Coffee cupping is more than just tasting; it explores each bean’s flavors and aromas. The key to unlocking these secrets lies in the coffee-to-water ratio. The ideal measure is 8.25 grams of coffee for every 150 ml of water, a ratio that ensures a balanced and revealing cupping experience.
Our detailed guide invites you to dive into this fascinating process. You’ll learn not just how to adjust the ratios but also to identify and savor the unique characteristics of each coffee. Join us on this journey of discovery and immerse yourself in the vibrant world of coffee.
What is the goal of coffee cupping?
The main objective of coffee cupping is to identify and describe the unique characteristics of each coffee sample, assessing aspects such as aroma, flavor, acidity, and texture. This meticulous practice allows cuppers to discern the coffee’s quality, understand its sensory profile, and determine its suitability for various uses. During cupping, experts use their senses to analyze a variety of attributes, including fragrance, aftertaste, body, and uniformity, among others.
This process helps ensure consistency and excellence in the coffee industry and provides valuable insights for improving coffee cultivation, roasting, and brewing processes.
Coffee Cupping And How To Learn
Becoming a professional coffee cupper involves more than just a passion for coffee. It requires training, discipline, consistent practice, and learning to distinguish the fundamental characteristics of coffee: aroma, acidity, body, flavor, and aftertaste. Here’s a brief explanation of these essential coffee qualities:
– Aroma: The sense of smell plays a crucial role in coffee cupping. It helps us anticipate the taste of the coffee and is strongly influenced by the fragrance we perceive from freshly ground coffee and when hot water is poured over it.
– Acidity: This characteristic refers to the dry sensation felt on the edges of the tongue. A coffee with little acidity tends to be flat. Acidity varies depending on several factors, such as the altitude of the coffee plantations, the processing methods, the coffee varieties, and the type of roast applied to the bean.
– Body: This relates to the consistency, persistence, and texture of the coffee in the mouth, as well as its flavor and weight. These qualities are intimately connected to the processing of the beans.
– Flavor: This is the overall impression left by the coffee on our more than 10,000 taste buds. The aromas that travel from the mouth to the nose also contribute to this attribute. When evaluating flavor, the complexity and quality in the cup should be considered.
– Aftertaste: This sensation lingers immediately after drinking the coffee. Some coffees develop additional flavors as they change temperature, providing a pleasant and sometimes surprising taste experience.
Different Types of Coffee Cupping
Coffee cupping can be approached in various ways, depending on the timing and objective of the practice. Here are two distinct modalities:
Brazilian Cupping
This method is utilized for an in-depth evaluation of the coffee bean. It does not involve using a finished brew; instead, freshly ground roasted coffee is mixed with boiling water. The mixture can be infused for three minutes before being tasted in small sips. Brazilian cupping is highly regarded for its ability to capture all the nuances, flavors, and aromas of the roasted coffee bean. It’s the most popular method for its comprehensive approach to assessing the coffee’s quality straight from the bean.
Espresso Cupping
As the name suggests, espresso cupping is conducted with a freshly prepared cup of espresso. In this method, the crema is analyzed, and factors related to the espresso machine contribute to the final beverage. Espresso cupping focuses on unique aspects such as extraction quality, flavor balance, and crema texture. It offers insights into how variables in espresso preparation, like grind size, water pressure, and temperature, affect the final cup.
For a deeper understanding of how grind size impacts your espresso, don’t miss our comprehensive Grind Size Chart, a crucial tool for perfecting your espresso technique.
Coffee Taster’s Flavor Wheel
The Coffee Taster’s Flavor Wheel, created by the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), is a vital tool for anyone interested in coffee tasting, whether you’re doing it casually or professionally. First introduced in 1995 and revamped in 2016, the wheel helps tasters identify and describe coffee’s complex flavors and aromas.
The wheel combines aroma and taste, the two main components that create the overall flavor of coffee. It starts with broad categories like “Fruity” or “Nutty” at the center and gets more specific towards the outer edge with descriptions like “Apple” or “Almond.” This tool is excellent for training your palate and provides a shared language for discussing coffee tastes and aromas, making it easier to articulate the sensory experience of coffee tasting.
What is the SCA score?
The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) score is an evaluation system used to rate the quality of specialty coffee. This score becomes an essential tool to determine the quality of coffee and is widely recognized in the coffee industry worldwide.
The SCA Scoring Scale
The SCA scoring scale ranges from 0 to 100 and is used to classify coffee into different quality categories. Coffees that score 80 points or higher are considered specialty. Within this range, the classification is subdivided as follows:
– 90-100 points: Exquisite
– 85-89.9 points: Excellent
– 80-84.9 points: Very good
This scoring methodology ensures that only high-quality coffees are recognized as specialty coffees. The SCA score is a valuable reference for consumers seeking high-quality coffees and producers seeking to distinguish their products in the global market.
How to cup coffee at home
Cupping coffee at home is a great way to explore and enjoy different coffee beans’ diverse flavors and aromas. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you get started:
1. Gather Your Supplies
– Fresh coffee beans (several varieties for comparison if possible).
– A grinder (for grinding beans just before cupping).
– At least one cup (or bowl) for each type of coffee you’re cupping. Cupping vessels should be heatproof and ideally hold 150-200 ml of water.
– A kettle to boil water.
– A spoon for stirring (a soup spoon will work).
– A timer.
– Hot water at about 200°F (93°C).
– Optional: A scale for precise measurement.
2. Prepare the Coffee
– Weigh out an equal amount of coffee for each cup. A standard cupping ratio is 8.25 grams of coffee to 150 ml of water.
– Grind the coffee to a medium-coarse consistency, similar to sea salt. The grind should be consistent for each type of coffee.
3. Add Hot Water
– Pour hot water directly over the grounds to the top of each cup. Start your timer as soon as you begin pouring.
– Let the coffee steep for 4 minutes. During this time, a crust of ground will form on the surface.
4. Break the Crust
– After 4 minutes, gently break the crust with your spoon and stir the coffee. This is also a good time to lean in and smell the coffee — breaking the crust releases a burst of aromatics.
– After breaking the crust, let the coffee sit for another minute to let the grounds settle at the cup’s bottom.
5.Taste the Coffee
– Once the coffee has cooled slightly, it’s time to taste. Use your spoon to carefully slurp the coffee. Slurping aerates the coffee and spreads it across your palate, which allows you to taste all the flavors better.
– As you taste each coffee, think about the flavor, acidity, sweetness, body, and aftertaste. You may want to take notes on what you observe.
6. Clean Up
– Discard the used grounds and clean your cups and spoons once you’re done.
7. Reflect on Your Experience
– Think about what you liked and didn’t like in each coffee. This will help you understand your preferences and can guide your future coffee selections.
Remember, cupping is as much about personal preference as it is about the nuances of coffee. The more you cup, the more you’ll learn about different coffees and your own taste preferences. If you’re curious to find the beans that best suit your palate, or the finest ones for cupping, be sure to check out our guide to coffee beans from different regions. This resource is designed to help you navigate the diverse world of coffee and select the perfect beans for your next cupping session.
Conclusion
Now that you’ve discovered some essential keys to effective coffee cupping, we’d love to hear how these new tools have enriched your coffee experience. Have your perceptions about different varieties changed? Have you found any flavor profiles that particularly surprised you? Your comments and experiences are valuable to us, and we will gladly receive them.
Frequently Asks Questions About Cupping Coffee
1. What is a good coffee cupping score?
– A good score in coffee cupping generally starts at 80 out of 100 on the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) scale. Coffees scoring 80 or above are considered specialty grade. Scores of 90-100 are classified as “exquisite,” 85-89.9 as “excellent,” and 80-84.9 as “very good.”
2. What is the standard coffee cupping ratio?
– The standard coffee cupping ratio recommended by the SCA is 8.25 grams of coffee to 150 milliliters of water. This ratio ensures an optimal balance for evaluating the coffee’s flavor profile.
3. How long should coffee cupping take?
– The total process of coffee cupping typically takes about 15 to 30 minutes. This includes initial preparation, allowing the coffee to steep for 4 minutes, breaking the crust and smelling the aromas, and finally tasting and evaluating the coffee. The length can vary depending on the number of coffees being cupped and the depth of analysis.