What’s the difference between specialty coffee and conventional coffee?

HARVESTING

In conventional coffee, harvesting is mechanical and undifferentiated: ripe and unripe cherries end up in the same sack. Specialty coffee is hand-picked, selecting only perfectly ripe cherries to ensure the highest quality in the cup.

ORIGIN

Unlike conventional coffee, whose supply chain is often unknown, specialty coffee is fully traceable. It tells us not only the country of origin, but often the single farm where it was grown, the terroir that shapes its surprising aromas, and the farmer behind it and their choices.

ROASTING

In conventional coffee, roasting is very dark to standardize flavor and mask uneven ripeness and bean defects. In specialty coffee, roasting is carefully calibrated to highlight aromas, respecting the nature of the bean, a tropical fruit with its own acidity and sweetness.

SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY

Conventional coffee is paid to producers according to stock market prices. In specialty coffee, the price is set by the grower, and specialty producers often invest in social projects that improve the quality of life of local communities.

ENVIRONMENT

To meet global demand, entire tropical areas are deforested. Coffee grown at low altitudes, often in monoculture, depletes soil and water resources. Specialty coffees are grown at higher altitudes, in naturally suitable areas, and many producers plant shade trees to protect soils, encourage biodiversity, and stabilize the microclimate.

TASTE

Conventional coffee has a flat, bitter, predictable flavor. Specialty coffee is a journey into aromatic complexity, restoring value to the plant and to the fruit from which it comes.