Cupping Your Coffee (and How to Do It at Home)

Why You Should Be Cupping Your Coffee (and How to Do It at Home)

If you're into specialty coffee, chances are you've heard the term cupping tossed around like it's some mystical ritual. But really, cupping is just a fancy way of saying "tasting coffee in a structured way" and it's one of the best tools out there for making sure your coffee is top quality.

Whether you're a roaster, a barista, or just a coffee nerd with a few too many bags of beans at home (we see you), cupping is a super useful habit to get into. Here's why it matters and how to do it yourself.

So... What Is Cupping?

Cupping is a standardized method for tasting coffee. It lets you evaluate everything from aroma to acidity to sweetness to aftertaste. The goal is to get a clean, unbiased read on the coffee’s flavor profile without any interference from brewing variables.

Think of it like wine tasting but with fewer wine glasses and more slurping.

Why It's a Big Deal for Roasters

If you roast your own beans, cupping is the easiest was to control your quality. It's how you check if your roast profile is bringing out the best in the beans. Are the fruity notes coming through? Is there any bitterness or astringency? Cupping helps you dial things in batch by batch.

It tries to take away the huge variables you get when brewing coffee with an espresso machine or even pour over filter, and sort of levels the playing field so you can focus on tasting the coffee itself.

Why You Should Cup at Home (Even If You’re Not a Roaster)

Cupping isn’t just for pros. It's a great way to train your palate and really get to know your coffee. You’ll start to notice subtle differences between origins, roast levels, and even processing methods.

Plus, it’s kind of a fun! Invite a few friends over, line up some coffees, and see who can taste the difference. 

How to Cup Coffee at Home

You don’t need a bunch of expensive gear to cup at home. Here’s a simple step-by-step guide:

What You’ll Need:

  • Whole bean coffee (try 2 or 3 different ones for comparison)

  • Burr grinder

  • Scale

  • Cupping or soup spoons

  • Bowls or mugs (5 to 6 oz capacity works well)

  • Hot water (just off the boil)

  • Timer

The Recipe:

  • Use 12 grams of coffee to 200 ml of water per cup

  • Grind the coffee medium-coarse, like raw sugar

  • Add dry grounds to each cup and smell the aroma

  • Pour water directly over the grounds and start your timer

  • At 4 minutes, break the crust with a spoon and inhale the aroma (this is the best part)

  • Scoop off any floating grounds or foam

  • Let the coffee cool for a few minutes

  • Taste by slurping from a spoon (yes, really slurp — it helps spread the coffee across your palate)

Pro Tip: Taste everything blind! Before you pour, Write down on small scrap paper which coffee is which and mix them up before tucking the note under each bowl.

Then jot down any notes you have as you taste flavors, acidity, body, and aftertaste. Over time, you’ll start noticing patterns in what you like.

Often when cupping my roasting I dont even worry about flavour notes and just score each cup on if I like it or not? I simply score -2 -1 0 1 2, with 0 being perfectly fine but not amazing. 2 being incredible and -2 being sort of gross and undrinkable.

Final Thoughts

Cupping is one of those simple practices that can totally change how you experience coffee. It doesn’t take much time or equipment, but the payoff is huge — better understanding, better brewing, and a deeper appreciation for the craft.

So go ahead, grab a spoon and start slurping.

Your taste buds will thank you.

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