Madagascar
Grade A Madagascar Vanilla Beans 20cm — Bourbon
From £6.50
Vanilla is graded mainly on moisture, length and appearance. The grade doesn’t tell you where a bean was grown or how good the flavour is; it tells you what the bean is best used for.
The short answer
Grade A (also called gourmet or prime) beans are long, plump and oily, with around 30–35% moisture and lots of seeds to scrape. Grade B (extract grade) beans are drier, at around 15–25% moisture, often shorter or split, and cheaper. Use Grade A when you scrape or infuse the pod; Grade B is made for steeping in alcohol to make extract.
Side by side
| Grade A (gourmet) | Grade B (extract grade) | |
|---|---|---|
| Moisture | Around 30–35% | Around 15–25% |
| Look and feel | Dark, glossy, supple and oily | Drier, often reddish-brown, may be split |
| Length | Usually 15–20cm and over | Often shorter |
| Seeds | Plenty, easy to scrape | Fewer, harder to scrape |
| Best for | Scraping, infusing, desserts where you see the seeds | Homemade extract, infusing spirits |
| Price | Higher per kilo | Lower per kilo |
Why moisture matters
A Grade A bean has kept more of its natural oils and moisture through curing. That makes it soft and easy to split, and the seeds come away in a thick paste that disperses through custards, creams and batters.
Grade B beans have been dried further. They don’t look as good and there is less seed to scrape, but weight for weight they carry a concentrated flavour, so they work well when the bean is going to sit in alcohol for weeks anyway.
A grade isn’t a guarantee
Grading isn’t fully standardised between countries, and “Grade A” is sometimes stamped on beans that are dry or old. Judge the bean itself: it should bend without snapping, smell rich rather than musty, and look glossy rather than dusty.
Every pod we sell online is Grade A or gourmet, and each origin page tells you where it was grown.
Vanilla grade questions
Which grade is best for homemade vanilla extract?
Grade B is the economical choice because you are only after the flavour, not the look of the pod. Grade A works just as well, and many people use the pods they have already scraped.
Is Grade B vanilla lower quality?
Not necessarily. It is a different product for a different job. A well-cured Grade B bean from a good origin can make better extract than a poor Grade A bean.
What does “gourmet” mean on vanilla?
It is generally used for Grade A beans: high moisture, good length and suitable for scraping. Our Tanzanian and Papua New Guinea pods are sold as gourmet.
Can I buy extract-grade beans from you?
Extract-grade beans are available to trade customers on request. Get in touch with the quantity and origin you need.
Buy online
Grade A vanilla pods
For kitchens and production