What is Micro Lot Coffee?

If you’re interested in specialty coffee or third-wave coffee, you’ve probably heard the term “micro-lot.” But do you know what it means?

Is it just coffee from a smaller plot? Or does it tell us something about the coffee itself? Confusingly, the answer is a bit of both. Keep reading to see what I mean.

What is Micro lot Coffee?

Microlot coffee is not defined well, as is the case with many terms in the coffee industry. The definition often varies depending on who you ask. This is a problem because, without a single meaning throughout the coffee supply chain, the term loses its value.

In general, a micro-lot of coffee is coffee traceable to a particular region — so specific that each bean experiences the same climate, soil, altitude, and processing.

Most commonly, we define microlot coffee in one of two ways. It is either coffee grown on a small plot of a single farm or the coffee processed through a particular washing station on a single day. Regardless, the critical factors are that the coffee is traceable and pure. It foremost preserves the unique flavor characteristics of a specific region.

Of course, the polar opposite of a micro-lot is a blend, which can contain coffees from different regions, different countries, and even different continents.

Marketers use the term micro-lot to refer to exceptional quality coffees. And though the definition of micro-lot doesn’t require a certain quality, this is often true. Growing and processing one plot of coffee beans separately requires more time and expense from the farmer, so they aim to grow better coffees that fetch higher prices.

Why Choose Micro-lot?

The popularity of micro-lot coffee is rising with the emergence of coffee’s third wave (1). Consumers are increasingly interested in the source of their coffee, including the growing region, conditions, and processing, because these factors give a coffee its unique qualities.

These days, single-origin coffee can mean many things. With a country like Brazil growing 30% of the world’s crop, a single-origin Brazilian coffee can be no different from a blend. Indeed, Brazil has states that grow more coffee than any country in the world. 

Conscientious consumers also care about how their coffee is grown in environmental, social, and economic sustainability. Micro-lots make it easier to track these factors.

For growers, the primary advantage of micro-lot coffee is identifying and cultivating higher quality lots to achieve higher prices. For a detailed look at the economics of micro-lots, check out this video.

Cultivating a micro-lot can also establish long-term relationships between producers and buyers. Why is that? Well, because the feedback from buyers is easier to implement on a small scale. According to Ubion Terra of O’Coffee Brazilian Estates, this is good for all involved (2).

For the buyer or roaster, a micro-lot coffee is a chance to offer customers something unique for which they’ll be willing to pay a premium. In many ways, “micro-lot” holds the same cachet once owned by “organic” or “fair trade,” terms that have fallen out of favor in the last decade.

Want to try a micro-lot coffee yourself? They’re often available through subscription services, or try our top picks for African coffee or coffee from Honduras.

The Future of micro-lot

Third-wave coffee is here to stay, so the odds are that micro-lots are as well. 

Surprise, surprise! 

There are now even nano lot coffees. 

So, the most critical next step is to establish a consistent definition. Additionally, producers, buyers, and roasters can take advantage of modern technology to facilitate coffee tracing.  

Given its potential to benefit everyone in the supply chain, plus the environment and communities at origin, micro-lot is a term well worth maintaining.