Quality Metric
Q Grader
A globally recognized certification for coffee quality evaluation. Q Graders are trained and tested to provide objective, standardized assessments of coffee quality using SCA protocols.
Definition
What a Q Grader is
Q Grader is a certification from the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI) for professionals who evaluate coffee quality. To earn the credential, candidates must pass 19 exams covering sensory skills, cupping protocol, and coffee knowledge.
Q Graders provide the objective quality assessments that produce Q Scores. The certification is intended to create consistency--Q Graders worldwide should arrive at similar scores for the same coffee.
Certification overview
Why It Matters
What Q Grader certification means for roasters
Objective assessments
Q Graders are trained to separate personal preference from objective quality. Their scores should be comparable regardless of who does the cupping.
Defect identification
Q Graders can identify specific defects--from potato to phenolic--and explain their causes. This helps catch problems before you commit.
Common language
When your supplier has a Q Grader, you share a vocabulary. "84-point washed with citric acidity" means the same thing to both of you.
Our Team
Samuel Demisse, Q Grader
Sam Demisse is Keffa Coffee's founder and lead cupper. Beyond Q Grader certification, Sam holds credentials that few in the industry can match.
What this means for you
Every coffee Keffa imports is cupped by Sam personally. The tasting notes and quality assessments you receive come from one of the most decorated cuppers in the United States.
When we say a coffee scores 86, that's not a random number from a hired cupper. It's Sam's assessment based on decades of experience and rigorous training.
Taste what a champion cupper selects
Request samples and receive tasting notes from Sam Demisse.