Cupping is a fundamental term in the coffee industry. Cupping is a standardized method of brewing and tasting coffee without "distorting" the taste through the brewing method. It is used for quality control, which evaluates the cup quality of a coffee. First, aromas of the ground coffee are evaluated here before it is infused with hot water. It is also important here that the water has a constant composition of minerals (we recommend Volvic water - it's worth the effort!) and that the temperature is the same. As an ideal water temperature we recommend a value between 92.2 and 94.4°C. The smell will now change, because coffee and water react (Magic!). After about four minutes, the coffee granules will have soaked through and collected on the surface as a kind of crust. First the crust is broken up, then skimmed off in three movements of the cupping spoon. This completes the extraction process. Now, do not stir or move the cup. The tasters have to be patient for another 10-14 minutes before the big slurping can begin. Slurping is meant literally in this case: try to suck the coffee into your mouth so that the flavors spread all over your tongue. That way you'll get the full taste experience! After that, the fun isn't over, because it's also important to test how the coffee behaves as it cools. For this reason, several rounds are tasted with each coffee. The evaluation depends on several components that the coffee must pass: Taste, body, sweetness, acidity, cup cleanliness, aftertaste and overall impression. Additionally, attention is paid to balance, complexity and uniqueness. Now it's your turn! Our Headroaster Anthony has put together a list for you to try your own cupping at home. Equipment Uniform cups/bowls Cupping spoon (soup spoon works too) Coffee grinder Kettle Filter coffees according to Anthony's recommendation (as of March 2022) Floral and at the same time, light acids and bitter: this is our Samii Chelbesa #2 filter coffee from Ethiopia. Very fruity and laced with lots of sugary sweet notes: The Don Martin filter coffee from Costa Rica. Espresso according to Anthony's recommendation Our coffee for the experimental with fancy notes: The Shantawene Natural from Ethiopia! One of our all-time favorites with gently roasted flavors: our Sonora Villalobos from Costa Rica.
Instructions
1. Grind 8g of coffee at a medium grind setting.
2. Heat 135g of water to just below boiling point.
3. steep both for 4 minutes.
4. break the crust with 3 turns to finish the extraction.
5.Wait 10-14min and let's get slurping! If you would like to get in professional training with our trainer Joel, no problem! We offer Sensory classes where we explore different tastes together!