Discover Specialty and Commercial Coffee difference that you must know and learn more about it’s quality, flavor, price and why specialty coffee stands out.
What is Specialty Coffee?
Specialty Coffee is a coffee which is also known as highest quality coffee usually grown at higher altitudes. It grows in ideal climates and at every stage quality is strictly controlled to preserve the flavor. According to the Specialty Coffee Association(SCA), beans that are graded must score 80 points or above on a 100-point scale. If the beans can score this point then it can be qualify as specialty. Specialty coffee is often single-origin which come from specific region or farm. It highlights the specific characteristics where it was grown. To ensure the final cup memorable farmers, roasters and even baristas need to pay attention to deliver a rich, unique flavors and aromas.
What is Commercial Coffee?
Commercial Coffee refers to the coffee which is produced in mass and typically people encounter in supermarkets, instant coffee packets or bulk brands. The first priority is to produce the coffee in mass and to be consistent. It does not consider quality and prioritize quantity. It is made from Arabica and Robusta beans which has lower grade. The beans are often mix from multiple regions which doesn’t focus on flavor notes. It is widely available and more affordable. It results in strong, flat or bitter taste. It is widely roasts dark to create consistency.
7 Key Difference Between Specialty and Commercial Coffee
1. Quality of Bean
- Specialty Coffee- The quality of bean is carefully monitored with every step from cultivation to roasting. It has very few defects and it is done manually by farmers by picking up the beans by hand.
- Commercial Coffee- Beans are mechanically harvested which contains unripe beans. It has higher defects rate. It contains mixed beans which leads to bitterness and uneven flavors.
2. Taste Profile
- Specialty Coffee- It has complex notes with different unique flavors such as flavor. fruity. nutty and chocolate.
- Commercial Coffee- It has uniform flavor often bitter and burnt.
3. Roasting Process
- Specialty Coffee- To preserve natural flavors light to medium roast is done.
- Commercial Coffee- Beans are often roasted very dark to hide the defects which results in stronger taste.
4. Price
- Specialty Coffee- It is more expensive coffee because it needs more careful farming to control it’s quality and traceability.
- Commercial Coffee- It is widely accessible because it focuses on mass production which makes it affordable.
5. Consumer Experience
- Specialty Coffee- Specialty cafe’s who often sell specialty coffee are often focus on brewing methods such as Pour-over, Aeropress and Siphon.
- Commercial Coffee- It is mostly found in instant coffee, drip machines and fast food chains. It is especially designed for convenience.
6. Sustainability
- Specialty Coffee- Sustainability is a key to success. It is often linked to fair trade, organic farming and eco-friendly practices.
- Commercial Coffee- It is less focus in sustainability. It often prioritizes mass production.
7. Transparency
- Specialty Coffee- Fair trade practices are done where farmers are paid better and gets recognized. It highlights the farm, farmer and origin where consumer can trace the coffee easily.
- Commercial Coffee- Beans came from multiple sources where there are multiple middlemen in the supply chain. It makes it rarely specifies the origin.
Here, above mentioned points clearly defined how Specialty and Commercial Coffee are different between each other.
Conclusion
The difference between Specialty Coffee and Commercial Coffee are mostly lies in quality, flavor and ethics. Specialty Coffee are mostly focus on organic farming and quality control whereas Commercial Coffee are focus in accessibility and pricing strategy. Specialty and Commercial Coffee both are widely used according to their customer demand. Customer preferences plays a major role in choosing Specialty and Commercial Coffee. It depends upon customer how they like or dislike about Specialty and Commercial Coffee.
Specialty Coffee or Commercial Coffee? Which one is better?
It depends upon your lifestyle and priorities. If you want flavor, quality, transparency and ethics then go for Specialty Coffee. If you are a coffee enthusiasts then you need to go for Specialty Coffee because it can support farmers and can explore new taste. On the other hand, if you have low budget and convenience matter most then Commercial Coffee remains the go-to choice. Try it once for Specialty Coffee to know the difference which will help you in the decision making process.
Specialty and Commercial coffee both have their own benefits. Every business policies are different they first put priority about the customer choice. They listen to their customer and according to them they may use Specialty and Commercial Coffee in their cafe’s.
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