Coffee Cupping Explained
If you've ever wondered how we select the finest coffees from around the world for our latest offerings, you're in for a treat! Before we order a batch of coffee beans, we embark on a flavorful adventure known as cupping. This process is not only a ton of fun but it plays a crucial role in ensuring that your coffee experience is nothing short of exceptional.
Cupping is a globally recognized method conducted by people all across the seed-to-cup process—from producers, roasters, and baristas to everyone in between—to pinpoint a coffee’s flavors and qualities. Think of it as a sophisticated coffee-tasting ritual, where the aroma, flavor, and body of each coffee are meticulously evaluated. One of the most incredible aspects of coffee cupping is its ability to provide an unbiased assessment of different coffees. By following a standardized procedure, personal biases are set aside, allowing the inherent characteristics of the coffee to speak for themselves.
Cupping isn't just about selecting beans; it's also a valuable tool for quality control. Roasters use this method to ensure that every batch of coffee they produce maintains consistent flavor profiles and quality. By regularly cupping their roasted beans, they can catch any variations or defects early on, guaranteeing that you enjoy the same excellent taste with every cup. Recreationally, it can also be a fascinating and enjoyable experience, especially when done with friends. I cherish my first-ever cupping experience, when three friends and I decided to do an impromptu cupping session. We were all coffee enthusiasts but with no prior experience. Taking five coffees we had between us, we set up a cupping experience based on videos we had watched online.
My first cupping experience
We began by grinding all the beans we brought and then put them in five different bowls. We made sure that the bowls were random, and we had no idea which coffee we were tasting when we started. We started by smelling the coffee, taking turns to express what we thought each one smelled like. We found this part of the process to be very entertaining as we all had different ideas about what each coffee smelled like. For example, we thought one of the coffees smelled of roasted tomatoes, while another had a chocolatey aroma.
Once we had gone through the fragrance process, we poured hot water into each bowl and let the coffee steep for a few minutes. During the steeping process, we observed the coffee and how it bubbled and swirled. It was like a little science experiment. After the coffee had time to steep, we peeled back the crust that had formed on top of each bowl and took a sip of each coffee, taking turns to share our thoughts on what we thought it tasted like. We were surprised at how different each coffee tasted. Some tasted fruity, while others had a more nutty or chocolatey flavor. One of the most enjoyable parts of the cupping experience was comparing and contrasting each other's opinions. We found that each of us had a unique perspective on what we tasted and smelled. For example, the coffee that we thought smelled like roasted tomatoes tasted like tomato soup. It was a truly unique experience.
Now—working at Tala—I've had the privilege of personally participating in a few cupping sessions, and each time has been an incredible and delightful experience. My most recent adventure involved cupping five of our single-origin coffees, all set up anonymously to keep us on our toes. It began with a tantalizing sniff of the dry coffee grounds, unveiling the unique fragrance of each blend. Then, they poured water into each cup, following a precise 1:18 ratio, allowing the brew to steep for a patient four minutes. As time passed, a creamy foam crust formed on the surface, and that's when we broke it with a spoon, leaning in to savor the captivating aroma of each coffee. After we had scooped away the crust and let it cool to a comfortable temperature, it was time for the grand finale – the slurp! This technique introduces air into the coffee, awakening all our senses to the intricate flavors. It's at this moment that the coffee's true character leaps out, revealing its distinctive acidity, sweetness, and flavor notes that truly make each cup a unique and memorable experience.
So, the next time you sip a delightful brew from our collection of single-origin coffees, remember the exciting journey that takes place before the beans even reach your cup. Coffee cupping is a sensory experience that bridges the gap between coffee producers, roasters, and coffee lovers like you. It's a celebration of the diverse flavors our planet has to offer, and we invite you to join us on this educational and fun-filled adventure through the world of coffee. Who knows, you might discover your new favorite coffee!
Try cupping at home!
If you want a cupping experience of your own you don’t have to wait. Do as I did and grab a couple of friends and a few different coffees and do a DIY cupping at home. Follow the steps below to guide you through the process.
What you’ll need:
1. Coffee—at least 2-3 different types to compare
2. Grinder
3. Scale
4. Timer
5. Bowls or cups—shallow with a wide mouth
6. Hot water
7. Cupping spoons—soup spoons work great, too!
Set up
Prepare two bowls or cups for each coffee you'll be cupping. Fill one bowl at each station with hot water to rinse your cupping spoon.
Take note: For a blind tasting, transfer each coffee into an ambiguous container and have someone not participating label it with a letter or number corresponding to the coffee you’re using. You can also do an open tasting, with the coffee bags or labels visible, but know that it can sometimes bias and inhibit the experience as you’re tasting.
grind your coffee & smell the fragrance
Use a scale to weigh out 10g of each coffee and grind it to a medium grind size, similar to table salt. Repeat the grinding process for each coffee you're cupping. Once each coffee is ground, pick the bowls up one at a time and give them a little shake to smell the fragrance of the dry coffee.
Take note: In cupping, fragrance refers to the smell of the dry grounds, while aroma refers to the smell of the coffee once water is added.
pour your water & smell the aroma
Pour hot water directly over the coffee grounds in each bowl, filling them to the brim. Start your timer and allow the coffee to brew for 4 minutes. As you wait, you can go around and begin to get a sense for the aroma of the slurry.
Break the crust
After 4 minutes of brewing, a crust will form on the coffee's surface. Use your cupping spoon to gently break the crust by swiping it from front to back three times. Get your nose close to the surface to experience the fullness of the aroma.
Remove the foam
There will still be foam on the surface after breaking the crust. Use two spoons to lightly scrape off and discard the foam. The surface of your cupping bowls should resemble a regular cup of coffee.
Taste each coffee
Dip your cupping spoon just below the coffee's surface to get a small amount in your spoon and slurp it forcefully. Slurping helps spread the coffee over your palate to assess its flavor better. Generally speaking, the louder the sound, the better your slurp, so go wild! Note your observations about flavor, body, and mouthfeel. Rinse the spoon in the water bowl before moving on to the next coffee.
Take note: Just like in wine tasting, when cupping coffee participants often choose to spit each slurp into a cup. This can sometimes aid in cleansing your palate between sips and can also prevent you from getting too caffeinated as you go along, but the choice is totally yours!
Taste again
As the coffee cools, its flavors become more pronounced, so it can often be helpful to go around the cupping table multiple times. Compare the flavors you’re tasting in each coffee with what you taste as time goes on and note how it changes or develops. Once everyone has had a chance to taste each coffee to their satisfaction, you can discuss your observations with each other.
At Tala, we use cupping to decide between new crops as well as for quality control of our existing coffees. Recreationally, it can be a really enlightening experience for widening your palate and deepening your appreciation for the complexity of coffee.
Cuahutli alvarado
My name is Cuahutli. When I'm not whipping it up behind the bar, I am a graphic designer on the side. I love to volunteer at church and spend time with my family and girlfriend. I enjoy fruit-heavy coffees, and love trying exciting coffees from all kinds of places.