Beginner’s Guide to Coffee Cupping

Introduction

Have you ever wondered why coffee tastes like chocolate or berries? The answer lies in the cup!

Whether you’re a home brewer or a coffee professional, coffee cupping — or the process of tasting coffee — can be extremely useful. It helps you better understand the coffee you drink, its flavors, and sensory notes, and ultimately, discover your preferences.

In this article, we’ll share a bit about this method, how to taste coffee at home with basic tools and what to look for in each coffee.

What Is Coffee Tasting (Cupping)?

Coffee cupping is a standardized process used to evaluate the aroma, flavor, and overall quality of coffee. It involves brewing coarsely ground coffee with hot water and then tasting it systematically to assess its characteristics.

More than just a routine evaluation, the purpose of cupping is to identify the unique qualities of a coffee, such as its flavor profile, acidity, sweetness, and body. Additionally, it serves as a vital tool for quality control, sourcing new beans, and gaining a deeper understanding of how factors like origin, processing, and roast impact the final cup.

However, cupping isn’t just for professionals like roasters, baristas, or green coffee buyers. On the contrary, it’s also an exciting and educational activity for coffee enthusiasts who want to explore and fully appreciate coffee’s incredible diversity.

The Cupping Process – Step-by-step

Tasting coffee at home isn’t complicated, and the recipe can be easily adapted to the tools you already have.

Gather Your Materials:

• Freshly roasted coffee – Preferably single origin, so you can evaluate its specific characteristics.
• Burr grinder – Ideally, grind your coffee fresh to preserve its flavors and aromas.
• Hot water
• Cupping bowls or small glasses – Make sure all bowls are of the same size (or very similar) and hold between 180ml and 250ml.
• Spoons – While there are specific cupping spoons, any deep spoon will work.
• Scale – A kitchen scale works fine.
• Timer
• Notebook
• Extra cups – You’ll need extra bowls or glasses to clean your spoon between tastings.

Prepare the Coffee:

• Weigh the coffee – Use a 1:18 ratio (e.g., 11g of coffee for 200g of water).
• Grind the coffee – Use a coarse grind, similar to a French press.
• Label your bowls – If you’re tasting multiple coffees, label each one to keep track.

Smell the Dry Grounds:

• Place the ground coffee in the bowls (one coffee per bowl).
• Smell the dry grounds and note any initial aromas (e.g., floral, fruity, chocolatey).

Add Hot Water:

• Pour hot water directly over the grounds in a circular motion, ensuring all the coffee is wet. Start your timer.
• Fill the bowls to the rim and let them steep for 4 minutes.

Break the Crust:

• At the 4-minute mark, gently stir the surface with your spoon to break the crust.
• Inhale deeply as you stir; this releases the coffee’s aroma. Take note of the difference between the dry and wet aroma.
• After breaking the crust, scoop out any floating grounds.

Taste the Coffee:

• Begin tasting at the 11-minute mark. Before this, the coffee may still be too hot.
• Use a cupping spoon to scoop the coffee and slurp it loudly (yes, loudly!). This aerates the coffee, allowing you to experience its full flavor.

Assess the Flavor and take notes on these key attributes:

The flavors and aromas in coffee come naturally from the plant itself, they aren’t added during processing. The type of soil, climate, altitude, and growing conditions all play a crucial role in shaping a coffee’s unique taste profile. Just like wine grapes, coffee beans absorb characteristics from their environment, resulting in notes of fruit, chocolate, nuts, or spices. By assessing these key attributes, we can better understand and appreciate the complexity of each cup.

• Aroma: How does it smell? How has it changed?
• Flavor: What specific tastes stand out (e.g., fruity, chocolatey)?
• Acidity: Is it bright and lively or mild? Is it sweet or bitter?
• Body: How does it feel on your tongue?
  1. Light, like tea.
  2. Silky, as if milk was added.
  3. Heavy, almost like thick syrup.
• Aftertaste: Does the flavor linger or fade quickly?

Compare the Coffees and Take Notes:

• Repeat the tasting for each coffee and notice how the flavors and acidity evolve as the coffee cools.
• Compare their profiles, identifying what makes each one unique.
• Take notes to help you remember and refine your preferences.

Pro Tips!

• Clean your spoon – Rinse your spoon between tastings to avoid cross-contamination.
• Trust your senses – Your first impression is often the most accurate.
• Spit the cofffee – In coffee tasting, just like in wine tasting, you shouldn’t drink the coffee you’re tasting. Slurp it and then spit it out—you don’t want to be over-caffeinated.
• Don’t rush – Flavors evolve as the coffee cools. Revisit each bowl.
• Enjoy the process – This is as much about discovery as it is about evaluation.

What to Look For: The Flavor Wheel Basics

Cupping is all about uncovering the unique characteristics of each coffee through its flavors and aromas. Moreover, our perception of flavor is deeply tied to our culture and personal experiences, making every tasting session unique.

Beyond that, tasting coffee is also an exercise in connecting with our personal flavor memory. Since everyone’s references are different, there are no “wrong” flavor notes—rather, it’s all about what you perceive and how you interpret those flavors. Here’s a breakdown of what to focus on:

Flavor Categories:

Coffee flavor is built on key elements like sweetness, acidity, bitterness, body, and aftertaste. Each sip reveals a unique balance of these traits. When tasting coffee, consider these main attributes:

• Sweetness: Is it naturally sweet, like honey, caramel, or ripe fruit?
• Acidity: Does it have a bright citrusy note or mellow stone fruit qualities?
• Bitterness: In balance, it can resemble dark chocolate or roasted nuts.
• Body: What’s the texture like—light, silky, or heavy?
• Aftertaste: How long does the flavor linger?

Aroma Profiles:

Coffee aromas range from nutty and floral to fruity and spicy. Identifying scents before tasting helps uncover the depth and complexity of each coffee.Aromas often hint at a coffee’s flavor. Look for notes like:

• Nuts: Almond, hazelnut.
• Florals: Jasmine, rose.
• Fruits: Citrus, berries, tropical fruits.
• Spices: Cinnamon, clove.
• Chocolate: Milk or dark chocolate.
• Earthy: Tobacco, cedar.

Personal Preference:

Coffee tasting is personal—there’s no right or wrong. Pay attention to what you enjoy most, take notes, and let your palate guide your coffee journey.

• Experiment: Notice the flavors you gravitate toward—fruity, chocolatey, or nutty?
• Take notes: Over time, you’ll identify patterns in what you enjoy.
• Don’t overthink it: Everyone’s palate is unique.

The Flavor Wheel:

The SCA Coffee Flavor Wheel is a tool for identifying coffee’s complex flavors and aromas. It starts with broad categories like fruity or nutty, then narrows down to specific notes like blueberry or hazelnut. Used in cupping, it helps both beginners and professionals describe coffee more accurately and explore its full sensory experience. Learn more about it in this article.

Conclusion

Cupping is more than just a method for evaluating coffee; rather, it’s an invitation to explore the intricate world of flavors, aromas, and textures.

Whether you’re a seasoned professional or a curious enthusiast, cupping not only refines your palate but also helps you connect with the story behind the beans and your personal flavor memory.

By following these steps and incorporating tools like the flavor wheel, you can gradually uncover subtle nuances and develop a deeper appreciation for coffee.

Ready to elevate your coffee experience? Grab your favorite beans, set up a cupping session, and tune in to Fábrica Coffee Roasters for more tips and flavor journeys.