The Journey of Coffee Grades: Where Does It All Go?

At 7000 Steps Coffee, we don’t just source the highest-grade specialty coffee; we work closely with farmers at all levels to promote coffee cultivation in Northeast India. Our sourcing process is diverse—we purchase both natural coffee (dried in cherry form) and washed coffee (in parchment form). Once processed, this results in a variety of green bean grades, ranging from the highest quality beans to lower grades that often raise an important question: where do these lower-grade beans end up?

Processing Coffee: The Many Grades We Deal With

After processing, coffee is sorted into different grades based on size, density, and overall quality. At 7000 Steps, we categorize our coffee as:

• AAA & AA – Premium specialty coffee, ideal for espresso and manual brew methods. Sold to cafés and home brewers.

• BB & BBB – Mid to lower-grade coffee, often sold to small distributors.

While our focus is on high-quality specialty coffee, the reality of coffee processing means we inevitably have a significant volume of lower-grade beans. Unlike the specialty lots that are meticulously curated for cafes and home brewers, these lower-grade coffees often leave our hands through small distributors, and their journey from there remains somewhat unclear.

The Mystery of Distribution: Where Does It Go?

One of the challenges we face is understanding exactly where these small distributors sell our lower-grade coffee. While we know they play a crucial role in the market, there is little transparency in their supply chains. Some of these coffees likely end up in local markets or smaller retail spaces, while others might make their way into bulk blends.

Interestingly, we recently received insights from the Coffee Board CEO, revealing that a significant portion of India’s lower-grade coffee is sold to instant coffee manufacturers. Instant coffee production requires massive quantities of beans, making direct sales difficult for us, as these companies prefer large-scale bulk purchases. Instead, the distributors we sell to may be aggregating these lower-grade beans and reselling them to manufacturers or even exporting them for multi-blend use in other countries.

The Challenge of Khrawpyrkhat (Khraw) & the Future of Coffee in Northeast India

Khrawpyrkhat (Khraw), a term used in the local coffee trade, refers to the lower-grade beans that don’t make it into specialty coffee sales. The struggle with Khrawpyrkhat (Khraw) coffee is that, while it holds value, it doesn’t align with the premium coffee movement we are striving to build. As we continue working with farmers—segmenting progressive growers from newer ones—we aim to improve quality across the board so that more of our coffee reaches the high-grade segment.

However, until then, the lower grades will continue to flow through distributor networks, often disappearing into the large-scale coffee trade without clear traceability.

Looking Ahead: A More Transparent Future for Coffee Distribution

While we focus on growing and selling premium coffee, understanding the full lifecycle of our beans is essential. As we refine our processes and build stronger relationships with distributors, we hope to gain better insights into where these lower-grade beans are being sold. Additionally, by continuing to support farmers in quality improvement, we can reduce our reliance on bulk distribution channels and bring more Northeast Indian coffee into the specialty space.

For now, we keep pushing forward—championing great coffee, working with farmers, and slowly unraveling the complex web of coffee distribution in India and beyond.