What is a coffee tasting? You probably know the term whiskey tasting or wine tasting. Perhaps you have already taken part in one of these tastings? In principle, coffee is no different: a coffee tasting is a professional assessment of the quality of the coffee. And best of all, everyone can in principle do a tasting – you just have to be a coffee lover.
What is coffee cupping?
Look behind the scenes of coffee and learn more about the cultivation and processing of the popular hot drink through a professional coffee tasting. Coffee cupping – that’s what the coffee professional calls the process with which he checks and evaluates the quality of the coffee based on various criteria.
When it comes to coffee cupping, the aromatic scent of the coffee is just as important as its unmistakable taste. Coffee roasters usually conduct coffee tastings in order to compare different roasting profiles and assign a price to the coffee. However, some roasting companies also organize coffee cuppings to give their customers an overview of their coffee varieties and to present different varieties. During a professional coffee tasting you will get to know the subtle differences of the popular hot drink. And you will find out: not all coffee is created equal!
Host coffee cupping at home
You can easily organize a coffee tasting yourself at home. All you need are different types of coffee, coffee drinkers who are of course very willing to take part in the tasting, and our tips. It is important that all coffees that are to be tasted for the coffee cupping are prepared under the same conditions as possible.
That means: the same recipe, the same degree of grinding of the powder, the same water temperature and the same preparation. The ratio between coffee and water must also be consistent when tasting coffee. By the way: Bad coffee beans can significantly affect the end result. So make sure you always brew two different batches of the same coffee beans. The optimum tasting temperature is around 65°C. The coffee is spread gently on the tongue with a spoon and tasted. Can you identify the different aromas and flavors?
One last tip: In order to be able to evaluate neutrally when coffee cupping, it is important to take a break of 1-2 minutes after each round and to rinse your mouth with still water.
We hope you enjoy your coffee tasting!
