What is Coffee Cupping?
The definition of coffee cupping
What is coffee cupping? Coffee cupping is the industry’s universal language for coffee tasting. It is the standardised process used to evaluate the aroma, flavour, and overall quality of a coffee. By following a shared protocol, it’s used by producers, exporters, importers, and roasters to assess and compare different coffees.
It’s also the way we at Nordic Approach determine quality, select coffees, track consistency, and give feedback to producers.
How coffee cupping works
A standard cupping session follows a simple process:
- Weigh and grind the coffee to a specific ratio and grind size
- Smell the grounds to assess dry aroma
- Add hot water and allow the coffee to steep for 4 minutes
- Break the crust by stirring the grounds at the top and smelling the wet aroma
- Skim the surface to remove remaining grounds and oils
- Taste the coffee by slurping from a spoon, which spreads it evenly across the palate and aerates the brew
Each sample is usually cupped with multiple cups to identify inconsistencies or defects.
What we look for when cupping
Cupping is about assessing the clarity and structure of a coffee’s profile. Key attributes include:
- Fragrance and aroma: Smell of dry grounds and wet coffee
- Flavour: The main taste impression
- Aftertaste: How the flavour lingers
- Acidity: Brightness and liveliness
- Body: Mouthfeel
- Balance: How the components work together
- Uniformity and cleanliness: Consistency between bowls and absence of defects
- Sweetness and complexity: Positive indicators of quality
We use a cupping protocol as a foundation, but we also adapt based on context—sometimes adding our own descriptors, or simplifying sessions depending on the purpose.
Why cupping matters
Cupping is how we make buying decisions, evaluate new lots, and give quality feedback to producers and exporters. It helps ensure transparency and objectivity in the supply chain, especially when coffees are being evaluated by multiple people across different countries.
Cupping in the specialty vs commercial sector
In specialty coffee, cupping is routine and central to quality control. Coffees are scored, compared, and selected based on cup performance. Even small differences in flavour can lead to different pricing tiers or sourcing decisions.
In the commercial sector, cupping is less frequent and often limited to defect screening or broad category tasting. Flavour notes are less detailed, and decision-making is usually driven by price and availability.
Where Nordic Approach fits in
Cupping is at the core of everything we do. Our buying decisions are based on how coffees perform on the cupping table, not just on paper.
We cup every lot multiple times—at origin, in transit, and upon arrival—to ensure the quality matches our expectations. We also use cupping to train our teams, align with producers, and make transparent, calibrated decisions.