Coffee cupping: how to taste and analyze specialty coffee
Have you ever heard of "cupping"?
Behind this term lies an essential method used by coffee professionals to analyze and compare aromatic profiles.
Cupping is a codified tasting technique that allows evaluating the quality of a coffee through its aromas, flavors, body, and aftertaste. It is an indispensable tool for selecting, controlling, and understanding a coffee.
What is cupping?
Cupping, or coffee tasting, is a standardized method used by buyers, roasters, and baristas to analyze the characteristics of a coffee.
This approach allows for a precise evaluation of various criteria:
- aromas
- acidity
- sweetness
- bitterness
- body
- balance
- aftertaste
The goal is to identify a coffee's qualities, as well as any defects, using a common framework for evaluation.
As Anthelme Brillat-Savarin points out, taste is built on a succession of sensations. Tasting is not limited to an immediate impression but is part of an evolving experience, where aromas are gradually revealed.
How to perform a cupping?
To reliably compare coffees, cupping relies on a precise protocol that standardizes extraction and tasting.
Cupping steps
First, we grind the coffee to evaluate the dry fragrance, which are the aromas released before infusion.
The coffee is then infused in filtered water at a temperature of about 95°C. At this stage, the aromas evolve and can be evaluated again.
After 4 minutes, a crust forms on the surface. It is gently "broken" with a spoon, pushing away particles to release aromas. Residues on the surface are then removed.
The coffee is then left to rest for a few minutes until it reaches a suitable temperature for tasting.
Tasting is done with a spoon: the coffee is quickly slurped to distribute it over the entire tongue and reveal its full aromatic potential.
Why taste at different temperatures?
Cupping is performed in several stages.
As the coffee cools, different attributes are revealed:
- acidity
- body
- sweetness
- balance
- aftertaste
This evolution provides a complete reading of the coffee's profile.
Coffee tasting: a sensory experience
Tasting relies not only on taste. It mobilizes several senses, which work together to construct the overall perception.
The role of retronasal olfaction
During tasting, the tongue perceives flavors, while the nose captures aromas through retronasal olfaction.
This often unconscious mechanism plays a central role: without it, the perception of taste would be greatly reduced. Smell and taste actually work in a complementary way.
The influence of other senses
Sight also influences coffee perception. Color, texture, and visual appearance create expectations that guide the mouthfeel experience.
Even before tasting, our brain already anticipates certain flavors.
Sensory memory
Tasting draws on our memory. By identifying aromatic notes, we often connect them to past memories or experiences.
This is what makes each tasting unique: coffee becomes a trigger for sensations and images, like a Proustian madeleine.
Learning to taste coffee
Developing one's palate takes time and practice. Precisely identifying aromas and textures is not immediate.
To progress, it is recommended to use tools such as:
- the SCA flavor wheel
- aroma guides
These resources help structure the tasting and better recognize aromatic profiles.
Key takeaways
Cupping is an essential method for understanding coffee and evaluating its quality.
It relies on structured tasting, which mobilizes taste, smell, and sensory memory.
With a little practice, it becomes a valuable tool for refining one's palate and better appreciating the richness of coffee.

