Coffee Cupping Explained for Coffee Lovers

What Is Coffee Cupping and What Does It Mean?

Coffee cupping is a standardized way of tasting and evaluating coffee. Producers, buyers, roasters, and quality-control teams use cupping to compare different coffees under the same brewing preparation conditions rather than judging them using different brewing methods; this ensures the cleanest consistency when it comes to comparisons.

During a coffee cupping, coffee is ground directly into a cup, and hot water is poured over the grounds, with no filter. After the coffee steeps, tasters will evaluate the coffee's fragrance, flavor, aroma, acidity, sweetness, body, aftertaste, and overall characteristics.

The purpose of this process is to give professionals a common method to easily compare samples, identify defects, monitor quality, and make decisions about sourcing and roasting.

Why Roasters Rely on Coffee Cupping

Coffee cupping is like a roaster’s version of a quality control tool.

A coffee bean can look normal but still have flavor problems that only become obvious once it’s been brewed and tasted. This is the opportunity for roasters to evaluate coffees before purchasing, compare different lots, test different roast profiles, and make sure a coffee continues tasting the way they expect.

This can also help identify undesirable flavors or defects before the coffee reaches customers. Professional cuppers develop a specific vocabulary and sensory memory that allow them to consistently communicate what they’re tasting across lots.

Key Equipment for a Coffee Cupping Session

Coffee cupping equipment is quite simple: fresh roasted coffee, cupping bowls, a scale, hot water, cupping spoons, and a timer.

Consistency in grinds across all coffees, using the same brewing method, water temperature, steeping process, and water-to-coffee ratios matter far more than the equipment you are using.

Professional cuppers may use sensory evaluation forms to record what they smell and taste; however, for someone practicing coffee cupping at home, identical mugs and spoons can work well to start learning the process. The key is to keep everything the same except the coffees you are evaluating, so there are no other changing or differentiating factors besides these coffees.

Coffee Cupping Steps: From Fragrance to “Slurp”

Have you ever heard someone performing a coffee cupping? You may hear a very sharp slurrp coming from the evaluators.

First, the coffee is weighed and freshly ground into individual cupping bowls. Tasters will first smell the dry grounds and note the initial fragrance they pick up on.

Water is then poured directly over the grounds. You’ll want to allow the coffee to steep while a layer of grounds forms at the surface, which is referred to as the “crust”.

After a few minutes, the evaluator or cupper will break the crust by moving a spoon through the grounds. This action releases a concentrated burst of aroma, which is another key part of the cupping evaluation. The floating grounds and foam are then removed in order to move on to the next step.

Once the coffee has had some time to cool off to taste, the cupper uses a spoon to take a small amount and slurps it quickly.

This sharp slurp is actually intentional. But why?

Slurping sharply spreads coffee across the palate and helps release aromatic compounds, making it easier to perceive different flavors. As the coffee continues to cool, evaluators continue to taste the coffee because certain flavors, sweetness, acidity, or defects may become easier to pick up on at lower temperatures.

The SCA Cupping Score Sheet Explained

Although many coffee professionals are familiar with the SCA 100-point cupping form, the SCA has recently introduced newer Coffee Value Assessment standards that provide a more detailed approach to evaluating a coffee bean.

Traditionally, specialty-coffee professionals would use the SCA Cupping Form and its 100-point scoring system. Cuppers evaluated attributes such as aroma, flavor, acidity, sweetness, balance, uniformity, and overall final impression. The system was an easy-to-follow, common language for comparing coffee quality.

However, the SCA has since updated its evaluation approach. In 2024, the SCA formally adopted its new Coffee Value Assessment (CVA) to replace the older cupping form. This approach separates different kinds of evaluation:

• Descriptive assessment: what sensory characteristics are present
• Affective assessment: how much the evaluator likes or values the coffee

How to practice Coffee Cupping at home

To begin with cupping coffee, no need to have all the fancy equipment.

First, select two or three different coffees you are interested in. Compare all coffees side by side before brewing by making sure you are using the same grind size, coffee-to-water ratio, water temperature, and steep time. Smell each coffee dry, and then pour hot water on top of the grounds.

As the coffee continues to cool, a crust will form. Go ahead and break that crust and remove the grounds from the top of the coffee. Afterwards, taste them next to each other and write down whatever you notice. Is one bean sweeter than the other? Is one bean fruitier, more chocolatey, or floral?

Comparing coffees side by side is easier than trying to identify the coffee's flavors in one single cup. Over time, cupping coffee can help coffee enthusiasts to truly recognize the differences between origins, roast profiles, and processing methods to really narrow down what coffee they enjoy.