In the previous post, we introduced cupping. Today, we will focus on the actual Cupping process, from the materials required to the step by step Cupping process that you can follow.
What you need for Cupping
- Your selected coffee beans
- Grinder
- Cupping bowl
- Cupping Spoon (or a table spoon)
- Kettle
- Pen and Paper
- Weighing Scale
The Cupping Process
1. Prepare hot water
Boil hot water and let it rest while you are preparing the coffee. Ideally, the water you use should be at 90C.
The brewing ratio we use for cupping is 1:10. (1 part coffee, 10 parts water)
2. Weigh out and grind the coffee
Coarse grind is recommended for cupping. Use 20g of coffee beans (or any alternative weight depending on your brewing ratio)
3. Place the coffee grounds in a cupping bowl or a glass bowl that can hold 200ml of water.
Cupping bowls come with markings. Alternatively, you can use any ceramic bowl for cupping as long as you can measure the amount of water you are pouring in.
And pour 200g of water.
4. Wait for 4 minutes.
During this time, you can sniff the coffee grounds (if there are any leftovers). Take note of what aromas you can pick up.
5. Break the crust
Using a cupping spoon (or a soup spoon), break the crust of the coffee using the back of the spoon.
During this process, you can go close to the cupping bowl and take in the aroma of the coffee.
Stir the coffee 3 times and lift the spoon, with its back up first. Bring the back of the spoon near your nose and smell the aroma again.
Take note of the aromas that you pick up.
A mentor once told me that the tasting of coffee (or any other things) is affected mostly by the smell.
Hence this step can play a very important role in your tasting later.
6. Get rid of any floating coffee grounds.
7. Slurping
Take a small amount of coffee on your spoon and slurp it into your mouth. (don’t worry about the noise)
This is how you do it: Slurp your coffee as though you are slurping on noodles.
Slurping allows you to introduce the coffee across your tongue for a balanced tasting.
For beginners, it is recommended that you slurp the coffee a few times, focusing only on a single attribute (aroma, flavor, body, acidity, etc) each time.
8. Rinse and Repeat
Rinse your spoon to prevent any cross contamination, and repeat the slurping process for other coffee samples.
9. Write down your thoughts
Write down what you thought about the taste and aroma during the process.
Remember to enjoy the process along the way!
