Coffee Cupping And Tasting

Coffee cupping and coffee tasting was developed as a means of consistently and impartially evaluating coffee. The process of coffee cupping includes a few distinct steps but is relatively simple if you acquaint yourself with the vocabulary required to describe the flavour and aromatic sensations of the coffee.

Essentials Of A Good Coffee Tasting Unit

The unit should consist of a spacious room with adequate artificial illumination. It is equipped with a sample roaster, grinder and a cupping table.

The roaster is capable of roasting up to five or six samples each of about 150 gms simultaneously and is usually heated by gas.

Roasting requires close attention over roasting must be avoided to give a good cup-assessment. The roaster is preheated, after which the sample is then introduced and inspected from time to time by inserting a long handled spoon.

When the beans start to crackle the heat is reduced, the coffee is finally tipped out into a cooling tray as soon as the desired colour of roast is reached.

Steps for coffee cupping

Grinding

A fine to medium grind is preferred, the roasted beans are passed through the grinding machine and the ground coffee is weighed out into tasting bowls or cups 10 gms in each 200 ml bowl.

Infusion

Freshly boiled or near boiling water is poured onto the coffee to half fill the bowl and the contents stirred with a spoon. more water is added to fill the bowl completely after allowing to stand for 3-5 minutes scum and floating particles are removed with a spoon the latter of which should be rinsed in water between each bowl.

The infused coffee is then allowed to cool to a suitable temperature for tasting. When assessing cup quality comparisons are made with a standard sample of the type of coffee under examination.

Tasting

Before commencing to taste it is recommended to rinse the mouth with cold water, the taster sucks in a mouthful of coffee from the spoon, rolls it around the mouth a little, weighs its taste characteristics and then ejects it before going to the next bowl. The taster concentrates on the positive attributes namely acidity body and flavour.

Acidity

This is a sharp and pleasing taste that is neither sweet nor sour. It gives a sensation in the mouth similar to acid substances. It should not be associated with the sourness arising from over fermentation, it is regarded as a desirable attribute.

Body

This has to do with the mouth feel. It gives a sensation of viscosity where some coffee taste heavy or rich on the tongue.

Flavour

This is the combination of aroma and taste. this gives a high score if sweet and aromatic.