Why Is Coffee Cupping So Important?

Tasting and blending coffee is a very complex, creative and scientific process which is unfortunately underestimated by a great number of people who actually work in the industry. Coffee cupping is one of those wonderful and very necessary rituals which sadly only a small percentage of coffee roasters, green buyers and retailers undertake. Unfortunately for the consuming public, this can lead to a lack of quality in coffee from those who do not regularly audit their suppliers, coffee production and the end product sold to consumers. Often these same people do not venture out trying new products and styles to improve the quality of the end cup. So why is coffee cupping so important, and what does cupping a coffee to produce an end product entail?

Coffee is a fresh product, is living and changing every second, which must be constantly checked throughout the production line. From one roast to another, from one bag to another, in order to put together a good coffee, the cupper (or taster) must also have an intricate knowledge of roasting, coffee origins, profiling, brewing and storage. Missing even one of these elements is like missing a link in a chain – the end product does not hold up. A good cupper, like a good chef, must have the skill to combine tradition and training with ability and creativity. They also need to explore new territory in order to continue to improve the coffee experience while still respecting established qualities and characteristics.

From crop to cup there are a number of important factors that affect the taste of coffee. Coffee, like wine, develops distinct flavour characteristics based on its country or region of origin. These flavours can develop and vary with season, growing conditions and harvest. Coffee processing is the next crucial element. From the two traditional methods of wet or dry processing, to the more cutting edge pulp natural, semi washed and double pass. Each processing method produces a different taste in the coffee caused by the different ways the layers are stripped from the cherries revealing the coffee bean within. If a cupper does not have the knowledge of the taste each method produces, they cannot understand how it will taste in the end. Fermentation within the beans can also happen at this time and spoil the cup, in similar fashion to corked wine. This major fault must also be tasted for in every bag of raw product to avoid destroying an entire roast.

A more commonly discussed contributor to the taste of coffee is roasting. The ‘Roast Master’ has the power to greatly affect the taste and flavour of the coffee with the processes used.  As well as different roasting methods and different types of coffee roasters, we must add to this, the different roast colours. Coffee can be roasted from medium or light brown, through to a high, dark brown, or caramel roast. Each colour will affect the taste – the lighter roasts have a higher acidity and milder taste, while darker roasts have a lower acidity and more intense taste. Time, temperature control, air flow and volume of raw coffee roasted will also impact the coffee flavour. To complicate things further coffee origins can be roasted separately then blended, or pre blended as green coffee and roasted together. Each taste profile is significantly different.

Equally as important is the production or brewing method of the coffee. The coffee should be blended and roasted to suit the brewing method, be it for a plunger, stovetop espresso, filter or espresso. The brewing process, which includes water temperature and water quality, coffee freshness, grind size and brewing time (the time the water and coffee are actually in contact), is fundamental to the end cup. You can have the best coffee in the world, but if it is not brewed correctly it will not perform.

Cupping is essential in producing a quality end product. The cupper must be aware of their impact on the final taste when selecting the original product. People in the coffee industry who do not cup their coffee or who shop for their raw product from a standard list have no control on how their coffee will taste.

Emily Oak is on the Board of Directors for the World Barista Championships and is the Asia Pacific Regional Coordinator for the WBC. She is also Training and Development Manager for Australian Independent Roasters in Sydney and a regular contributor for Crema Magazine.

Tags: coffee cupping, coffee masterclass, espresso coffee

This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 29th, 2008 at 12:10 am and is filed under Online Magazine, Opinion - news & views. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.