Since coffee beans are grown all over the Coffee Belt in their various types and processing methods, the characteristics possible are plentiful. That's why many coffee lovers take part in coffee cupping, where you take time not only to taste the coffee, but to note down what those flavours and feelings are. Another useful benefit to coffee cupping is allowing coffee professionals to figure out whether what they're drinking is up to standard and ready to make its way to customers. That being said, many home baristas opt to participate in coffee cupping since, though used professionally, can also be a fun activity to do for yourself!
For all coffee enthusiasts, professionals and amateurs alike, coffee cupping is the all-around best way to know your coffees and their various taste profiles. We recommend referring to the SCA cupping sheet and instructions, though cupping is quite a subjective process and there is no one complete correct way to do it.
Here are some elements for evaluation in coffee cupping, as written in the SCA Cupping Form:
- Fragrance/Aroma
- Flavour
- Aftertaste
- Acidity
- Sweetness
All of these elements help to distinguish different cups of coffee from each other, and to truly examine what the makeup of the brew is.
Supplies
- Grinder
- Different beans to assess
- Scale
- Timer
- Cups (one per each coffee you will assess, plus additional ones with hot water to rinse off the spoons)
- Hot water
- Cupping spoons (at least two)
- Cupping evaluation sheet and pencil
The exact measurements for cupping supplies are subjective, though you need to measure each cup the same. If we go by SCA standards, they mention that the volume of the cups determine the total amount of coffee for each cup. The cups should be between 200 mL and 350 mL each, with a ratio of 8.25 g of coffee per 150 mL of cup capacity.
Getting to know the Dry Aroma
The root of coffee cupping is in assessing the different elements of each drink, and that includes during their different stages, such as when the grounds are still dry. Getting to know the aromas of the freshly ground coffee helps you get an early approximation of what each cup will have in store.
In the dry aroma, before water makes contact with the grounds, the scents and notes that you smell may not be the same as post-extraction. To ensure you're getting an accurate assessment of the grounds, this step should be done within the first 15 minutes after grinding. This is why cupping is so great: it's an activity to do with freshly ground beans, where the aroma is at its peak and you are getting the best out of its flavour profile.
Note down any scents that you notice, especially according to any determining factors listed on the cupping evaluation sheet you are using. These will be useful to use in comparison to later aromas, as well as obtaining and overall profile of the coffee.
Let's start extracting!
The next stage occurs after their first interaction with hot water, where the extraction process starts to take place. Here, you will judge the wet aroma of the coffee, and start to dissect any differences that you notice between the two stages so far.
With a water temperature of 200° Fahrenheit, or 93° Celsius, you will begin to soak the coffee.
After 4 minutes of infusing the grounds, you will need to break the crust. By now, you should see a crust at the top of your coffee cup. Before discerning the taste of each drink, you will need to remove this layer of the drink. Again, some parts of cupping are subjective, but we recommend evaluating the wet aroma while the crust is being broken.
It's time to put the cupping spoons into action - with two spoons, remove the crust in a sweeping motion towards yourself. It should break apart - place the remainder of the crust into your spoons, where you can then remove it into a separate cup with hot water. Before moving on, remove all floating grounds from the cup. In between each cup, rinse off the spoon so that the aromas from each kind of coffee do not mix or interfere with each other.
After you have properly evaluated and noted down the dry and wet aromas of the coffee, it's time to get to the fun part: taste testing! We're sure smelling all of that coffee has made you crave the taste of it, and now it's time to evaluate each and every part of its flavour profile. After removing the crust, wait 18-20 minutes before attempting to start the tasting process.
Having a drink
When going through tasting portion of this activity, make sure you are taking the time to focus on each of the characteristics you are evaluating with. Once you have tasted and written down your scores for one coffee, don't dump it out and throw it to the side just yet! Coffees can have a different range in flavours as the drink cools, so you may have additional evaluations and commentary as the temperature lowers.
The proper way to drink the coffee during the cupping process is by quickly slurping it from your spoon. This method allows the coffee to be fully spread across your palate, and aerated in the process. Continue this for every sip that you take.
One last tip
If you have extra time on your hands, we recommend doing a blind testing after the first round of cupping. Improve your senses by mixing the cups around and seeing if you can identify which coffee is which! Make sure to label each cup (perhaps on the bottom) prior to rearranging them so that you are able to put a name to them later on.
Overall, the coffee cupping process is meant to be an engaging yet detailed way of understanding the different flavours and elements of the coffee you have on hand. It is a simple way to enhance your skills as a barista or at-home coffee enthusiast. We encourage you to have fun with it! Happy cupping!
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