For the regular consumer of coffee, the world of cupping is foreign. Cupping is the process of grading coffee to determine its flavors and quality. Individuals who grade coffee professionally must hold a certification and become Q graders to demonstrate that they are qualified.
What is a Q Grader?
In the coffee world, a Q Grader has passed a rigorous certification stating that they know how to grade and score coffee through its taste and smell. A Q Grader focuses on grading the Arabica beans, while a similar certification exists for Robusta coffee beans. Someone who holds the Robusta bean certification is titled as an R Grader.
Is It Difficult to Become a Q Grader?
Becoming a Q Grader is not for the faint of heart. The exam takes place over a week and consists of 22 different tests. The entire testing process has less than a 50% pass rate. It is no wonder that there are only several thousand individuals with this certification worldwide. Within the United States, there are only several hundred with this prestigious certification. One of them is Paul Massard with Lavie Coffee Roasters.
What is a Q Grader Qualified to Do?
A Q Grader can accurately grade different roasts based on their taste and smell. This gives a Q Grader a leg up in the coffee world because they are free from misconceptions about what a quality cup of coffee should taste like. Rather than taking someone’s opinion on how a cup of coffee tastes, trust a certified Q Grader to give their professional recommendation on the best quality coffee beans. Coffee beans that have been assessed as high quality by a certified Q Grader rank amongst the best of the best.
Trust a Q Grader to Identify High-Quality Beans
Paul Massard with Lavie Coffee has decades of experience grading and selecting high-quality coffee beans. Once per growing season, Paul hand-selects the best coffee beans from various regions to make it into the Lavie Coffee blends. Trust the professional to identify great-quality coffee beans. Check out our full selection of coffee at Lavie Coffee.