In coffee shops, you can often see professionals gathered around a row of small cups of coffee, scooping with a spoon and slurping hard with a "sss" sound. This is cupping, a standard method of coffee tasting. It sounds very professional, but in fact ordinary enthusiasts can also do it at home. It not only helps you clearly understand the flavors, but also helps you discover which types of coffee suit your taste better.

What cupping is doing

The purpose of cupping is to compare the same batch or different batches of coffee under the same conditions, eliminate brewing variables, and focus on tasting the flavor of the coffee beans themselves. The standard process is simple: put ground coffee into a cup, pour in hot water and let it steep for a few minutes, then after the crust forms, break it with a spoon and remove the grounds, then smell and taste. Because it does not pursue whether a particular cup is "brewed well," cupping can better reflect the true level of the beans.

How to set up a cupping at home

Doing cupping at home only requires a somewhat deep bowl, a small spoon, and a digital scale. For each type of bean, use a fixed amount of coffee (for example 12 g) and the same water temperature (around 94°C). After pouring the water, let it steep. When breaking the crust, you will smell a rich dry aroma and wet aroma, and this step is worth slowing down for so you can smell it carefully. After that, wait until the coffee cools slightly, scoop it with a spoon and slurp, atomizing the coffee throughout your mouth, and the sourness, sweetness, and bitterness will all become clearer. Qianjie Ethiopia Huakui in this way of drinking has a very bold tropical fruit aroma; switch to Qianjie Kenya Small Tomato, and its bright acidity and dark plum aroma are more prominent.

How to record cupping more effectively

Professional cupping scores from several dimensions: aroma, acidity, sweetness, mouthfeel, and aftertaste. Enthusiasts do not need to stick to scores, and can record according to these items: what aromas you smelled, whether the acidity is bright or soft, whether the sweetness is obvious, whether it feels smooth or astringent when drinking, and how long the sweet aftertaste lasts. Put Qianjie Yirgacheffe Gudingding and Qianjie Brazil Queen's Estate together for cupping, one acidic and one sweet, one floral-fruity and one nutty, and the contrast appears immediately; add Qianjie PWN Indonesia Golden Mandheling, and the heaviness of a full-bodied contender is also clear at a glance.

The changes cupping brings

After learning cupping, you will begin to notice the details in coffee that you usually overlook. The changes in the same type of bean at different temperatures, and the subtle differences between different batches, can all be captured. For people who want to improve their pour-over technique, cupping can also help you judge whether the problem lies with the beans or with the brewing.

Cupping does not require any advanced skills; a table, a few types of beans, and an afternoon are enough. Invite friends who also love drinking coffee, each bring a type of bean to cup, and chat while drinking, and you will find that your understanding of coffee is deepening cup by cup.