Flavor & Cupping
Q-Grading
A rigorous certification program administered by the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI) that qualifies individuals to grade coffee using standardized SCA cupping protocols. Q-graders are the licensed appraisers of the coffee industry.
En Profundidad
The Q-grader course involves 20+ exams over six days, testing sensory acuity for organic acids (citric, malic, acetic, phosphoric), olfactory identification (36 Le Nez du Cafe aromas), roast identification, triangulation of defects and origin groups, and calibrated SCA cupping. Certification must be renewed every three years through recalibration. There are separate tracks for Arabica (Q Arabica) and Robusta (Q Robusta). As of 2025, there are roughly 6,000 certified Q-graders worldwide.