What is cupping and how does it work?

By Norbert Ahnsorge (Inhaber) · Published 23 March 2026 · updated 29 August 2026

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.

Feel free to drop by for a coffee — Green Wall Coffee, Sophienstraße 27 in Berlin-Lichtenberg, Mon–Fri 8am–5pm and Sat 10am–5pm.

Further reading

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