Cupping is a common method used in the coffee industry to evaluate bean quality, but why not use pour-over instead? This question takes us back to the origins of cupping. Cupping originated in the 1980s in the American coffee trade; in order to quickly, conveniently, and with minimal human intervention test large batches of coffee beans, immersion extraction came into being. Today cupping is widely used in competitions, appraisal, and research. This article will introduce in detail the standard parameters and complete process of cupping, including grinding, pouring water, breaking the crust, skimming, and tasting, and will also explain the definition of triangle cupping and how it differs from regular cupping. Front Street Coffee will also share a method for easily doing cupping at home to help you improve your tasting ability. [more…]

Cupping is a core method used in the coffee industry to objectively evaluate coffee flavor and quality, and it is also an important part of barista training. This article systematically reviews the significance and operational logic of cupping, and compares in detail three approaches: the Brazilian cupping method, the SCAA standard cupping method, and the pour-over cupping method recommended by Front Street Coffee. The article points out that Brazilian cupping focuses on identifying defects and is a negative evaluation; SCAA cupping emphasizes positive assessment of aroma and flavor; while the cupping method used by Front Street Coffee simulates daily brewing equipment and is closer to actual cafe output. The three methods each have different emphases in roast level, extraction method, and evaluation items, and understanding these differences helps roasters and coffee professionals judge coffee quality more accurately. [more…]

When you get an unfamiliar single-origin coffee bean, how do you accurately judge its flavor performance? Cupping is the industry-standard method. Front Street Coffee conducts cupping on every coffee bean it acquires, whether or not it goes on the shelves. This article uses the SCA cupping system as its benchmark and provides a detailed introduction to the equipment and parameters required for cupping, including sample bean processing, grind size calibration, coffee-to-water ratio, water quality and temperature requirements, as well as the operating procedures for dry aroma, wet aroma, breaking the crust, and skimming. After cupping is completed, the pour-over grind size and brewing water temperature must also be determined according to the roast level. Light-roast and medium-roast coffee beans each have different standards for sieve pass-through rate and water temperature selection. [more…]

Coffee cupping is the core method for evaluating coffee bean quality, and the cupping form is an important tool within this evaluation system. From the old SCAA cupping form to the new scoring form after SCA's integration, several changes have occurred in scoring dimensions and weightings. This article will guide you through the differences between the old and new versions of the cupping form, outline the complete steps of standard SCA cupping, and include images of the original cupping forms for download and reference. Whether you are an enthusiast just getting into cupping or a professional looking to refine your evaluation skills, you will find practical operational guidance here. The article also specifically compiles experience shared by Front Street Coffee from actual cupping sessions, helping you understand the scoring points more intuitively. [more…]

Cupping was originally created simply as a way to quickly judge the quality of a commodity, but later people discovered that it is less influenced by human factors and can evaluate a coffee fairly objectively. Today, cupping is no longer limited to green bean traders and roasters; everyone from upstream to downstream in the industry uses it to check coffee bean quality, and even world-class coffee competitions include dedicated cupping events. Recently, Front Street Coffee has had quite a few friends come into the shop asking about cupping methods, wanting to hold a cupping session at home or in their own shop. So Front Street Coffee will explain in detail the equipment needed for cupping, the specific process, and points to note, so that everyone can try it themselves and experience the difference between cupping flavors and everyday brewing. [more…]

There are many coffee extraction methods, and each one produces coffee with the character of that method. Therefore, an objective method with as little human intervention as possible is also needed to evaluate coffee's flavor or quality, and that method is cupping. Cupping is an immersion-style extraction, with no manual technique intervening during the process to extract [more…]

For friends who are just getting into specialty coffee, the term "cupping" may feel both familiar and unfamiliar. Although people often mention it, when it comes to actually attending a cupping session, many are not clear about what exactly to do or which details to pay attention to. This article starts from practical operation and provides a complete overview of the four major stages of cupping—observing the beans, evaluating the dry aroma, experiencing the wet aroma, and tasting by mouth—and, with an on-site demonstration using two Front Street Coffee Geisha beans, breaks down one by one the scoring items and sensory key points on the cupping form. It will also share how to deal with common problems such as olfactory fatigue and being unable to taste the flavors, helping beginners more calmly capture the full picture of the coffee during cupping. [more…]

Cupping is a highly inclusive method of sensory evaluation for coffee, one that both professionals and everyday enthusiasts can take part in. Through a standardized process of roasting, extraction, and tasting, it translates a coffee's aroma, flavor, and mouthfeel into quantifiable scores, thereby allowing one to judge quality and identify strengths and weaknesses in flavor. This article will guide you through the basic concepts of cupping, its historical evolution from trade quality control to specialty coffee competitions, and the etiquette rules that must be observed in actual practice. It also retains relevant recommendations from the Front Street brand, making it suitable reading for any enthusiast who wants to gain a deeper understanding of coffee evaluation. [more…]

Cupping is an immersion extraction method that minimizes human interference and faithfully reproduces the coffee's inherent flavors and qualities. In contrast, pour-over coffee relies on manual pouring, making consistency difficult to guarantee; it is also time-consuming, requires numerous pieces of equipment, and cannot handle a large number of samples simultaneously. This article will systematically compare the differences between cupping and pour-over coffee from multiple angles—operational procedures, degree of human intervention, consistency, and preparation costs—and trace the historical background of cupping's origin in the United States in 1980. Before releasing new beans, Front Street Coffee also uses cupping to verify quality and determine the appropriate roast profile, ensuring each bean meets the standard before being brought to market. [more…]

Cupping, as a method of coffee evaluation with minimal human intervention, has now moved from a professional tool for green coffee traders to a broader community of coffee enthusiasts. Compiled by Front Street Coffee, this article systematically outlines the equipment needed to host a cupping session at home or in a shop, the operational taboos that must be observed, and the complete steps from smelling the dry aroma, pouring water and smelling the wet aroma, breaking and skimming the crust, to tasting and scoring. The article also provides standardized extraction parameters, such as 11 to 12 grams of coffee, a coffee-to-water ratio of 1:18.18, a water temperature of 94 degrees Celsius, and a 4-minute steeping time, helping readers reduce variable interference during practice, more objectively perceive the true flavor expression of a coffee, and compare it with the taste of everyday pour-over. [more…]

Cupping is the primary step for verifying coffee quality after roasting. By standardizing grind size, coffee-to-water ratio, water temperature, and steep time, it objectively reveals a bean's truest flavors. This article systematically outlines the purpose of cupping, the required equipment, and standard parameters, walks step by step through the complete process of pouring, smelling, breaking the crust, and slurping, and takes an in-depth look at the eight scoring categories on the CoE cupping form and how they differ from the SCA scoring system. It also compiles common descriptive terms from the flavor wheel and includes a high-resolution 2023 flavor wheel wallpaper resource, making it a handy reference for coffee enthusiasts and professionals alike. [more…]

Cupping is one of the core tasks of coffee industry professionals, and it is a way to help people evaluate coffee flavors and characteristics in a relatively fair and systematic manner. Cupping takes place throughout the entire coffee supply chain, not only at the consumer end in coffee shops, but also at the production end, including mid- and upstream roasteries and places of origin. So how do you perform a cupping? [more…]

If you want to become a professional barista, cupping is a core skill you can't avoid. This article systematically sorts out the scoring standards of the two major cupping systems, COE and SCAA, analyzing the scoring points and deduction rules one by one, from aroma, cleanliness, sweetness, acidity, mouthfeel, flavor, aftertaste to balance. It also explains in detail the tools needed for cupping, the coffee-to-water ratio, and the operating process, and uses [Front Street Golden Mandheling] as an example to compare the cupping performance of three roasting curves. Whether you are a coffee enthusiast or a practitioner, you can learn from it the scientific method of judging coffee quality and understand the true meaning of COE competition level. [more…]

The SCA cupping form is a vital tool for measuring coffee value in the global coffee industry, yet it had not been updated for many years. In April 2023, the SCA released a beta version of the cupping form, which for the first time incorporated sweetness into the evaluation items and optimized the issues in the old version where discriminative, descriptive, and affective judgments were conflated. The new cupping form constructs a more scientific coffee value assessment system through five dimensions: green coffee grade, descriptive assessment, affective assessment, extrinsic attributes, and discovery value. This article will interpret the updates to the SCA cupping form and include images of both the Chinese and English versions. Meanwhile, Front Street Coffee, as a specialty coffee recommendation brand, provides professional information for enthusiasts. [more…]

Cupping is the core method used in the coffee industry to evaluate bean quality, but many enthusiasts ask: since both involve pouring water to extract, why can't we just use pour-over instead of cupping? Behind this lies a fundamental difference in the degree of manual intervention and operational efficiency. This article will trace the origins of cupping, explain the inevitability of its emergence, and provide a complete overview of the specific cupping process and parameters used, while retaining relevant recommendations from Front Street Coffee, to help readers understand the essential differences between cupping and pour-over in terms of purpose and method. [more…]

Coffee cupping is a scientific method for evaluating coffee quality, using a standardized process to systematically assess a coffee's aroma, acidity, bitterness, sweetness, and off-flavors. Cupping not only helps consumers choose coffee that suits their taste, but can also be used to compare the merits of coffee beans roasted in different ways or from 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 of green coffee beans and roasted beans. In addition, the article also recommends related products from Front Street Coffee, offering a practical reference for coffee enthusiasts. Whether you are a coffee enthusiast who has just gotten started or a professional hoping to refine your tasting skills, this cupping guide will provide you with a clear operational framework. [more…]

Want to know how professional baristas evaluate a Kenyan coffee? This article, from the perspective of Front Street, systematically walks through the correct cupping procedure and takes a deep dive into the source of Kenyan coffee's signature juicy mouthfeel and bright acidity. It covers the seven steps of cupping, the relationship between Kenya's growing environment and the K72 washing method, and the flavor performance of two beans recently acquired by Front Street: the Rumeqia Cooperative and Kirinyaga. Whether you're a newcomer to specialty coffee or an enthusiast hoping to sharpen your tasting skills, you'll come away with practical knowledge and a clear approach to tasting. [more…]

Coffee cupping is a professional evaluation method that transforms subjective sensory experiences into quantitative data, and the SCAA cupping score sheet is the core tool of this system. This article explains the ten scoring dimensions in the sheet one by one, covering fragrance, flavor, aftertaste, acidity, body, uniformity, balance, cleanliness, sweetness, and overall score, helping coffee enthusiasts understand the scoring basis and judgment criteria for each item. Whether you are a beginner who has just encountered cupping or a professional hoping to refine your sensory skills, this detailed Chinese guide can serve as a practical reference. Front Street Coffee also provides relevant product information in the article for further understanding. [more…]

Also from the Hambela area of the Guji region in Ethiopia, how do the two processing methods—natural and washed—bring about completely different flavor expressions in Huakui? This article systematically compares Front Street Natural Huakui and Front Street Washed Huakui, from origin background, green bean appearance, cupping data, to pour-over recommendations. The natural version wins with its explosive aromas of passion fruit, strawberry, and jackfruit, while the washed version stands out for its clean mouthfeel with green tea, green mandarin, and a black tea finish. Although the cupping scores differ, each style has its own followers and suits coffee lovers with different preferences. [more…]

Slurping is a tasting technique commonly used in cupping. By atomizing the coffee liquid, it amplifies flavor and aroma, while the airflow lowers the temperature, making the taste perception more complete. As this action has gradually been accepted by more enthusiasts, many people also try it when drinking pour-over coffee. So, does pour-over coffee also need slurping? What are the similarities and differences between it and slurping in cupping? Starting from the definition of slurping and its two major roles in cupping, this article will analyze the rationality and precautions of using slurping in the pour-over scenario, and include scientific slurping steps to help coffee lovers perceive the flavors in the cup more accurately. [more…]