AvailableSpecialty
Kenya · Kirinyaga
- Species
- Arabica
- Process
- Fully washed with soak
- Grade
- AB
- Screen
- 15/16
- Crop
- 2025/26
- Quantity
- 150 bags
Plum · Tomato leaf · Black tea
Grading reference
Kenya Coffee Grades
Kenya has the most granular traceability of any origin in this region — coffee is identified by cooperative factory and by outturn number — and the most misunderstood grade ladder. This page explains each Kenyan grade, where it comes from in the milling sequence, and how to read an offer list without over-paying for a letter.
- Grades
- 8
- Species
- Arabica
- Authority
- Grading and marketing governed under Kenyan coffee regulations, with weekly auctions at the Nairobi Coffee Exchange alongside direct sales
- Bag standard
- 60 kg jute
At a glance
The Kenya grade ladder
Where each designation sits on the screen scale — and which ones are not size separations at all.
Grade
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
Screen number · 4.8–7.5 mm
- EArabica
- AAArabica
- ABArabica
- CArabica
Not size separations
These designations are produced by density separation, defect classification or trade convention rather than by screening, so they do not sit on the scale above.
- PBArabicaSingle rounded seeds separated by shape from the main run. Denser per unit volume, so roast profiling differs.
- TTArabicaLow-density beans lifted from the AA and AB separations on the gravity table. Same size range, lower density.
- TArabicaThe smallest fraction — broken pieces, chips and fines from final cleaning.
- MH / MLArabicaMbuni is naturally dried whole cherry, generally including over-ripes, unders and ground-collected fruit. MH and ML separate it by density.
| Grade | What it encodes | Screen | Species |
|---|---|---|---|
| E | The largest separation, including conjoined and oversized beans. Small volume, and screen-irregular by nature. | Above screen 18 | Arabica |
| AA | Flat beans retained on screen 17/18. The most quoted Kenyan grade — and the most frequently misread, because it describes size, not cup. A poorly separated AA can cup below a well-prepared AB from the same factory. Buy on the cup and the factory, and use the grade as a size specification. | Screen 17–18 (≈6.8–7.2 mm) | Arabica |
| AB | The combined A (screen 16) and B (screen 15) separations, and normally the largest single block in an outturn. Frequently the best value in a Kenyan offer list on a cup-per-dollar basis. | Screen 15–16 (≈6.0–6.8 mm) | Arabica |
| PB | Single rounded seeds separated by shape from the main run. Denser per unit volume, so roast profiling differs. | — | Arabica |
| C | Flat beans smaller than the AB block, retained on approximately screen 14. | Screen 14 and below | Arabica |
| TT | Low-density beans lifted from the AA and AB separations on the gravity table. Same size range, lower density. | — | Arabica |
| T | The smallest fraction — broken pieces, chips and fines from final cleaning. | — | Arabica |
| MH / ML | Mbuni is naturally dried whole cherry, generally including over-ripes, unders and ground-collected fruit. MH and ML separate it by density. Distinct from a deliberately produced natural. Specify the two separately. | — | 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
Kenya grading encodes
- Bean size, as the screen the parcel is retained on
- Bean shape, for the PB separation
- Density, for the TT and T separations
- Whether the coffee is washed or Mbuni (dried whole cherry)
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
- Cup qualityTwo lots at the same grade from the same mill can cup several points apart. Only cupping tells you.
- 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
Kenyan Arabica is graded at the dry mill into E, AA, AB, PB, C, TT and T by size and density, with Mbuni (naturally dried cherry) graded separately as MH and ML. The grades describe how the coffee was separated, not how it tastes: an AB from a strong factory routinely outperforms an AA from a weaker one.
The Kenyan grade ladder
| Grade | Basis | Screen | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| E | Size | Above screen 18 | Elephant beans, including conjoined seeds. Small volume, irregular shape. |
| AA | Size | Screen 17–18 | The most quoted grade and the one that attracts the largest differential. |
| AB | Size (A + B) | Screen 15–16 | Usually the largest block in an outturn. Frequently the best value. |
| PB | Shape | Own screen run | Peaberry. Denser per unit volume, so roast profiling differs. |
| C | Size | Screen 14 and below | Smaller flat beans; commercial. |
| TT | Density | AA/AB size range | Light beans lifted from AA and AB by gravity table. |
| T | Residual | — | Broken pieces, chips and fines from final cleaning. |
| MH / ML | Density (naturals) | — | Mbuni Heavy and Mbuni Light — naturally dried whole cherry. |
Why size does not determine quality
Read this before paying an AA premium
AA and AB come from the same cherry, picked on the same day, fermented in the same tank and dried on the same beds. The only difference is which screen they were retained on. Everything that determines cup quality — ripeness at picking, fermentation control, drying discipline, storage — is identical between them. The differential between AA and AB is a market convention about size, not a measurement of quality.
There is a real physical difference: larger beans have a lower surface-area-to-mass ratio and therefore absorb heat slightly differently in the roaster. Roasters running tight profiles on single origins may genuinely prefer the size uniformity of an AA. That is a roasting argument, not a quality argument, and it is worth paying for only when it applies.
The practical consequence: when reading a Kenyan offer list, compare the AB and AA from the same factory on the cupping table before assuming the AA is the better buy.
Factories, outturns and what makes Kenyan traceability unusual
Kenyan smallholders deliver cherry to a wet mill — called a factory — operated by their cooperative society. The factory processes and dries the parchment, then sends it to a dry mill, where it is milled as an identified batch called an outturn. Both the factory name and the outturn number follow the coffee through to sale.
This is why Kenyan lots are quoted as, for example, a named factory’s AA from a specific outturn. It gives an unusually precise unit of identity: the coffee of a defined group of farmers, processed together, milled together. When you approve a Kenyan sample you are approving something quite tightly defined.
- Factory — the wet mill where cherry is pulped, fermented, washed and dried.
- Outturn — the identified milling batch at the dry mill; the number that traces the lot.
- Society — the cooperative that owns one or more factories.
- Estate — privately owned farms that process their own cherry and sell under their own name.
Mbuni: Kenya’s naturals, and why they are separate
Mbuni is Kenyan coffee dried as whole cherry rather than pulped. Historically it has been the destination for over-ripes, unders, strip-picked fruit and cherry collected off the ground, which is why it trades at a substantial discount and is graded only by density — MH (heavy) and ML (light).
That is distinct from a deliberately produced Kenyan natural, where ripe cherry is selected specifically for dry processing on raised beds. These are increasingly available and should be specified as such, not ordered as Mbuni. Two different products, two different prices.
The Kenyan trading system
A large share of Kenyan coffee is sold through weekly auctions at the Nairobi Coffee Exchange, with lots catalogued by factory, grade and outturn and bought against pre-auction samples. Direct sales routes operate alongside the auction. Which route applies affects timing, sample flow and documentation, so it is worth establishing at the outset of a purchase.
Kenyan enquiries
Tell us the grade, factory profile and volume you are looking for, and the shipment window. We will confirm what the current crop supports, with the factory and outturn identified.
Request Current Crop OfferLast reviewed 3 min read
Contract language
Writing a Kenya 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 | Kenya, plus the growing area — Nyeri, Kirinyaga, Murang’a | Region drives altitude, harvest timing and cup character more than the grade does |
| Grade | The Kenya designation — E, AA, AB, PB | 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; GrainPro or equivalent liners common on specialty lots | Changes the price and the container arithmetic |
| Port and Incoterm | Mombasa · FOB, CFR or CIF | Determines where cost and risk transfer |
Availability
Current Kenya coffee
Availability moves with the harvest, with milling and with prior commitments. Everything here is confirmed against the current crop on enquiry.
LimitedSpecialty
Kenya · Nyeri
- Species
- Arabica
- Process
- Fully washed with soak
- Grade
- AA
- Screen
- 17/18
- Crop
- 2025/26
- Quantity
- 80 bags
Blackcurrant · Grapefruit · Cane sugar
LimitedSpecialty
Kenya · Murang’a
- Species
- Arabica
- Process
- Fully washed with soak
- Grade
- PB
- Screen
- PB
- Crop
- 2025/26
- Quantity
- 60 bags
Redcurrant · Muscovado · Bergamot
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 is Kenya AA coffee?
Kenya AA is the largest flat-bean size separation from a Kenyan Arabica outturn, retained on approximately screen 17/18. It is produced mechanically at the dry mill. It describes bean size and preparation, not flavour — the cup comes from the factory, the cherry and the processing.
Is Kenya AA better than Kenya AB?
Not inherently. Both come from the same coffee and differ only in the screen they were retained on. AA attracts a higher differential by market convention. Cup them side by side from the same factory before assuming the premium is justified for your use.
What does an outturn number mean on a Kenyan offer?
It identifies the specific milling batch at the dry mill. Combined with the factory name it pins the lot down to a defined group of deliveries processed and milled together, which is the practical unit of Kenyan traceability.
What is Mbuni coffee?
Mbuni is Kenyan coffee dried as whole cherry rather than pulped, graded MH (heavy) and ML (light) by density. It typically includes over-ripes, unders and ground-collected cherry, and trades well below washed grades. It should not be confused with a deliberately produced Kenyan natural.
What are SL28 and SL34?
Arabica selections released by Scott Laboratories in Kenya, and the varieties most associated with the classic Kenyan cup. Both are susceptible to leaf rust and coffee berry disease, which led to the development of Ruiru 11 and Batian — you will often see all four in a single factory’s catchment.
Request an offer
Tell us the Kenya 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.