Is craft coffee specialty coffee? What are differences?

Craft coffee is not specialty coffee

“Is craft coffee Specialty coffee?” The answer of this question is no!

Craft is something that is skillfully done by hand. When we hear the phrase “craftsmanship,” we think of a skilled craftsman. Craft coffee is not embraced by those working in the specialty coffee industry as a term.

With Specialty coffee, no matter how skilled a craftsman is, it is not possible to transform out-of-standard coffee beans into an original Specialty cup. The mild sweet and sour taste or aroma that permeates Specialty cups, first of all, comes from the quality of the coffee beans themselves. The fact that Specialty coffee is being misunderstood can affect those who are trying to produce the best quality coffee beans.

Coffee roasters cannot turn normal green coffee beans into Specialty coffee. We must have an excellent product, to have a chance to produce an outstanding result.

Specialty coffee’s value

Erna Knutsen first asserted that Specialty coffee is a coffee that grows “in specific microclimates”. Since then, the Specialty Coffee Association has narrowed it down to a coffee variety that scores at least 80 out of 100, along with a series of core quality criteria found in each bean. Both of these definitions emphasize the quality of the agricultural product, with little focus on refining and transforming it. Because in order to have excellent attributes, Specialty coffee must follow a strict and standard path. Every stop on that journey is important and depends on more than a pair of skilled hands.

Specialty coffee is increasingly applying many technologies and techniques. From growing to serving, at every stage, the essentials of specialty coffee challenge the technological world. People are developing more and more equipment to provide manufacturers, roasters, and baristas with more accurate and professional work.

To approach Specialty coffee requires an open mind and a spirit of continuous learning. Specialty coffee is something that respects people’s dedication to the product, always proud of the core beauty already inside. It is far from the traditional way, when coffee is only mass-collected, dried, roasted and consumed

43 Factory Coffee Roaster believes that correctly answering the question “is handmade coffee Specialty coffee” is also a way to preserve the precious original values of each cup of Specialty coffee.