Why Is Specialty Grade Coffee More Expensive?
☕ Why Is Specialty Coffee More Expensive?
If you’ve ever wondered why specialty coffee costs more than your average grocery store or fast-food brew, you’re not alone. It’s a common question, and a fair one.
The short answer? Specialty coffee is more expensive because it’s worth more. From how it’s grown to how it’s roasted and delivered, specialty coffee is held to a higher standard at every single stage of its life cycle.
But here’s the good news: when you break it down per cup, it’s actually one of the most affordable luxuries you can enjoy daily, often cheaper than what you’d pay at Starbucks, Dunkin’, or McDonald’s.
Let’s unpack the cost and the value.
🌱 The Full Lifecycle of Specialty Grade Coffee
Every bag of specialty coffee goes through a rigorous, ethical, and quality-driven process that sets it apart from commodity coffee. Here’s how:
1. High-Quality Growing Conditions
Specialty beans are typically grown at high elevations, in rich soil, and under ideal climate conditions. Farmers often grow smaller, more carefully tended lots of coffee, focusing on flavor complexity, not mass production.
2. Hand-Picked Harvesting
Unlike commodity coffee, specialty coffee cherries are hand-picked at peak ripeness. This ensures consistency, sweetness, and quality, none of the bitter, under-ripe beans that lower-grade coffees include.
3. Careful Processing
Once harvested, beans are washed, fermented, and dried with extreme care. This process is labor-intensive and time-consuming, but essential for unlocking those unique flavor profiles.
4. Rigorous Grading & Scoring
Beans are graded by certified Q Graders and must score 80+ points out of 100 to qualify as “specialty grade.” Any defective or low-quality beans are removed entirely.
5. Ethical Sourcing & Fair Pay
Farmers producing specialty coffee are often paid 3–5x more than those growing commodity beans. Why? Because they’re cultivating quality and sustainability, not just yield.
6. Craft Roasting
Roasters (like our partners at Temecula Coffee Roasters) design custom roast profiles for each origin, highlighting its best natural characteristics. This precision is both an art and a science.
7. Small-Batch Freshness
Our beans are roasted in small batches and shipped fresh, not stored for months in warehouses. You’re tasting the coffee at its peak.
💸 Let’s Talk Cost: Per Cup Breakdown
At Roebling & Roo, our 12oz bags of specialty grade coffee typically range from $20–$22. Each bag makes 24–34 cups, depending on how strong you brew.
🔢 Example Breakdown:
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Bag price: $22
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Cups per bag: 30
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Per cup cost: $0.73
Now compare that to your local chain:
| Brand | Average Price per Cup | Quality Level |
|---|---|---|
| McDonald’s | $1.39 | Commodity Blend |
| Dunkin' | $2.19 | Commodity Blend |
| Starbucks | $3.25 | Commercial Blend |
| Roebling & Roo | $0.73 | Specialty Grade |
✅ You could drink premium, ethically sourced coffee every morning for less than a third of the price of Starbucks.
💡 Want to make it even more cost-effective?
Brew at home using a French press, pour-over, or drip machine. No barista required.
🐾 More Than Just a Price Tag
When you choose specialty grade coffee, you're not just paying for a better cup. You're investing in:
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Farmers earning fair wages
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Sustainable farming practices
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Fresher, more flavorful coffee
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A community impact (through our animal welfare donations)
It’s a chain of care, from the soil, to Roo’s paws, to your mug.
☕ Treat Yourself to a Better Brew
So the next time you see a $22 bag of coffee, remember:
You're not just buying beans. You're buying craftsmanship, ethics, freshness and surprisingly, saving money over time.
🌟 Specialty grade coffee is proof that you can drink better and spend smarter.
Ready to upgrade your morning ritual?
Try one of our single-origin, specialty roasts today and taste the difference.
☕ Shop All Roasts →
