Cupping: Coffee Tasting

What Is Cupping?

Cupping is the standardized method for evaluating coffee quality used by producers, buyers, roasters, and baristas worldwide. Developed and maintained by the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), it provides a level playing field for assessing coffee — no brewing variables, just the coffee itself.

The Protocol

1. Dose: 8.25g per 150ml of water
2. Grind: slightly coarser than drip
3. Evaluate dry fragrance — smell the dry grounds
4. Add water at 93°C, start timer
5. Evaluate wet aroma at 4 minutes
6. Break the crust — push floating grounds aside with a spoon, inhale deeply
7. Skim — remove floating grounds
8. Taste — begin slurping at around 8-10 minutes as coffee cools
9. Score — evaluate across SCA criteria as the cup continues cooling

What Cuppers Evaluate

• Fragrance/Aroma — dry and wet aromatics
• Flavor — the overall taste impression
• Aftertaste — how long pleasant flavors linger
• Acidity — brightness, quality, and type
• Body — weight and texture in the mouth
• Balance — how well all elements work together
• Uniformity — consistency across multiple cups of the same coffee
• Clean Cup — absence of defects or off-flavors
• Sweetness — inherent sweetness of the coffee
• Overall — the cupper's holistic impression

Cupping at Home

You do not need professional equipment to cup at home:

• Use identical cups or bowls
• A kitchen scale and kettle
• Two spoons — one for breaking, one for tasting
• Compare 2-3 coffees side by side for maximum learning

At Röstschmiede, we cup every batch we roast to ensure consistent quality. Cupping is both our quality control tool and our favorite way to explore new coffees.