COFFEE CUPPING





Coffee cupping has become a fundamental work tool for the coffee sector’s professionals. It allows us to identify and describe the sensory characteristics of a coffee lot and decide if it meets a previously defined quality standard.


There are many factors which define and affect coffee quality: species and variety, altitude and latitude, climatic elements (temperature, rainfall, humidity, etc.), soil composition, methods of cultivation, harvesting and processing, among others.


Knowing the quality of each lot is of utmost importance in all stages of the supply chain and establishing classifications contributes to a more responsible and equitable trading environment.


The cupping protocol


The Specialty Coffee Association of America’s technical committee established a set of standards for coffee cupping which allow a more precise evaluation of coffee quality.

It’s important to maintain a stable cupping protocol, using the same parameters every time a cupping takes place, so that all samples are evaluated under the exact same conditions.

Making sure that the only variable parameter is the coffee sample itself and that all the other parameters are unchanged leads to cupping results that are more precise and more calibrated.

 

Cupping table preparation

All samples must be cupped blindly in order to avoid any possible bias in the description and final score, keeping the information regarding the sample hidden from the cupper until she finishes the cupping process.

The cupping must take place in a quiet and well-lit environment, free from aromas that could interfere in the evaluation of the samples.
 
Sample roasting

Sample roasting takes place the day before the cupping. The samples should rest for a minimum of 8 hours and a maximum of 24 hours, for an optimal degassing of the roasted coffee beans.

Sample roasting takes at least 8 minutes, but not more than 12, making sure that no beans are overroasted or burnt.

Water must be poured at latest 15 minutes after grinding. During this time, the ground samples are covered with a lid and the latter will only be removed by the cupper in order to assess the dry fragrance.




Number of cups per sample

Five cups must be prepared for each coffee sample, which allows the cupper to describe the sensory profile, to assess the sample’s uniformity and identify if there are any cup defects.

 

Water

The water used in cupping must be clean, fresh and without foreign smells. It should not be distilled nor softened. The protocol indicates that the water’s total dissolved solids (TDS) should ideally be in the range of 125-175 ppm, but never under 100 ppm nor above 250 ppm. Controlling the TDS is important in order to ensure a good extraction of the coffee’s sensory attributes.

Water is heated to 93 ºC and the cup should be filled to the rim. After pouring the water, the cupper waits for 3-5 minutes before starting the evaluation.

The coffee-to-water ratio should be 55 g/L.




Cupping table procedure
 
1.   We start with a visual analysis of the sample in order to assess the roast degree.

2.   We then assess the fragrance (dry) of the sample, which remains covered at all times, except when the cupper is evaluating the cup.

3.   We pour water and wait for 4 minutes before breaking the crust one cup at a time in order to assess the aroma of the brewed coffee.

4.   After 10-15 minutes we start assessing the remaining attributes: Flavour, Aftertaste, Acidity, Body, Balance, Uniformity, Clean cup, Sweetness and Overall (impression).

We repeat this evaluation many times while the brew temperature goes down, in order to adjust our final description.

5. Finally, after having evaluated all the above mentioned attributes, we calculate the sample’s final score.




One of Xorxios’ main activities consists in selecting coffee lots in origin and cupping them in our lab in order to offer the best profiles of each country’s harvest.

By following and controlling all these steps when assessing all of our samples, we can establish the sensory differences between lots, describe their cup profiles and select those which match our preference. This allows us to give advice based on the certainty that each individual lot meets our quality requirements.



BACK TO XORXIOS´S BLOG
CONTACT

Phone: +34 629 198 613

E-mail: info@xorxios.com

Bajada a Playa Camposancos, s/n
36788 A Guarda (Pontevedra)
SPAIN

NEWSLETTER

Receive our news about specialty coffee


Disclaimer           Data Protection Policy           Cookies Policy

2024 © Xorxios S.L.