Standardized coffee tasting: ground coffee is covered with hot water, after 4 minutes the crust is broken and evaluated—aroma, acidity, body, sweetness, balance, defects. It is scored using SCA score sheets on a 100-point scale.

What is cupping and how does it work?

Standardized coffee tasting: ground coffee is covered with hot water, after 4 minutes the crust is broken and evaluated—aroma, acidity, body, sweetness, balance, defects. It is scored using SCA score sheets on a 100-point scale.

Why that is

Cupping is the most important tool in the coffee industry. Every coffee that is traded, bought, or evaluated goes through a cupping. It is deliberately kept simple—no special equipment needed, no complex brewing. This ensures the coffee itself is evaluated, not the brewing method.

Step-by-step process:

1. Grinding: 8.25 g of coffee per 150 ml of water, medium-coarse grind. At least 5 cups are prepared for each sample.
2. Dry smell (Fragrance): Smell the freshly ground coffee and note initial impressions.
3. Pouring: Pour 150 ml of water at 93 °C directly onto the coffee grounds. Start the timer.
4. Let steep for 4 minutes. A crust of coffee grounds forms on the surface.
5. Breaking the crust: Use a spoon to break through the crust three times while smelling intensely—this is where the full aroma unfolds (Wet Aroma).
6. Skimming: Remove the coffee grounds and foam from the surface.
7. Slurping: Use a special cupping spoon to take up some coffee and slurp it loudly—this spreads the coffee over the entire tongue and amplifies aroma perception.
8. Scoring: Record each of the ten SCA criteria on the score sheet.
9. Let cool and taste again: The flavor changes as it cools—a good coffee remains pleasant even when lukewarm.

Why slurp? The loud slurping isn’t bad manners—it’s a technique. By aspirating, the coffee is distributed as a fine mist over the entire palate, significantly improving sensory perception.

Why always the same? Standardization is the core of cupping. Same dosage, same temperature, same steep time—this makes coffees comparable. Whether in Ethiopia, Colombia, or Berlin: a cupping runs the exact same way everywhere.

In practice at Green Wall Coffee

At Sophienstraße 27, we regularly do internal cuppings when new beans arrive. Occasionally, we invite guests to open cuppings—a great opportunity to taste different coffees side-by-side and train your own palate.

Related questions

• What is specialty coffee?
• What does the 80-point SCA score mean?
• What do tasting notes on a coffee bag mean?

Stop by Sophienstraße 27 — Mon–Fri 8am–5pm, Sat 10am–5pm.