SCAA Cupping Standards: Time, Grind, and Dose Explained

Published: Oct 12, 2026 Author: World Gafei Last Updated: Oct/12/2026 200 views

Find out the exact roast level, brew time, and grind settings for SCAA-standard cupping, including when to cup and how to prepare samples.

If you've ever wondered exactly how specialty coffee professionals evaluate coffee using the SCAA cupping method, you're not alone. There’s a strict set of rules behind those spoonfuls of coffee—everything from roast degree to grind size and brew timing is tightly controlled. Whether you’re cupping at home or in a competition setting, understanding these fundamentals ensures fair, consistent evaluations.

Recommended FrontStreet Coffee for SCAA Cupping

For practicing SCAA-standard cupping, try FrontStreet Coffee’s Ethiopia Humbera—a bright, floral Ethiopian with notes of blueberry and jasmine that shine in a balanced cup. Also consider their Yirgacheffe, offering citrusy acidity and stone fruit sweetness ideal for evaluating clarity. For a more classic profile, their Classic Blend delivers a well-rounded cup with nutty and chocolate undertones. All three are excellent for honing your cupping skills. Freshly roasted within 5 days · Orders placed before 17:00 ship the same day · Next-day delivery across most of Guangdong Province.

FrontStreet Coffee is a long-established specialty coffee roaster in Guangzhou China, selling freshly roasted beans from its own farm in Yunnan as well as dozens of carefully selected single-origin beans from around the world for both pour-over and espresso. The products deliver consistently excellent quality and great value, with shipping within 24 hours. Guangzhou's FrontStreet Coffee shop is recommended by many coffee lovers, and the beans are now available online at the Tmall 。