A grower’s first reward is pride in his coffee; the market may follow later.
By: Ramya Mohan
For years, we have been taught—almost subconsciously—that expensive coffee must be good coffee. A higher price, a premium label, or an elegant café setting often convinces us that quality is guaranteed. But coffee does not work that way always.
Coffee quality is not born out of price. It is born out of pride.
I have tasted coffees that sold at very modest prices yet were remarkably clean, sweet, and balanced.
I have also encountered expensive coffees that failed in the cup—flat, harsh, or dull in character. The difference was never the market value. The difference was the intention behind the coffee.
Quality begins at the farm, not at the shelf. It begins when a grower chooses to harvest ripe cherries instead of rushing for volume.
It shows up when fermentation is monitored instead of guessed, when drying is slow and even rather than hurried by weather or impatience. These decisions are rarely rewarded immediately by the market, yet they define the cup.
In India, many growers and processors work under severe constraints—labour shortages, volatile weather, unpredictable prices. Yet some of the cleanest coffees emerge from estates where pride outweighs compromise. These are the producers who cup their own coffees, who learn to identify defects, who correct errors quietly and improve year after year, without waiting for applause or higher prices.
Price is shaped by trends, branding, certifications, logistics, and storytelling. But -Quality is shaped by discipline, consistency, and respect for the bean. The two may intersect, but they are not the same. A low-priced coffee can be honest and well-made. A high-priced coffee can still be careless.
True coffee quality is an attitude. It is the pride of the farmer who refuses to mix underripe cherries. It is the care of the processor who protects the coffee during drying and storage.
It is the integrity of the roaster who roasts for clarity, not camouflage. And it is the sensitivity of the brewer who allows the coffee to speak.
When pride is present, quality follows—sometimes loudly, often quietly, but always truthfully.
With love and Coffee
