The art of cupping coffee
Cupping coffee is a method of tasting coffee practiced by coffee professionals to evaluate the attributes of a coffee and assess its level of quality. Though the term seems to derive from “cup tasting”, it is differentiated from just “tasting” by its specific, rigorous parameters, and (usually) its function in buying and selling green coffee.
This is the process that GCC coffee masters constantly carry out when determining the highest quality beans for our members.
Who cups?
Though anyone can cup coffee, cupping is primarily done by coffee professionals in very specific situations, e.g. traders evaluating a coffee to decide whether or not to purchase plural pounds of it for their coffee company, coffee roasters evaluating the profile they have used to roast a coffee, and baristas and other professionals developing their palates.
GCC has a team of coffee masters who dedicate their time to knowing, tasting and acquiring the highest standard of coffee, such as our Geisha from Nicaragua.
How do you cup?
In the simplest terms, cupping is brewing coffee using only water and coffee in a small cup or bowl (which removes the many variables different brew methods can introduce), looking at it, smelling, and tasting it.
GCC members consider that cupping should be fun and dynamic, holding tastings and inviting GCC members to participate in them on occasions.
How often do coppers cup?
It’s great practice for professional coppers to cup daily (even if they are not deciding on a coffee for purchase).
At GCC we make sure to try different beans as regularly as possible, our meetings are usually 3 times a week.
How to taste coffee notes?
Hot water is poured onto freshly roasted and ground beans directly into the cup and allowed to steep for 3–5 minutes. The infusion is then mixed and the foamy head removed.
The coffee will need to cool before tasting in order to avoid burning your tongue and to allow the flavours to emerge. Two spoons are used, one going in the cup and the other in the mouth.
In addition to being a quality control method, cupping is an excellent way to increase your knowledge about coffee. Tasting helps you learn how to identify differences between cultivars and countries of origin.
Step-By-Step Guide To Cupping Coffee (THE REAL BUSINESS)
Supplies Needed:
• Geisha Green Coffee Beans (20 grams of each coffee)
• Coffee Grinder
• Weighting Scale
• Timer
• Cupping bowls (measuring capacity should be 160ml-200ml)
• Rinse cups filled with hot water
• Hot water element
Cupping Coffee at home:
Instructions:
Step 1: Grind out 2 grams of the first coffee to prime the grinder, then follow with grinding the remaining 18 grams of coffee. Follow with this step for each coffee, starting out with 2 grams to ensure no other coffees inside the grinder will impede any flavours.
Grind each coffee to a coarse setting, and it should look similar to coarse sea salt.
Step 2: Put each coffee sample of 9 grams into designated cupping bowls, using two cupping bowls per sample. Be sure to use two for each sample because you never know if a defect sneaks into a bowl. After all, two is better than one! Assess the dry aroma of each coffee.
Step 3: Heat your water up to 200 (+,- 2) degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 4: Start the timer, and begin pouring 150 grams of water into each bowl.
Step 5: Assess the wet aroma of the coffee.
Step 6: At 4 minutes, begin breaking the crust. To do this, use the spoon to push the coffee grounds to the back of the bowl. Be sure to rinse the spoon after breaking the crust in each bowl.
Step 7: Using two spoons, remove the remaining coffee grounds and foam and dump into the spent coffee grounds bowl.
Step 8: Allow the coffee to cool, and at 13-15 minutes, you can begin tasting the coffees.
Step 9: Slurp the coffee in order to allow the coffee to spread along your tongue to taste the full range of flavours. As the coffee cools, you’ll be able to taste different and a larger range in flavour.
