Coffee Cupping

Coffee cupping is a process that allows you to taste and assess different coffees.

It is a tasting technique that is used to evaluate a coffees aroma, fragrance and flavor. Cupping may also be used to create coffee blends as well as detect coffee that may be defective.

Different coffees vary from region to region so by tasting coffees from all around the world you can detect the diverse flavors as you sample them side by side. To get the full experience, you can invite several friends to embark on your journey with you.

That way you can discuss the various coffees when you are finished tasting. It is also a good idea to record thoughts and impressions about each coffee.

Coffee Cupping Preparation - Table

Set the table with one or two cups per coffee type. Place a cupping spoon next to each cup and set a cup of room temperature water in the center or the table. You may want to label each cup with the type of coffee it will contain. If you want to "cup blind" then you should place the label on the bottom. If you want to know what you are tasting, then put the label on the side or place the coffee bag behind the coffee cup. Include pen and paper for making notes as you sample each coffee and provide enough for your guests as well if you are doing it with company.

Coffee Cupping Preparation - Coffee Sample

Grind each coffee sample and put two tablespoons of the freshly ground coffee in a coffee cup. Do this step quickly so that your coffee does not get stale. You also want the coffee to be as freshly roasted as possible. A perfect cup of coffee is 55 grams of ground coffee to 1 liter of water. You want your coffee to be between a French press grind and a drip coffee grind, roasted light and should be the same for all of the coffees that you assess. Use filtered water and boil it just before you begin.

Fragrance and Aroma

In coffee cupping, fragrance and aroma are two different things. They indicate different steps in the cupping process. While your water is boiling, smell the ground coffee in each cup. As you smell the coffee, write down your impressions. This is the fragrance, the smell that the grounds give off before you add the water.

Once your water is boiled add it to the coffee grounds in each cup. Some people prefer to add the water directly from boiling, but others, professional cuppers included, will wait approximately 25 seconds before they pour the water. This allows the water to reach 202 degrees Fahrenheit. It is also important to pour the water in the same order that you ground your coffee so that the first coffee ground gets the first water. Let the coffee sit for one to two minutes which allows a crust to develop as the grounds rise to the top of the water. Use a heated spoon to crack the crust. As you push the crust down into the coffee, put your nose close to the cup and smell the aroma.

Once you have evaluated the aroma, you can remove the crust with a spoon or stir the coffee until the grounds settle at the bottom of the cup. If you use one spoon for all of the cups, rinse it in between each cup.

The Taste Analysis: Acidity, Body, Sweetness, Finish

Once the coffee has cooled enough, take some into the spoon and slurp it strongly. Your goal is to aspirate it so that is coats the entire tongue. Aspirating the coffee will also cause droplets to hit the back of the throat and into the nasal passages. The sense of smell is strongly tied to the sense of taste so when you aspirate the coffee in this manner it allows both of the senses to work together and you get the full experience of the coffee taste. Write down your impressions for each coffee that you taste.

Acidity of a coffee is its sharpness. Some cuppers describe it as the "pleasing brightness" of the coffee. The most scrutinized aspect of a coffee, acidity is what transfers the fruit and floral flavors. The acidity of a coffee can be described as intense or mild; elegant or wild; round or edgy. You can best determine the acidity of a coffee after it has cooled somewhat and has achieved a warm or lukewarm temperature.

Body - Pro cuppers refer to is as "mouthfeel." The body of a coffee is its sense of heaviness or weight in the mouth. You can also determine the body of the coffee by assessing its thickness and viscosity.

Sweetness is one of the most important elements of coffee The sweetness of the coffee give it balance, even in the most acidic coffee This is an important element of the coffee and the evaluation. Sweetness makes a coffee refreshing and lush, even if it is highly acidic.

Finish or aftertaste of a coffee is as important as that first taste. The aftertaste lingers long after you have swallowed the coffee. Some people like a clean finish that is sweet and refreshing, but stays with you for 10 to 15 seconds after you swallow. A good finish should give the primary flavor of the coffee and allow it to linger.

Coffee cupping allows you to explore various coffees and experience their unique tastes and aromas. You can find differences and similarities between various coffees and even find different flavors to blend. If you love coffee, cupping is an adventure that you will treasure.