How does coffee cupping measure coffee quality?
Coffee cupping is a standardized method for evaluating coffee quality: about 10 grams of grounds go into a warm cup, 100°C water is poured over them, the crust is stirred and skimmed, and the cupper records aroma, acidity, bitterness, sweetness, and any off-flavors. Because every sample is treated the same way, results can be compared across coffees.
The method serves three practical purposes: it helps drinkers find coffee they enjoy, shows which roast level suits beans from one origin, and reveals which producing region performs better under the same roast. Cups are rinsed between samples and results recorded immediately. The article also covers the green coffee beans and roasted beans that cuppers work with.
Coffee cupping is a scientific method for evaluating coffee quality, systematically assessing coffee's aroma, acidity, bitterness, sweetness, and off-flavors through a standardized process. Cupping not only helps consumers select coffee that suits their taste, but can also be used to compare the merits of coffee beans from different roasting methods or different origins. This article will provide a complete introduction to the definition, purpose, required equipment, and detailed operating steps of cupping, while also explaining the classification knowledge of green coffee beans and roasted beans. In addition, the article also recommends related products from Front Street Coffee, providing a practical reference for coffee enthusiasts. Whether you are a coffee enthusiast who has just started or a professional hoping to refine your tasting skills, this cupping guide will provide you with a clear operational framework.
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What is coffee cupping?
Coffee quality is judged by taste, and this is called the "coffee cupping method," while the person evaluating it is called a "cupper." The method is to pour 10 grams of coffee grounds into a warm coffee cup, then add 100°C boiling water to brew it, stir thoroughly with a spoon, let it sit for a while to allow the grounds to settle, then skim off the foam on the surface. First, evaluate its aroma, then hold the coffee in your mouth to judge the level of acidity, bitterness, and sweetness and whether there are any off-flavors. After testing, immediately rinse your mouth and record the results, then continue to the next cup.
The purpose and function of coffee cupping
1. To detect coffee quality through scientific methods, thereby choosing the coffee you like to drink;
2. For coffee beans from the same production area but with different roasting methods, cupping can be used to determine which roasting method and roast degree are best;
3. For coffee beans from different production areas but with the same roasting method, cupping can be used to determine which production area's coffee beans are best.
Coffee beans are divided into green beans (also called raw beans) and roasted beans. Green coffee beans can further be divided into shelled green beans and unshelled green beans:
1. Unshelled green beans: refers to coffee beans whose exterior still has the endocarp and silver skin attached, and can be used as seeds. The shell can retain moisture, prevent mold, and allows storage at room temperature for a longer time (1-2 years).
2. Shelled green beans: refers to coffee beans that have been processed to remove the fruit skin and silver skin.
3. Roasted coffee beans: refers to coffee beans after the green beans have been roasted.
Items to prepare for coffee cupping
1. One table
2. Several cupping forms, 1 copy/person.
3. Samples for testing, at least 4-5 kinds of raw beans and roasted beans
4. Spoon
5. About 12 wide-mouthed glasses
6. Hot boiling water
7. Trash bin
Coffee cupping steps
1. First use basins to arrange the coffee beans on the table (choose 4 kinds each of raw beans and roasted beans), and place the glasses in four positions.
2. First smell the scent of each kind of raw bean and roasted bean. When smelling the beans, use both hands to lift the basin containing the beans, bring it to the edge of the nose, and lightly smell each kind of bean. Smell whether the green beans are moldy, and smell how the aroma of the roasted beans is.
3. Put the ground powder into the cups separately, then quietly pour boiling hot water into each cup. After pouring the hot water, first take a little time to adjust your mood, then use a spoon to stir the powder in each cup. But remember, after stirring each cup, rinse the spoon with boiling water. Before rinsing the spoon, first smell the odor clinging to the spoon, and you can also predict what flavor it will have.
4. After the coffee grounds settle, observe their solubility.
5. Smell the aroma of each cup of coffee. If the smell is soft and fragrant, it represents good coffee; if there is an earthy smell, or a medicinal smell, or even the presence of other off-odors, then the flavor is naturally not good. When smelling the aroma, do not directly put your nose over the coffee liquid to smell it; instead, smell it from the rising steam and aroma.
6. Begin cupping. When tasting, never swallow the coffee liquid; instead, hold it in your mouth. If you swallow it, no matter how much you rinse your mouth afterward, the taste of the coffee you swallowed earlier will remain deep in your oral cavity, making it impossible for you to accurately grasp the flavor of the coffee tested next. The tasting method is to first scoop out the coffee liquid from the cup with a spoon, then slurp it as if drinking hot soup, making as loud a slurping sound as possible, then use your tongue to press the coffee liquid against your front teeth to judge its aroma, then let the coffee liquid circle around in your mouth, chew it a little to taste its flavor, spit the coffee liquid held in your mouth into the trash bin, then put the spoon into the previously prepared warm water to clean it; begin testing the next cup. Note, do not make a arbitrary conclusion after testing only one cup; it is best to repeat the test several times, trying what flavor it has when hot, when warm, when cold, and when reboiled. Some coffees develop sourness once they cool slightly.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
