Cupping 101: A Beginner’s Guide to Tasting Coffee Like a Pro is an introduction to the art of cupping, which is the process used by coffee professionals to evaluate the quality of a given coffee. It’s a multi-sensory experience in which coffee professionals use their five senses to evaluate and identify the flavors in a cup of brewed coffee. This guide covers all the basics of how to evaluate coffee and also provides insight into the more advanced techniques that are used during a professional coffee tasting session. It’s the perfect introduction for those curious about coffee tasting or for professionals looking to brush up on their technique. Consider this a comprehensive guide designed to help aspiring coffee enthusiasts master the essentials of the cupping process. It provides an overview of the method and its benefits, and goes on to explain the necessary tools and their uses. Additionally, the blog post covers proper storing and roasting of coffee beans, brewing techniques, and techniques for getting the most out of the cupping experience. In each step, the post offers simple and helpful tips that are easy to follow even for those just getting started. Finally, the post closes with the importance of both practice and keeping a log so that users can track their cupping experiences.
Coffee tasting, or cupping, is a critical skill for both coffee professionals, such as roasters, testers, and baristas, and coffee enthusiasts. Cupping helps you identify coffee’s origins and flavors, evaluate roasts, and understand the subtleties of specialty coffee. The cupping process is an effective form of quality control used to compare samples, assess roast level, and can also be used to create blends and adjust brew recipes. When cupping, coffee tasters evaluate a coffee’s characteristics according to a standard set of parameters. These parameters are: aroma, acidity, body, flavor, aftertaste, sweetness. The cupper will smell each of the samples and make a note of the aromas they identify, such as fruity, floral, nutty, herbal, etc. They then slurp each of the samples using a cupping spoon, which allows the coffee to spread further across the palate, and rate each sample on their acidity, body, flavor, aftertaste, and sweetness. Cupping is an essential tool for diagnosing and developing coffees, as it allows the coffee professionals to identify consistency in quality from harvest to roast. It also helps ensure that a consistent product is being delivered to the customer. By understanding and appreciating coffee tasting, you can enhance your knowledge and experience of coffee. With practice, you can become an even more selective consumer, become familiar with different coffee regions and varieties, and perhaps even discover new favorites.
‘Cupping’, a professional method of coffee tasting
Cupping is the professional method of tasting and evaluating coffee to determine its flavor profile and quality. It is a complex process that requires several steps in order to properly assess the characteristics of the coffee.
The process of cupping begins with preparing the coffee for tasting. The beans are freshly roasted and ground and then hot water is poured over the grounds. The grounds are then left to sit for about five minutes while the natural gas from the coffee beans is infused into the water. After five minutes, the coffee grounds are agitated using a cupping spoon to break up the surface tension of the cup and release any additional aromas.
The next step in the cupping process is to smell the freshly brewed coffee. This is done by dipping the cupping spoon into the cup and gently thrusting it into the center of the cup. This will release a concentrated aroma of the coffee and is the first indication of the overall flavor and quality of the coffee. After the evaluation of the aroma, a small amount of the coffee is sipped from the spoon and allowed to sit in the mouth for a few seconds. The flavor of the coffee is finally assessed by slurping the residual liquid from the back of the spoon for a more complex evaluation of the flavor and mouthfeel.
Once the tasting process is complete, the cupper makes notes about the flavor, texture, and overall quality of the coffee. This information is used to score the coffee and is often used to decide which coffees to purchase, how they should be brewed, and even how they should be marketed. The cupper’s analysis is essential for coffee buyers, roasters, and retailers to ensure that the coffee they produce meets their specific quality standards.
Origins and Basics of Cupping
Cupping is a method of tasting and evaluating coffee that is used to record the flavor and aroma of a coffee. It’s important to understand the basics of cupping in order to exact the nuances of each coffee and to differentiate from one variety to the next.
You will learn the origins of cupping, the basics of cupping, and how to do it properly. We will detail the proper way to grind, measure, smell and taste the coffee and the different variables – impact of grind size, amount of time in a cup, brew temperature and extraction time. You’ll be guided through the anatomy of a cupping table, where the coffee is poured, and of a cupping spoon, showing the deep pleasure of the coffee slurp as an essential part of evaluating the cupping experience. By the end of the Cupping 101: A Beginner’s Guide to Tasting Coffee Like a Pro, you will be able to accurately differentiate the flavor and aroma of different coffee varietals, assess the quality of your own coffee, and shrewdly make informed choices when buying coffee.
Overview of the cupping techniques
A Beginner’s Guide to Tasting Coffee Like a Pro”, cupping is the practice of brewed coffee tasting. It is a detailed process for judging coffee that involves brewing a small quantity of ground coffee in fresh water, then carefully smelling and tasting it in order to evaluate the quality, flavor, and body. The process of cupping generally includes a preliminary wet and dry aroma assessment, followed by a “breaking of the crust”. This process involves lightly stirring the coffee to break the layer of ground coffee that has formed at the top of the cup. During this stage, the full flavor of the coffee is revealed, allowing tasters to better assess the characteristics of the coffee. Next, tasters smell the aroma in the cup and assess body, acidity, and sweetness while tasting the coffee. Finally, tasters will comment on the overall balance of the coffee. Cupping is an important part of quality control for coffee roasters and it is a necessary skill for evaluating specialty coffee. For more in-depth information, Cupping 101: A Beginner’s Guide to Tasting Coffee Like a Pro is a great resource.
Cupping is an essential part of understanding coffee flavors and contributing to the development of specialty coffee. It allows coffee professionals to objectively assess coffees and make informed decisions about how to buy, roast and brew them. Cupping allows coffee buyers to evaluate coffees from different origins for quality control and to create blends. Additionally, roasters use cupping to check their roast profiles. Lastly, baristas use cupping to better understand the flavors they are serving and how, through their professional treatment, they can enhance those qualities. Cupping is an essential tool for anyone in the coffee industry to learn about and understand the flavors of coffee. The basics list includes an electric burr grinder, a timer, a cupping spoon, a vessel for each sample of coffee, and a thermometer. Other items which may be useful include a pen and paper for taking notes and a tray for easy cleanup. For serious cupping sessions, additional accessories such as scales for weighing coffee samples at varying intervals, or multiple burr grinders to ensure precision can be necessary.
Preparation steps for Cupping
Cupping 101: A Beginner’s Guide to Tasting Coffee Like a Pro
1. Gather the supplies you’ll need for the cupping process, including a tablespoon, spoons, cups, unfiltered water, and coffee samples.
2. Measure out 2-3 tablespoons of ground coffee for each cup. Water will be added to the cups, not to the ground coffee itself.
3. Heating the water: In order to experience the full flavor of the coffee, the water temperature needs to be around 200°F.
4. Making the brews: Pour the hot water into each cup, leaving about 1/3rd of an inch of space from the top of the cup. Gently stir each cup with a spoon to ensure an even brew.
5. Allow for the coffee to bloom: Allow the coffee to steep for 3-5 minutes, this is known as the bloom phase. During this phase, the ground coffee will float, bubble, and release its natural oils.
6. Breaking the crust: Using the back of a spoon, break the crust and stir the coffee three times.
7. Evaluating the aroma: Bring the cup close to your nose and take in that aroma. Evenly distribute the liquid to each cup and carefully sip each one to evaluate its flavor.
8. Record all your thoughts: Record your observations on a cupping score sheet.
Selecting and sourcing the appropriate coffee beans
Cupping 101: A Beginner’s Guide to Tasting Coffee Like a Pro stresses the importance of sourcing the right coffee beans to maximize your coffee’s flavor and potential. The most important factors that you should consider when selecting coffee beans are the type of bean, the origin, and the roast. The type of bean is the species and variety of coffee that is grown. For instance, the two main types of coffee bean are Arabica and Robusta. The origin refers to where the coffee beans were grown, and it has an effect on the flavor. Lastly, the roast has an effect on the flavor, body, and acidity of the coffee. As part of selecting and sourcing coffee beans, it is important to be aware of Fair Trade regulations and ethical practices. Choosing the right beans can be the difference between a great cup of coffee and an average one.
Correctly grinding the coffee
In Cupping 101: A Beginner’s Guide to Tasting Coffee Like a Pro, grinding the coffee correctly is the key to unlocking the potential of each individual coffee variety. According to the guide, you should use a burr grinder, as it reduces the risk of introducing inconsistent particle sizes in the grounds. You should also adjust the grinding level to match the brewing time and method. Coarse grounds require a longer brew time as they take longer to extract, while finer grounds require less time. Finally, it’s important to grind the coffee as close to the cupping session as possible in order to maximize the aromas, flavors, and complexity of the coffee.
Quantity and quality of water to be used
Cupping 101: A Beginner’s Guide to Tasting Coffee Like a Pro emphasizes the importance of using good quality, filtered water for the best tasting and most informative cupping experience. The book explains that it is best to use a specific ratio of 17 grams (2 tablespoons) of ground coffee for every 8 fluid ounces (240 milliliters) of water. It is important to use cupping-specific water temperatures—not boiling water— which ideally, should fall between 190 and 205ºF (88-96°C). Additionally, depending on the type and quality of the coffee, and the desired flavour profile, water hardness and water chemistry can be adjusted in order to achieve superior flavour. Finally, the quality of the water is key when it comes to brewing; coffee should never be brewed with chlorinated tap water.
Optimum temperature required for brewing
The optimum temperature for brewing coffee for cupping is between 195 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit. When preparing the coffee for cupping, it is important to use the best and freshest beans to ensure the highest quality, and to grind the beans to a consistent and fine grind size. Due to the light to medium roast of the specialty coffee beans used, a lower temperature will work best in order to preserve the inherent flavors of the beans. Water that is heated to the optimal temperature is then poured over the grinds, saturating them with the water and allowing a slow extraction of flavor and aroma components from the beans. This results in a flavourful, full-bodied coffee perfect for cupping.
Sniffing: Learning how scent can define coffee’s taste
In coffee cupping, the act of sniffing is an important part of evaluating a coffee’s flavor and aroma. Smell is an integral part of every tasting experience, and it is also one of the most underrated skills among many coffee professionals and home brewers. As a beginner, learning how to properly sniff and recognize different aromas and flavor components can be one of the most rewarding aspects of cupping. When sniffing coffee, it is important to begin by deeply inhaling the aroma before scooping it. Many of the most valuable flavor components can be detected right away before ever tasting a single drop of coffee. Depending on the coffee’s origin, it will often have unique characteristics that range from floral to spice to nutty and even fruity tones. Analysis of coffee aroma can be further achieved by smelling the freshly ground coffee up close and then backing away to get a sense of how the coffee might smell when brewed. This will help you to become more familiar with the chemical compounds associated with aroma and make it easier to pick out specific notes. During the cupping process, it is also important to take the time to assess the coffee’s aroma in between each slurp. Instead of just focusing on the flavor and body of the coffee, take a moment to concentrate on the lingering smells. Taking a comparitive approach can help to identify the differences between individual coffees. Overall, learning how to recognize aromas in coffee is the cornerstone of mastering coffee tasting. As you become more experienced, you’ll start to identify not only the broad categories of smells – like fruity, floral, or nutty – but also specific scents, such as strawberries, jasmine, or almonds. These skills not only enhance your coffee-drinking experience but also deepen your understanding and appreciation for the hard work and expertise that goes into each cup. Developing an aroma vocabulary will allow you to communicate your coffee experiences with others and truly savor the diverse world of coffee. It’s a continuous learning process that opens up a new dimension of enjoyment in the everyday coffee routine.
Slurping: Appreciating the flavors and body of the coffee
Slurping is a key part of cupping, which is the practice of assessing coffee quality. To pick up all of a brew’s aromatics and flavors for a complete evaluation, a professional cupper will take a few spoons of coffee and slurp it loudly into their mouth. This act of slurping not only allows the taster to capture the full bouquet of the coffee, but it also aerates the brew so that it can completely coat the tongue, allowing the cupper to fully assess the sweetness, acidity, body, and finish of the coffee. Slurping also helps to keep the taste buds alert and active, ensuring that no subtle flavors go unnoticed.
Locating Taste: Understanding the taste map of your tongue
Cupping is a method of tasting coffee that requires you to use all of your senses. The taste map of your tongue is an important aspect to consider when cupping. By understanding how your own taste map works, you can more accurately assess the aromas, flavors, and tastes of the coffee beans you are cupping. Some of the aromas that you will be assessing include sweetness, acidity, bitterness, caramelization, and earthiness. Sweetness and acidity will be detected on the tip and front sides of the tongue. Bitterness will be noted on the back side of the tongue. Caramelization and earthiness will be detected further back on the tongue, toward the throat and back. Knowing what tastes each part of your tongue is more sensitive to will help you more effectively assess the coffee characteristics you’re tasting and get the most out of the cupping experience.
Identifying and analyzing different flavors
Identifying and analyzing different flavors is a key part of developing a discerning palate for coffee tasting. Although coffee can have a wide variety of flavors and aromas, this a process of recognizing core characteristics and nuances. Here, some of the coffee flavors to consider are sweetness, bitterness, acidity, complexity, body, and aftertaste. Cupping also requires learners to practice smelling green coffee beans to identify notes of grass, nuts, fruit, chocolate, etc., and practice tasting brewed coffee to detect aromas and flavors such as citrus fruits, floral, and nutty. The idea is to isolate these core characteristics to better understand the components that make up the coffee-drinking experience.
Understanding ‘Acidity’
Acidity in the context of cupping refers to the brightness and tartness of coffee. It is the natural way that the acids in coffee interact with the tongue. With this in mind, the way that the tongue perceives acidity can be described as ranging from mellow and pleasant to sharp and refreshing. In addition, when different coffee beans and brewing methods are used, the levels of acidity can vary greatly. Coffee acidity can also be affected by the altitude and soil of the region where the coffee beans were grown. Experienced cupping professionals can often distinguish between different levels of acidity in a cup of coffee.
Decoding ‘Body’
In the context of Cupping 101: A Beginner’s Guide to Tasting Coffee Like a Pro, the term “body” refers to the overall tactile sensation in the mouth when tasting coffee. When tasting coffee using the cupping method, the taster will use their senses to evaluate the physical sensation of the coffee on the tongue and in the mouth, as well as evaluate the color, smell, and flavor of the coffee grounds and brewed coffee. The “body” of a coffee may be described as full, rich, thick, round, light or thin, depending on the overall tasting experience.
Gauging ‘Sweetness’
Cupping 101: A Beginner’s Guide to Tasting Coffee Like a Pro defines sweetness as a “delightful complexity” that adds contrast and balance to a coffee. Sweet notes provide a pleasing impression, and also indicate the overall quality of a coffee. When cupping, one should think of sweetness as a combination of two basic elements—body and acidity. Body is the “mouth feel” that comes from the dissolved solids in the water, and the higher quality beans generally contain more of these. Acidity is the “tangy and lively” feeling that comes from compounds found naturally in the coffee bean, and this is what lends coffee its unique bite. Sweetness, then, is the result of the perfect balance between body and acidity. Generally, coffees with a balanced sweetness—with both body and acidity present to provide balance and complexity—are considered of higher quality than those with either too much body or too much acidity.
Recognizing ‘Flavor’
Flavor is what sets specialty coffees apart from grocery store brands, and it can provide valuable insight into which roasts and varietals are best suited for different brewing styles. Cupping 101 covers several key aspects of flavor recognition, including understanding the basic concepts of flavor intensity, body, acidity, sweetness, bitterness, and aftertaste, and discussing the various flavor contributions of different brewing methods. Cupping 101 also delves into the specific characteristics associated with different types of regions, varietals, and cultivars, enabling tasters to more adequately distinguish between different brewing techniques and coffee origins.
Assessing ‘Aftertaste’
Aftertaste is the lingering flavor left behind on the palate after the initial sip of coffee. It can come in both good and bad forms, and can be described as having a range of sweet, bitter, salty, and acidic notes. In cupping, aftertaste is used to determine the overall quality of the coffee based on the length, strength, and nuances of the flavors. A good aftertaste can be balanced and persistent, while a bad aftertaste may come off as unbalanced or overly bitter. Tasters pay close attention to the aftertaste of each sample to access overall depth and complexity. Until next time, stay caffeinated!
