A detailed explanation of the Cup method for evaluating the quality of Coffee

How do coffee merchants taste a large number of coffee samples in a short period of time? That is the so-called cup method (cupping). On the other hand, the three main criteria for evaluating the quality of the cup test are Aroma, Body and Flavor.

It is easy to drink coffee powder in the traditional cup test process, so it requires practice and experience. The cup test method is roughly as follows: put the freshly roasted and immediately ground quantitative coffee powder into a wide-mouth dwarf cup, smell its flavor and dry aroma (Dry Fragrance) first, then pour hot water of about 95 degrees C and rest for a few minutes. Then press the powder into the bottom of the cup with a spoon and smell the aroma (Wet Aroma) as the steam rises. Place the cup sample for 3-5 minutes and then stir with a long spoon. While stirring, smell and evaluate the aroma and concentration of the steam.

Then pick up and throw away the coffee grounds floating on the surface, then use a special round silver-plated cup spoon to pick up some coffee liquid without residue, sip it into the mouth loudly, and disperse the coffee liquid to the mouth. Don't swallow it in a hurry. Let the coffee flow in the mouth and the tongue feel its consistency, whether the taste is still strong before swallowing it into the throat, slide the tongue to the upper edge of the mouth to feel its texture and taste. At the same time carefully taste the original taste of coffee, stay in the mouth for 3-5 seconds and then spit it out, and whether the aftertaste remains, or even sweet.

Then, according to the three main criteria, the coffee quality was evaluated according to Aroma, Body and Flavor.