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
Kenya · Grade
Kenya AB Green Coffee
AB is where most Kenyan volume sits and where a lot of the best value on a Kenyan offer list is found.
- Species
- Arabica
- Preparation
- Fully washed with soak · Mbuni (natural)
- Harvest
- Main crop October–December; early (fly) crop May–July
Quick answer
Kenya AB is the combined A (screen 16) and B (screen 15) separations and is normally the largest single block in an outturn. Because it comes from the same cherry and processing as the AA alongside it, it is frequently the best purchase on a cup-per-dollar basis.
Contract on: region · grade · screen · process · crop · moisture · defect tolerance · cup approval.
Request current kenya ab green coffeeWhat AB is
- Basis
- Combined size separations A (screen 16) and B (screen 15)
- Screen
- Approximately 15–16, or 6.0–6.8 mm
- Position
- Usually the largest single block in an outturn
- Species / process
- Arabica, fully washed with soak
- Traceability
- Factory name and outturn number, as for AA
The value argument
AB and AA are separated from the same milled parcel. The cherry, the picking day, the fermentation tank, the soak, the drying beds and the storage are identical. The screens differ.
AA attracts a differential because the size class is scarce. AB does not, because it is abundant. The gap between them in price is therefore usually larger than the gap in the cup — which is the whole value argument, and it is a strong one.
Where AB fits
- Volume single origin — enough available from a good factory to support a continuous offering.
- Blend component — Kenyan structure and acidity at a workable price.
- Espresso — the density and acidity carry well through milk.
- Programme supply — the block is large enough to contract across a season.
Specifying Kenya AB
- Factory
- Named, with the outturn number recorded
- Screen
- Stated range with a permitted percentage passing
- Defects
- Maximum full defects per 300 g; zero primary defects
- Moisture
- Range plus method
- Crop
- Crop year and whether main or fly crop
- Cup
- Approved sample plus a fault-tolerance clause
- Packaging
- 60 kg jute with hermetic liner
Kenya AB enquiries
Tell us the region, profile and volume. AB supports programme contracts across a season.
Request Current Crop OfferLast reviewed 2 min read
The distinction that matters
What this grade does not tell you
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 AB Green Coffee 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.
Availability
Current Kenya AB Green 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
Quality evaluation
Every parcel runs the same sequence before it is offered and again before it is loaded. What is reported for a given lot depends on what the buyer specifies.
- 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
Crop
Kenya crop calendar
Flowering, harvest, processing, milling and the export window. Regional cycles differ, so this is not one universal season.
Main crop — central highlands and Mount Kenya
Crop year commonly quoted October–September
Stage
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
FloweringLong rains
Cherry development
Harvest
Processing & drying
Dry milling & grading
Main export window
- Flowering: Feb–Apr. Long rains
- Cherry development: Apr–Sep
- Harvest: Oct–Dec
- Processing & drying: Oct–Jan
- Dry milling & grading: Nov–Feb
- Main export window: Dec–Jun
The main crop carries the majority of volume and the tightest factory separations.
Early / fly crop
Crop year commonly quoted October–September
Stage
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
FloweringShort rains
Cherry development
Harvest
Processing & drying
Dry milling & grading
Main export window
- Flowering: Oct–Nov. Short rains
- Cherry development: Nov–Apr
- Harvest: May–Jul
- Processing & drying: May–Aug
- Dry milling & grading: Jun–Sep
- Main export window: Jul–Oct
Smaller and more variable than the main crop; useful for bridging supply mid-year.
Export
Packing and export
- Ports of loading
- Mombasa
- Bag standard
- 60 kg jute; GrainPro or equivalent liners common on specialty lots
- Export window
- December–June for main crop, with early-crop shipments from August
- Incoterms
- FOB · CFR · CIF
Compare
Against the other East African origins
Grade designations do not translate between origins, and harvest windows barely overlap. This is how the region compares at a glance.
| Origin | Species | Main preparation | Representative grades | Harvest | Ports |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tanzania | Arabica · Robusta | Fully washed · Natural | AA · A · AB · B | June–October in the south; July–December in the north | Dar es Salaam · Tanga |
| Uganda | Robusta · Arabica | Natural (Robusta) · Washed Arabica (WUGAR) | Screen 18 · Screen 17 · Screen 15 · FAQ | Robusta main crop November–February with a fly crop April–July; Elgon Arabica October–February | Mombasa (Northern Corridor) · Dar es Salaam (Central Corridor) |
| Ethiopia | Arabica | Fully washed · Natural (sun-dried) | Grade 1 · Grade 2 · Grade 3 · Grade 4 | October–January, varying by region and altitude | Djibouti (primary transit port) |
| Rwanda | Arabica | Fully washed · Natural (growing) | Grade 1 (fully washed) · Grade 2 · Screen 15+ · Screen 16+ | March–July, with the peak in April and May | Mombasa (Northern Corridor) · Dar es Salaam (Central Corridor) |
| Burundi | Arabica | Fully washed with soak · Natural (limited) | Grade A · Grade B · Screen 15+ · Screen 16+ | March–July | Dar es Salaam (Central Corridor) · Mombasa (Northern Corridor) |
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What is Kenya AB coffee?
The combined A (screen 16) and B (screen 15) size separations from a Kenyan Arabica outturn — normally the largest single block, and the practical volume grade.
Is AB worse than AA?
No. It is a smaller size class from the same coffee. AA is scarcer and priced accordingly. The only genuine trade-off is that AB spans two screens rather than one, so it develops slightly less evenly on a very tight roast profile.
Why do people say AB is better value?
Because the price gap between AA and AB is usually larger than the cup gap, and the cup gap is often nil. For most applications the AB from a good factory is the more sensible purchase.
Request an offer
Tell us the Kenya coffee you need
Region, process, grade, screen, moisture, defect tolerance, crop year, packaging and destination. Send what you know and we will confirm what Kenya realistically supports for the current crop.