No Products in the Cart
Up to €50 of free coffee with the purchase of a coffee machine.
The numbers
Grades from 1 to 6 indicate the quality of the coffee, from best to worst . So a coffee that has been rated 1, like our magnificent Peru terroir coffee , is a gem for the coffee lover.
Before the coffee is exported, the grades are assigned by experts after the test they carry out on a sample of 300g of unroasted green coffee . This test quantifies the number of "defects" (presence of foreign bodies, irregular bean shape, atypical color, etc.) that have been presented . The classification system is very precise: to obtain grade 1, the coffee can only have 11 defects at most. Between 12 and 25 defects: grade 2. Between 26 and 44: grade 3. Between 45 and 60: grade 4a. Between 61 and 80: grade 4b. Between 81 and 150: grade 5. Between 151 and 225: grade 6.
Lëtz Coffee only sells grade 1 and 2 coffees.
Letters: a question of altitude
Guatemala is the originator of 3 important appellations: "HG" (High Grown), "SHG" (Strictly High Grown) and "SHB" (Strictly Hard Bean). These have allowed it to classify its coffees according to the altitude (between 4,000 and 5,000 feet above sea level, or +/- between 1,200 and 1,500 meters) of their plantation . HG for the "lowest" altitude, SHB for an intermediate altitude and SHB for the highest altitudes.
But why use this benchmark? Because altitude has a direct impact on the quality and flavors of coffee. Olivier Delrue, master roaster at Lëtz Coffee, explains its effects: " The higher you go, the greater the temperature difference between day and night, and the more pronounced the aromas. Provided that temperatures remain above zero, of course. This encourages the slow maturation of the beans, allowing time for their complex sugars to develop . In addition, water drains more easily at altitude, so the coffee tree and its cherries absorb less of it. At maturity, the beans are larger, harder, and denser , with their sugars more concentrated. This results in higher quality, with more consistent taste characteristics and fewer flavor inconsistencies than an 'SS' (Strictly Soft) bean grown below 4,000 feet ."
SHB Lëtz Coffee cafes
Our Lëtz Coffee Guatemala terroir coffee , labeled "SHB", comes from the remote region of Huehuetenango, where the plantations (more than 250, less than 1 ha) culminating between 1,400 and 2,000 m above sea level benefit from a microclimate that slows down frost and creates the perfect conditions for the production of this high-altitude Arabica.
To obtain and maintain these precious grades, and thus ensure higher and regular incomes given the high demand , our producer partners must adopt a sustainable production approach, such as agroforestry . Thus, in Guatemala, the cooperative that collects our grains ensures the protection of groundwater reserves and biodiversity by planting trees, flowers and plants .
Our Lëtz Coffee Costa Rica terroir coffee , also SHB certified, is grown at an altitude of between 1,400 and 1,500 m in the mountainous region of Tarrazu, watered by the Pirris River and where the peaks of the Sierra de Talamanca provide the hot days and cool nights that give this coffee its characteristic sweetness and density.
High-altitude coffees… but without the acronyms
Not all terroirs around the world have adopted the technical terms HG/SHG/SHB to identify their batches of "high altitude" coffee. Our Lëtz Coffee Colombia terroir coffee is a good example: this country has chosen the term "Excelso" for its finest coffees. This one, grown between 1,400 and... 2,000 m above sea level, is one of them.
As you can see, "high" altitude is a relative term. And excellent coffee may not carry this type of label. This is the case with our Lëtz Coffee Ethiopia terroir coffee , grown in a lush, unspoiled forest in the Oromia region (West), which overlooks the sea in the distance from its 2,000 m altitude.
Olivier Delrue concludes with a piece of advice: " If the description of your coffee indicates an altitude above 1,200 m, you can consider that this coffee is denser , therefore of high quality. In terms of flavors, there are notes of citrus, vanilla, chocolate or hazelnut. Higher up, the aromas are exacerbated in the cup . Spices, fruits, flowers... a delight! "
