Wholesale Coffee Key Terms

Conquer the coffee market with knowledge of wholesale coffee key terms
By Heidi Crossman Coffee wholesalers need to know their buying and selling markets as well as the processing operations of the beans. Understanding the peculiarities in buying and determining size and flavor of the coffee from each country of origin will ensure a confident and smooth buy-sell process. Special knowledge and terminology are needed for selecting packaging and roasting methods for coffee and coffee beans. This brief collection of coffee terms helps you get acquainted or refreshed with the coffee market by the lingering aroma of its presence.

Cerrado

Cerrado is an up-and-coming market for coffee bean farming in Brazil.
Try:  Where a coffee crop is grown determines the distinct flavor of that coffee. See Gillies Coffee Company for information on Cerrado and other coffee bean origins. Find this description in alphabetical order at the beginning of the C's down the page. Follow the link in the definition to the Brazil Specialty Coffee Association to learn about the history of the coffee you are about to purchase.

SWISS WATER process

The SWISS WATER process is a method of removing the caffeine from coffee. This decaffeination process uses water as the active agent and is the only chemical free method of decaffeinating.
Try:  Visit the Swiss Water Decaffeinated Coffee Company's website for a definition of the SWISS WATER Process and see a video on the process.

Past crop

To make sure your customers receive the best coffee, avoid being the middle man for a past crop. A past crop is one that was harvested previous season. The flavor of the coffee is stale because of its age and storage length.
Try:  Zecuppa Coffee defines past crop and supplies several other definitions that are helpful to a coffee wholesaler with the assistance of pictures beside each term.

Grand cru

"Grand cru" is the land with the best quality agricultural produce. The term is typically used for wine, tea and coffee.
Try:  Get familiar with grand cru, a term originally derived from the wine industry, at Epicurious. The Allegro Coffee Company places a grand cru mark on coffees grown in select locations.

Specialty Coffee Association of Costa Rica, SCACR

The Specialty Coffee Association of Costa Rica or SCACR is an organization that assists with the exportation of coffee from Costa Rica.
Try:  Coffee wholesalers can benefit from knowledge of the Specialty Coffee Association of Costa Rica and other similar associations.

Grade, excelso, supremo

The grade is roughly the size of the coffee bean and is used to categorize the beans. Two categories are excelso and supremo, the larger of the two. Grade is often used to generalize the quality of taste of the coffee.
Try:  The glossary at CoffeeTerms.com is helpful in expressing the definition of grade and the differences between the various sizes.