade 2ArabicaA slightly wider defect allowance than Grade 1 while remaining an export specialty class. Very widely traded for washed Yirgacheffe and Sidama.
- Grade 3ArabicaMost often seen on naturals, where the classification tolerates more raw defects than the washed equivalent at the same number.
- Grade 4ArabicaThe boundary between specialty separations and commercial parcels. Common for Djimma and lower-lying naturals.
- Grade 5ArabicaCommercial grade, contracted on defect tolerance and cup cleanliness.
- Q1 / Q2ArabicaCup-score bands applied to specialty parcels in the exchange system, used alongside the numeric grade.
| Grade | What it encodes | Screen | Species |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 1 | The tightest raw-defect class in the national classification, combined with a cup evaluation. Applied to both washed and natural preparations. Ethiopia is the one origin here where the grade explicitly carries a cup component alongside the defect count. | — | Arabica |
| Grade 2 | A slightly wider defect allowance than Grade 1 while remaining an export specialty class. Very widely traded for washed Yirgacheffe and Sidama. | — | Arabica |
| Grade 3 | Most often seen on naturals, where the classification tolerates more raw defects than the washed equivalent at the same number. | — | Arabica |
| Grade 4 | The boundary between specialty separations and commercial parcels. Common for Djimma and lower-lying naturals. | — | Arabica |
| Grade 5 | Commercial grade, contracted on defect tolerance and cup cleanliness. | — | Arabica |
| Q1 / Q2 | Cup-score bands applied to specialty parcels in the exchange system, used alongside the numeric grade. Scoring bands and exchange rules have changed over time. Confirm the basis that applies to the crop being contracted. | — | Arabica |
The distinction that matters
What the grade does not tell you
This is where most green coffee is mis-bought. A grade is a preparation class. Everything below is a separate contract field, and every one of them moves independently of the grade name.
What it does fix
Ethiopia grading encodes
- Raw defect count on a defined green sample
- A cup evaluation — cleanliness and the absence of taints
- The preparation, where washed and natural are graded on different allowances
- For Q1 and Q2, the cup-score band applied to a specialty parcel
Use the grade to define the physical deliverable. Use the approved sample to define the cup. Both belong in the contract.
What it does not
Specify these separately
- Defect countA separate count on a defined sample, against a weighting table that differs by origin.
- MoistureA range plus the measurement method. Two meters on one parcel routinely disagree.
- Crop yearNothing in a grade name distinguishes current crop from a parcel that has been in store a year.
- DensityBulk density in g/L, which drives charge temperature and roast planning.
- Water activityStorage stability. Related to moisture but not derivable from it.
- TraceabilityCountry, station or day lot are different claims. A grade fixes none of them.
- Processing methodWashed, natural and honey can all carry the same grade at most origins.
Quick answer
Ethiopia grades coffee on a 1–9 scale that combines a raw defect count with a cup evaluation — the only East African system where the grade carries a sensory component. Washed and natural preparations are graded on different defect allowances, so a natural Grade 3 and a washed Grade 3 are not equivalent products.
A grade that includes the cup
Ethiopian classification evaluates two things and combines them. The first is a raw defect count on a defined green sample. The second is a cup evaluation, assessing cleanliness and the absence of taints as well as positive attributes. A parcel with a low defect count but a compromised cup does not reach the top grades.
This is genuinely different from Kenya or Tanzania, where the grade is purely mechanical. It means an Ethiopian Grade 2 tells you more about what you are buying than a Kenyan AA does — but it still does not replace cupping the sample.
| Grade | Preparation | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 1 | Washed and natural | Tightest defect class with a supporting cup evaluation. Common on top natural Guji and Sidama. |
| Grade 2 | Mainly washed | The workhorse specialty grade for washed Yirgacheffe and Sidama. Very widely traded. |
| Grade 3 | Mainly natural | Naturals tolerate more raw defects at the same number than washed do; still a specialty separation. |
| Grade 4 | Mainly natural | The boundary into commercial. Common for Djimma and lower-altitude naturals. |
| Grade 5 | Natural and washed | Commercial parcels contracted on defect tolerance and cup cleanliness. |
Washed Grade 3 ≠ natural Grade 3
The defect allowances differ by preparation. Comparing an Ethiopian grade number across washed and natural without accounting for that will mislead you. Always state the preparation and the grade together.
Q1 and Q2
Alongside the numeric grade, specialty parcels traded through the exchange system carry a Q classification based on cup score bands, with Q1 sitting above Q2. Scoring bands and exchange rules have been revised more than once, so the correct approach is to confirm which basis applies to the crop being contracted rather than relying on a figure remembered from a previous season.
Where standards move, we say so
Ethiopian market structure and classification rules have changed several times since the exchange was established, including the 2017 reforms that opened direct specialty trade with traceability to washing station. We describe the current shape of the system rather than quoting fixed numeric thresholds that may have moved.
Traceability: station, woreda, kebele
Ethiopian production is overwhelmingly smallholder and garden-based. Cherry is delivered to a washing station, which aggregates it from the surrounding kebeles. The station is therefore the practical unit of traceability, sitting inside a woreda (district) and a zone.
- Zone
- The regional level — Sidama, Gedeo, Guji, Jimma
- Woreda
- District. Many well-known Ethiopian lot names are woreda names
- Kebele
- The smallest administrative unit; the catchment a station draws from
- Washing station
- Where cherry is received and processed — the level at which lots are separated and named
Regional names such as Yirgacheffe carry real meaning — Yirgacheffe is a district in the Gedeo zone whose washed profile is consistent enough to specify by name — but a station-level lot is always more precisely defined than a regional one.
Varieties: heirloom, and what that word hides
Ethiopian offers frequently say "heirloom", which is a placeholder rather than a description. Ethiopia holds the overwhelming majority of Arabica’s genetic diversity, with thousands of local landrace populations, alongside released selections from the Jimma Agricultural Research Center such as the 74110 and 74112 series, and named regional selections like Kurume, Dega and Wolisho.
Where a station can identify the material, that is worth having in the specification. Where it cannot, "local landraces" is a more honest description than "heirloom".
Ethiopian sourcing
Tell us the region, preparation and grade you need, and whether station-level identity is required. We will confirm what the crop supports.
Request Current Crop OfferLast reviewed 3 min read
Contract language
Writing a Ethiopia specification
The grade names the physical deliverable. These are the fields that have to sit beside it for the contract to be enforceable.
| Field | What to state | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Origin and region | Ethiopia, plus the growing area — Yirgacheffe, Sidama, Guji | Region drives altitude, harvest timing and cup character more than the grade does |
| Grade | The Ethiopia designation — Grade 1, Grade 2, Grade 3, Grade 4 | Fixes the preparation class and the size separation |
| Screen | Retention screen plus the permitted percentage passing | A screen without a tolerance is not a specification — no sizing line is perfect |
| Defects | Maximum full defects per 300 g, and the weighting table | Weighting tables differ by origin, so the number alone is not portable |
| Moisture | Range plus the measurement method and instrument | Two meters on the same parcel routinely disagree |
| Crop year | Explicit, with the harvest period | "Current crop" means different things in different months |
| Cup | Approved sample retained by both parties | The only thing that fixes flavour; the grade does not |
| Packaging | 60 kg jute; specialty lots frequently in GrainPro or vacuum packs | Changes the price and the container arithmetic |
| Port and Incoterm | Djibouti (primary transit port) · FOB, CFR or CIF | Determines where cost and risk transfer |
Availability
Current Ethiopia coffee
Availability moves with the harvest, with milling and with prior commitments. Everything here is confirmed against the current crop on enquiry.
LimitedSpecialty
Ethiopia · Guji
- Species
- Arabica
- Process
- Natural
- Grade
- Grade 1
- Screen
- 14+
- Crop
- 2025/26
- Quantity
- 90 bags
Blueberry · Strawberry · Dark chocolate
On contract
Ethiopia · Djimma (Jimma)
- Species
- Arabica
- Process
- Natural
- Grade
- Grade 4
- Crop
- 2025/26
- Quantity
- 2 × 20ft
Quality
How a lot is evaluated before contracting
The grade is assigned at the dry mill. This is what happens to a parcel afterwards, before it is offered and again before it is loaded.
- 01Physical gradePreparation class against the origin’s own system
- 02Screen distributionRetention plus the percentage passing
- 03Defect analysisFull defects per 300 g on a stated weighting table
- 04MoistureRange plus the measurement method and instrument
- 05Water activityWhere the buyer specifies it, for storage stability
- 06DensityBulk density in g/L, for roast planning
- 07Sample roastTo a cupping profile, not a commercial roast
- 08CuppingMultiple cups, against the approved sample
- 09Buyer approvalThe retained sample the shipment is measured against
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What does Ethiopian Grade 1 mean?
Grade 1 is the tightest class in Ethiopia’s classification, combining a low raw defect count with a supporting cup evaluation. It applies to both washed and natural preparations, with different defect allowances for each, so the preparation must be stated alongside the grade.
Why is most washed Yirgacheffe sold as Grade 2?
Grade 2 is the class that the great majority of well-prepared washed Yirgacheffe and Sidama falls into, and it is a specialty export grade. Grade 1 washed lots exist but are a much smaller share of production, so Grade 2 is the practical benchmark rather than a compromise.
Is "heirloom" a coffee variety?
No. It is a catch-all used when the specific material is unidentified. Ethiopian coffee includes thousands of local landrace populations plus released JARC selections such as 74110 and 74112. Where a station can name the material, ask for it; where it cannot, "local landraces" is the accurate phrase.
Which port does Ethiopian coffee ship from?
Ethiopia is landlocked and its coffee moves principally through Djibouti, trucked from Addis Ababa. The inland road leg is the main variable in Ethiopian shipment planning and should be built into any arrival estimate.
Request an offer
Tell us the Ethiopia coffee you need
Grade, screen, defect basis, moisture, crop year, volume and destination. Send what you know and we will confirm what the current crop supports.