Coffee Cupping Concepts

Specialty Coffee and Cupping

Coffee quality is evaluated through both physical inspection—grading and classification—and sensory assessment through cupping.

The source describes specialty-grade green coffee as having no primary defects, no more than three full defects, no more than 5% of beans above or below the specified screen-size range, and at least one distinctive quality in taste, acidity, body, or aroma.

Physical Grading Example

An example batch may contain three full defects and less than 5% outside the buyer’s size specification. For a requested range of screen sizes 16 through 20, size 16 is included and no more than 5% of the batch should fall below it.

Density and Coffee Quality

Bean density is presented as an important factor related to coffee quality. Density can affect sorting, heat transfer during roasting, and the way a coffee develops in the cup, although it should be considered alongside variety, growing conditions, processing, storage, and roast execution.

Roast Level and the Agtron Scale

Roast color may be measured using the Agtron scale. Lower readings indicate darker coffee because less light is reflected, while higher readings indicate lighter roasts.

Interpreting a cupping result requires understanding:

• Roast level
• The coffee-roasting process
• Working temperature
• Bean density
• Wet and dry processing methods

Cupping Evaluation

A structured cupping table can be used to record and compare sensory characteristics. Common evaluation categories include:

• Aroma
• Flavor
• Aftertaste
• Acidity
• Body
• Sweetness
• Uniformity
• Balance
• Overall impression

Understanding how coffee is harvested and processed helps cuppers and producers connect sensory results with decisions made during wet processing, dry processing, roasting, and preparation.