Vanilla grading is not standardized across the industry. Different suppliers use different terminology, different moisture thresholds, and different length classifications. This creates a market where "Grade A" from one supplier may be equivalent to "Grade B" from another and where professional buyers frequently overpay for beans that do not match their actual needs.
The Four Main Categories
At Eden, we use a four-tier system. Grade A (Gourmet) covers beans of 16cm or longer, with 25-35% moisture and 1.8-2.5% vanillin. These are premium whole pods, ideal for applications where the bean is visible or where the infusion period is long. Grade B (Extraction Grade) runs 10-15cm, slightly drier, still high in vanillin, and better suited to paste, extract, and food manufacturing where visual presentation is secondary to flavor yield.
The right grade is not always the most expensive grade. It is the grade that matches your application and performs consistently within it.
Moisture Content And Why It Matters
Moisture is one of the most important and most overlooked specs in vanilla buying. Beans with too little moisture lose aromatic volatiles during storage. Beans with too much moisture risk mold. Our Grade A beans are targeted at 25-35% the range where aroma is fully developed and shelf stability is maintained.
What To Ask Your Supplier
Request the following for every lot: bean length range, moisture content at dispatch, origin, and harvest date. If a supplier cannot provide these figures, they are not grading their beans systematically. At Eden, this documentation travels with every order, without exception.