Screen size 17 and 18 describe Kintamani Arabica green beans that stay on a 17/64- or 18/64-inch sieve — the larger, denser end of a Grade 1 lot. For 2027, these big-screen specialty selections read as a distinct, higher-visibility offer to EU and US roasters chasing even roasts and documented, traceable origin.
Kintamani Arabica grows in the Kintamani Highlands of Bangli Regency, Bali Province — north-east Bali, with named growing villages including Ulian (Desa Ulian) and Catur The green beans that carry a screen 17/18 story ship from Bali and Surabaya ports, and the way a lot sizes on the sieve is one of the first specs an EU or US roaster reads before requesting samples.
This piece is an outlook, not a prediction. It reads the dated 2026 export signals that point toward 2027 and explains why the larger-screen end of Kintamani’s grade sheet is worth building a program around.
What does “screen size 17/18” actually mean for a Kintamani lot?
Screen grading sorts green coffee by the mesh a bean passes over. Each screen number equals that many 64ths of an inch, so a screen 18 bean sits on an 18/64-inch round-hole sieve and a screen 15 bean falls through it. Bigger numbers mean larger, and usually denser, beans.
| Screen | Sieve opening | Where it sits in Kintamani grading |
|---|---|---|
| 15–16 | 15–16/64″ | Entry to the specialty threshold; screen 16 and above is the usual specialty cut |
| 17 | 17/64″ | Large bean; strong even-roast behavior |
| 18 | 18/64″ | Largest common commercial screen; premium visual grade |
| 19 | 19/64″ | Occasional top-end retention on select lots |
Current Kintamani export listings, as of 2026, report screen size across 15–19, with specialty-market suitability starting at screen 16 or above and a high proportion of Grade 1 material retained on screen 17–18. That retention share is the practical number behind a “17/18” claim: not every Grade 1 bean is that big, so a lot marketed on large screen should show what percentage actually stays on the 17 and 18 sieves. For roasters weighing a dedicated screen size 17/18 program, confirming that retention rate on every lot matters more than the headline grade.
Why are larger-screen lots a 2027 differentiator for EU/US roasters?
Screen size does not measure flavor. What it does measure is uniformity — and uniformity is what a roaster pays for when moving from commodity blends to single-origin single-origin work. Beans of one size roast more evenly, develop more predictably, and photograph as a consistent product on a shelf or a subscription page.
- Even roasting: a tight screen band reduces the spread between scorched small beans and under-developed large ones in the same batch.
- Visual grading: buyers and their customers can see a large, clean bean, which supports a premium retail story.
- Blend or single-origin flexibility: a documented screen 17/18 fraction can anchor a house single-origin or a top tier of a blend.
- Cup character intact: Kintamani’s reported bright citrus profile carries through regardless of screen, so size adds presentation without trading away the cup.
The 2027 angle is straightforward: as EU and US specialty demand keeps rewarding traceable, visually consistent lots, a Kintamani offer that pairs large-screen selection with clean paperwork is easier to differentiate than an unsorted Grade 1.
What does a 2026 screen 17/18 Kintamani spec sheet look like?
Below is a representative Grade 1 export profile built from 2026 factsheet figures. Treat every number as a starting point to confirm per lot — figures are dated as of 2026 and subject to change.
| Attribute | Typical 2026 figure |
|---|---|
| Origin | Kintamani Highlands, Bangli Regency, Bali Province |
| Growing villages | Ulian (Desa Ulian), Catur |
| Altitude | 1,000–1,700 m a.s.l. (ranges by source and lot) |
| Grade | Grade 1, and Grade 1 TP (triple-picked) on some semi-washed lots |
| Screen size | 15–19, with a high proportion retained on screen 17–18 |
| Moisture | Max 13% |
| Defect value | Max 11 |
| Process | Washed, natural, honey, semi-washed |
| Cup profile | Bright citrus |
| SCA (washed specialty) | Approximately 82–84 |
| SCA (microlot/natural) | 84–87 and above |
| Indicative FOB, 2026 | Washed Grade 1 specialty (screen 16+) USD 8–11/kg; microlot/natural USD 10–15+/kg |
Two guardrails on this sheet. First, cupping scores and grades belong to a specific lot’s cupping report or certificate of analysis (COA) — they are never a fixed attribute of a named farm, cooperative or company. Second, the indicative FOB band is one reference across offerings; it moves with harvest, quality and score, and any real quotation confirms on grade, cupping score, lot and MOQ.
How do 2026 signals point toward 2027?
Reading the year’s signals rather than guessing the future:
- Traceability is becoming table stakes. Coffee is in-scope of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), which calls for plot geolocation and due-diligence documentation. Buyers preparing for 2027 shipments are already asking for that trail, and a large-screen lot with clean geolocation is a stronger package than either signal alone.
- GI protection supports the origin story. Kintamani Arabica was among the first Indonesian coffees to receive Geographical Indication certification through Indonesia’s Directorate General of Intellectual Property, with sources framing it as protection comparable to the EU’s PDO. That designation, plus bags specifying Bangli Regency and a named subak (Subak Abian) group, gives a screen 17/18 offer a documented backstory.
- The harvest calendar is fixed. Main harvest runs May–October per 2026 export factsheets, so the window to sample and pre-book 2027 large-screen volume is planned around it, not improvised.
None of this guarantees supply, price or a customs outcome. It is the direction the current evidence points.
What should EU/US buyers line up now for 2027 shipments?
- Sample around the May–October harvest and request the screen 17/18 retention percentage per lot, not just the grade.
- Ask for EUDR-ready traceability — plot geolocation and due-diligence records — while treating final EUDR and customs clearance as the buyer’s own compliance step, never a guaranteed result.
- Confirm packaging: green (unroasted) coffee ships in GrainPro liners inside jute bags to protect moisture and cup during transit.
- Line up the paperwork early: certificate of origin, phytosanitary certificate, commercial invoice, packing list, and the correct HS code for green coffee, with logistics arranged via vetted licensed partners.
- Pre-book container space from Bali or Surabaya ports against the harvest window rather than after it.
Handled this way, a screen 17/18 Kintamani lot stops being a single spec on a sheet and becomes a coherent, differentiated 2027 offer for EU and US specialty roasters.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a higher screen size mean a higher cupping score for Kintamani?
Not directly. Screen size measures bean dimension in 64ths of an inch, while a cupping score rates flavor and quality in the cup. A screen 17/18 Kintamani lot can be visually premium yet score similarly to a well-sorted screen 16 lot. Always confirm the score from the lot’s own cupping report or COA, dated as of 2026.
Can I source a full container of only screen 17/18 Kintamani for 2027?
Sometimes, but it is not guaranteed. Screen 17–18 is a retained fraction of a Grade 1 lot, so full-container volume depends on that harvest’s retention rate and your MOQ. Plan sampling around the May–October window and confirm available screen-17/18 kilos per lot early. This is a supply outlook, not a promise.
How much does screen 17/18 selection add to Kintamani FOB pricing?
There is no fixed premium. Larger-screen selection tends to sit toward the upper end of the indicative 2026 band — washed Grade 1 specialty at USD 8–11/kg, microlot and natural at USD 10–15 and above — because tighter sorting yields less usable weight. Final pricing confirms on grade, score, lot and MOQ, and moves with each harvest.