What is specialty coffee?

The coffee industry has a formalised and well-defined system for grading it's products. While any roaster can claim ‘premium blend', 'gourmet coffee' or other buzzwords denoting luxury in a cup, ‘specialty coffee’ is a grade to be earned.

In this article, we will explore what makes coffee specialty-grade, why this is the better choice, and how we ensure you get the best specialty coffee for your preferred brewing process.

So, what is 'specialty coffee', exactly?

To be considered specialty coffee, it must score above 80 points on a 100-point quality scale (Q-scale). This is defined by the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), with points allocated fragrance/aroma, flavour, aftertaste, acidity, body, uniformity, balance, clean cup, sweetness and overall cup quality.

This grading occurs at the green coffee bean stage (where any primary defects are identified) and continues throughout roasting with systematic tasting or 'cupping'.

Specialty coffee has been identified as being well above commercial grade, both as green coffee and once roasted and cupped.

Specialty-grade coffee is the highest-quality coffee on the market.

From the grower to the green coffee buyer, the coffee roaster, right down to the consumer of the end cup, numerous hours go into how specialty-grade coffee beans are selected, roasted and brewed to provide the ultimate sensory experience.

Who are specialty coffee roasters?

If you see this term, it means the roaster will be working with specialty quality beans.

This is generally a good indicator that the company will produce high-quality coffee, though it may take some trial and error for you to find your preferred tasting notes between different roasters and their various products.

If you are not sure where to start with specialty roasts, we have a few options to help you find your ideal roasted coffee beans in our range:

Or if you would prefer to try choosing specialty coffee options by the roast type, you can also filter our range for dark, medium or light roasts.

The roast level of the coffee beans is often an indicator of body, which is how 'strong' the coffee tastes.

Why Arabica is the specialty coffee bean

Arabica coffee beans are known for their exceptional quality.

Arabica beans are more delicate, sweeter, and naturally lower in caffeine than robusta.

While growing, caffeine acts as the plant's natural pesticide.

The higher caffeine levels in robusta make the plant itself hardier against pests for the coffee farmer, but the resulting robusta beans are more astringent and bitter.

Different plants, different coffee quality

While the Arabica plant is not as stalwart as the robusta and needs more gentle growing conditions (above 800m altitude, moderate temperatures, plenty of water and shade), the demand for the bean shows its worth.

Arabica is the world’s most popular coffee bean, making up around 70% of world coffee production. It's also more expensive to source for roasting.

For more on the difference between Arabica and Robusta beans, see Arabica vs Robusta Beans: Differences Explained..

Here's what makes specialty beans the best choice for coffee lovers:

Smooth and nuanced taste.
Prioritising quality, not quantity (though modern specialty roasters can do both).
Easy to try a variety of flavours and cup qualities - finding those ideal to your taste preference.
Freshly roasted and de-gassed to ensure you get to enjoy the flavour at its peak.
Highly visible supply chain and a close, ongoing relationship with coffee bean growers and suppliers.
More widely available now than ever with some brands in supermarkets (including Vittoria Coffee).

Vittoria Coffee: Specialty quality coffee in every cup

From Vittoria’s beginnings in 1958, we have only sourced and used 100% Arabica coffee in all our coffee products.

As coffee roasters, we believe quality is paramount and refuse to use any less than the best in our products. This means you get the best coffee in turn.

Our roasting process combines art and science to make the best specialty coffee:

We source the best 100% Arabica coffee beans from our growers and sourcing partners around the world, supporting local coffee farmers and communities.
Our quality assurance team ensures the raw green coffee meets our high standards; checking for things like broken beans, size, and any other defects that may interfere with the consistency and outcome of the roasting process.
After cleaning and checking the moisture levels of the raw coffee, we blend the beans to a weight accuracy of 0.03% prior to roasting. This gives us a more consistent roast profile and ensures unparalleled consistency from one batch to the next. For blending we leverage both decades of family expertise and stringent scientific methods.
Using Probat drum roasters and a slower, more controlled method, we are able to get the best out of each roast and accurately replicate the desired profile of each batch. This means you get the flavours you want when you reorder your favourite beans or have them on an automatic subscription.
Packing is just as important for the end product - this is what makes sure the coffee is fresh and at its peak when you make your cup at home or work. Using vacuum packing for ground coffee and one-way valve technology and nitrogen flushing for bean products, we reduce residual oxygen in each pack to preserve the distinct aromas and flavours.

Throughout our coffee roasting process, we conduct over 23 steps of Quality Assurance to make sure colour, moisture content, grind, and taste of the final roasted bean matches our extremely high standards. We combine scientific measurements with sensory tasting results to get the most accurate analysis on every batch.

We have spent generations perfecting our techniques, to provide you with the best end result.

Save on specialty coffee with a subscription

With the move to e-commerce over the past few decades, it’s now easier than ever to get your favourite specialty coffee beans delivered right to your door. You can even get a discount on subscription services, which makes buying specialty coffee more economical - so you don’t have to compromise on your cup.

Did you know you can save up to 40% when you use one of our coffee subscription options? Fresh, delicious specialty coffee delivered to your door from our Sydney roastery; it’s the perfect system for keeping your coffee reserves topped up.

This is also the perfect option for offices, where buying in bulk might seem like the right move… until you get to the older bags and realise they have gone stale and lost much of their flavour.

Specialty coffee matched to your preferred brewing method.

It is not only a commitment to sourcing good beans, but also to providing the best cup.

Vittoria Coffee has specialty coffee options in every form you could want, from whole beans to instant coffee. You get to enjoy great coffee whether you have a full-on barista set up, an Aeropress or French press, or prefer to skip brewing altogether and get your coffee fix as quickly as possible.