Hawaii Administrative Rules Chapter 4-143 green coffee grades

Hawaii is the only US coffee origin with state-law grades. Chapter 4-143 of the Hawaii Administrative Rules lets the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity certify green coffee as Extra Fancy, Fancy, No. 1, Select, Prime, No. 3, Natural Prime or Mixed Natural Prime, each paired with a protected district name (Kona, Ka'u, Hamakua, Maui, Kauai, Molokai, Oahu or Hawaii Island). Grading weighs cleanliness, colour, roast, defects, minimum bean size and moisture; coffee below Prime may not use a geographic name, and the Prime defect allowance tightened from 20% to 15% on 1 July 2020. Certification is voluntary: about half of Hawaii's green coffee was certified in 2024-25, and Prime made up 72% of certified volume.

United States

Grades
8
Defect sample
300g
Screen sizes
3listed
Origins using it
1

The grades

In this atlas's own words
GradeWhat it requires
Extra FancyClean, uniformly good green colour, good roast; max 8 full imperfections per 300 g; size minimum 19 (Type I) or 13 (Type II); moisture 9-12%; one type with not over 3% other type.
FancyAs Extra Fancy but max 12 full imperfections per 300 g; size minimum 18 (Type I) / 12 (Type II).
Hawaii No. 1Max 18 full imperfections per 300 g; size minimum 16 (Type I) / 10 (Type II).
SelectNo undesirable aroma or flavour when brewed; max 5% defective beans including not over 2% full sour, stinker, black or mouldy; size optional.
PrimeMax 15% defective beans (20% before 1 July 2020) including not over 5% full sour, stinker, black or mouldy; size optional; moisture 9-12%.
Hawaii No. 3Max 35% defective beans including not over 5% full sour, stinker, black or mouldy; cannot carry a geographic name such as Kona.
Natural Prime / Mixed Natural PrimeCoffee dried in the husk or with mucilage; max 15% defective beans with not over 5% black or mouldy; moisture 8-13%.
Off GradeBelow Hawaii No. 3; the word 'Hawaii' may not be used with it.

How it is measured

Screen sizes

  • Type I: 19 (Extra Fancy), 18 (Fancy), 16 (No. 1)
  • Type II (peaberry): 13, 12, 10
  • Sizes are 64ths of an inch round holes; 10% undersize tolerance by weight

Defects per 300 g

Top three grades count full imperfections per 300 g; Select, Prime and No. 3 use percentage of defective beans by weight.

Altitude terms

None used.

Other grading systems