What Is Coffee Cupping? The Secret Behind Every Great Coffee We Roast

Ever wonder how coffee professionals discover tasting notes like chocolate, berries, citrus, or caramel in a cup of coffee?

The answer is coffee cupping. The industry standard method used by roasters, producers, importers, and coffee buyers around the world to evaluate coffee quality and uncover each coffee's unique character.

At Jungle, cupping is an essential part of our roasting process. It's how we select coffees, maintain consistency, and ensure every bag delivers the experience we want to share with you.

What Exactly Is Coffee Cupping?

Coffee cupping is a simple but highly structured tasting method designed to evaluate coffee objectively. By brewing coffee under standardized conditions, tasters can compare different coffees and identify their aromas, flavors, sweetness, acidity, body, and overall quality.

Think of it as a wine tasting, but for coffee.

Every coffee is prepared the same way so that the bean itself can shine, allowing tasters to focus on what makes each origin, farm, or roast unique.

How Does a Coffee Cupping Work?

1. Grinding the Coffee

Freshly roasted coffee beans are ground to a coarse consistency, similar to sea salt. A precise amount of coffee is weighed to ensure consistency between samples.

Even small differences in preparation can affect the results, so accuracy matters.

2. Adding Hot Water

Water heated to approximately 93°C (200°F) is poured directly over the grounds.

As the coffee brews, a layer of floating grounds forms on the surface, known as the crust. During this stage, the coffee releases many of its aromatic compounds.

3. Breaking the Crust

After about four minutes, tasters gently break the crust using a spoon while leaning in to capture the aroma.

This is one of the most exciting moments of the cupping process.

Floral notes, fruit aromas, chocolate, spices, nuts, or caramel can suddenly become very apparent, offering the first clues about the coffee's flavor profile.

4. Tasting the Coffee

Once the grounds have settled, the coffee is ready to taste. Using a spoon, tasters slurp the coffee loudly…yes, loudly!

The slurping action sprays the coffee across the entire palate and introduces oxygen, helping reveal subtle flavors and textures that might otherwise go unnoticed.

During this stage, tasters evaluate:

• Aroma
• Flavor
• Acidity
• Sweetness
• Body (mouthfeel)
• Balance
• Aftertaste
• Overall impression

5. Scoring and Comparing

Professional cuppers often score coffees using internationally recognized standards.

These scores help determine coffee quality, identify standout lots, build blends, and maintain consistency from roast to roast.

Why Is Coffee Cupping Important?

Coffee cupping plays a crucial role throughout the entire coffee journey—from farm to cup.

It helps producers understand the quality of their harvests, allows importers to select exceptional lots, and enables roasters to choose coffees that align with their vision.

For us at Jungle, cupping helps ensure that every coffee we offer meets our standards for quality, transparency, and flavor.

It's also a reminder that coffee is incredibly diverse. A bright and fruity Rwanda can taste completely different from a rich and chocolatey Colombia, and cupping helps us celebrate those differences.

Next Time You Drink Coffee...

Take a moment to slow down and explore what's in your cup. Can you detect notes of berries? Citrus? Chocolate? Nuts?

You don't need a cupping spoon or professional training to appreciate coffee. Curiosity is the most important tool.

Every bag of coffee tells a story, and cupping is one of the ways we learn to listen.