What is the Difference?

Coffee is one of the most widely traded agricultural products in the world. Most coffee falls into two broad categories: commodity coffee and specialty coffee. While both come from the same plant, the way they are grown, processed, and valued is very different.

Commodity Coffee

Commodity coffee is produced in very large quantities and is typically sold on the global coffee market at a standardized price. The focus is usually on volume and consistency rather than unique flavor.

Because it is produced at scale, commodity coffee is often harvested and processed in ways that prioritize efficiency. Cherries may be picked all at once instead of selecting only the ripest fruit, and coffees from many farms or regions are often blended together.

Commodity coffee is commonly used for:

Large commercial brands

Pre-ground supermarket coffee

Instant coffee

Many mass-produced blends

The goal of commodity coffee is to create a consistent, familiar flavor that remains the same from batch to batch.

Specialty Coffee

Specialty coffee focuses on quality, traceability, and flavor. These coffees are usually grown at higher elevations, harvested carefully, and processed with attention to detail.

Farmers often pick only the ripest cherries, and the coffee is handled in smaller lots to maintain quality. Because of this, specialty coffees can express distinctive characteristics that come from the variety, the farm, and the region where the coffee was grown.

Specialty coffees are evaluated through a standardized tasting process called cupping. Coffees that score 80 points or higher on a 100-point scale are considered specialty grade.

Specialty coffee often highlights:

Specific farms or regions

Coffee varieties

Processing methods

Unique flavor characteristics

Instead of aiming for a single standard taste, specialty coffee celebrates the natural diversity of coffee.

Two Different Approaches to Coffee

Commodity coffee and specialty coffee serve different purposes.

Commodity coffee is designed to be widely available, affordable, and consistent. Specialty coffee is focused on showcasing quality and the unique characteristics of each coffee.

Both come from the same plant, but the difference lies in the level of care, transparency, and attention given throughout the process.