Which Ugandan grade suits cold brew, RTD and capsule formats: a buyer selection guide

Which Ugandan grade suits cold brew, RTD and capsule formats

There is no single Ugandan grade that suits cold brew, RTD and capsules. Ugandan grade names describe physical preparation, bean size by screen, defect count and moisture, not cup flavour, so format fit comes from matching extraction needs to a consistent lot. In practice, washed arabica grades such as Bugisu AA and A suit cold brew and premium RTD, while robusta screen grades, especially Screen 15, suit cost-driven RTD and capsule blends.

What a Ugandan grade actually promises

Ugandan export lots are sorted over perforated screens. Screen numbers measure the hole in 64ths of an inch, so screen 17 is 17/64 inch, about 6.75 millimetres, according to the grade reference published by Virgin Coffee. A grade fixes the share of beans that must stay on each screen, a maximum defective count, and a maximum moisture content, up to 12.0 percent for arabica and 12.5 percent for robusta.

The Uganda Coffee Development Authority lists the headline export grades as washed arabica Bugisu AA, A, B and PB, Wugar for washed arabica outside Bugisu, Drugar for natural arabica, and natural robusta screen grades 18, 15 and 12. Grade names describe size and defects rather than flavour. Virgin Coffee notes that two Bugisu AA lots can taste very differently, which is why buyers approve a sample before shipment.

How to pick a Uganda coffee cold brew grade

Cold brew is an immersion method brewed at cold or ambient temperature over hours rather than minutes, and the National Coffee Association treats it as its own brewing category. A Foods study by Claassen and co-authors found the most common preparation was medium roasted arabica at 50 to 100 grams per litre, at 8 degrees Celsius for about a day, coarse grind. A separate Scientific Reports study found caffeine and 3-chlorogenic acid reached equilibrium between 6 and 7 hours.

For Ugandan supply that points to washed arabica, Bugisu AA or Bugisu A, roasted medium, matching the medium-roasted arabica preference found in the Foods study. That same Scientific Reports study found pH was comparable between cold and hot brews.

Matching Uganda coffee grades to each format

Format	Grade to consider	Extraction demand	Cost position
Cold brew	Bugisu AA or A	Coarse grind, hours-long cold immersion	Highest, arabica premium
RTD bottled or canned	Bugisu A, Wugar or Robusta Screen 15	Fine to medium grind, then stabilization	Mid, robusta lowers cost
Capsule or pod	Robusta Screen 15 or Bugisu A	Fine grind, high pressure, controlled fines	Mid to low, cheapest of the grades listed in this table

Ready-to-drink coffee needs thermal stabilization. Bellumori and co-authors in LWT evaluated five techniques, including high pressure processing, microfiltration, ultraviolet irradiation, pasteurization and blast chilling, to extend shelf life. Capsule extraction is high pressure and fast. A Nature Scientific Reports study of 43 capsules found the most efficient way to increase dissolved solids is to use more coffee or grind more finely, with the share of fines linked to extraction time, so capsule developers should specify grind and particle distribution rather than chase the largest screen.

On the Uganda Coffee Development Authority daily report dated 5 October 2026, Bugisu AA was quoted at 283.75 US cents per pound, Bugisu A at 282.75, Wugar at 281.75, Drugar at 262.75, Robusta Screen 18 at 173.69, Screen 15 at 168.69 and Screen 12 at 165.69. These are indicative daily quotes, not contract prices.

FAQ

Q: Is robusta good for cold brew?
A: Robusta can be used in cold brew, but the most common preference in the Foods survey was medium roasted arabica. Natural robusta grades are defined by screen size, from Screen 18 down to Screen 12.

Q: Does a larger screen size mean better extraction?
A: No. Screen size describes bean size, not cup quality. The Nature capsule study found extraction is driven more by grind and the share of fines, so screen grade alone does not change extraction.

Q: Can one Ugandan lot serve cold brew and RTD?
A: Yes, if the grade is consistent and you approve a pre-shipment sample. Bugisu A is a washed arabica option, and RTD adds a stabilization step such as pasteurization.