Why become a Q Grader?

I first became a Q Grader in 2015. I was Head Roaster at a growing coffee company, and was looking to step into the world of green buying. I considered myself well prepared, having been in the industry for several years already and participating in every educational opportunity that was offered to me. While I looked forward to becoming a Q Grader, I did not expect it to change the trajectory of my career and alter my perspective of specialty coffee.

In the Q Combo course, I felt that I was welcomed into an international industry for the first time. Coffee is a global commodity - we know that! But as a barista or roaster working in a small company, it’s hard to understand the implications of that international trade. The Q Course gave me a compass and some of the vocabulary to be able to become a more confident participant in this world.

Specialty coffee operates under the belief that higher quality coffee deserves a higher price. But whose responsibility is it to determine a coffee's quality? How do we set subjectivity aside in favor of evaluating coffees against a global standard, in alignment with an international panel of judges?

That’s just what the Q Combo strives to create: an international language of coffee. This does not mean that you must forget your preferences and predilections; rather it gives you the tools to understand your biases and make accurate evaluations despite them.

As a woman in the coffee industry (and as a latina), becoming a Q Grader gave me the confidence I needed to share my opinions at the cupping table. It allowed me to confidently give feedback to my coffee trader, it made me a better roaster, and it gave me a new language - one that was more universal - to talk about coffee.

No coffee evaluation system is perfect, but CQI remains the only agency in the world certifying coffee evaluators, and I am proud to be part of this group of professionals.

Have questions? Feel free to email me directly at loupecoffee@gmail.com. If you’re ready to sign up for a Q course, check out our upcoming courses here!