Cupping Score
Same method, every coffee
Cupping is how roasters and green coffee buyers taste side by side. Each coffee is ground coarse into a bowl, hot water goes on, and it steeps for about four minutes. The crust that forms on top is broken with a spoon, the grounds are skimmed off, and the coffee is slurped from the spoon as it cools.
Because every coffee gets the same grind, ratio and timing, the only thing that changes is the coffee. Cuppers score it on a sheet developed by the Specialty Coffee Association, with marks for each of these and points taken off for any defects.
- Fragrance and aromaThe smell of the dry grounds, then the wet coffee.
- FlavourWhat you taste in the mouth and nose together.
- AftertasteHow long the good flavours last, and whether they turn bitter.
- AcidityBrightness. Judged on quality, not just how much there is.
- BodyWeight and texture. Light and tea-like through to heavy and syrupy.
- BalanceWhether flavour, acidity and body sit together or fight.
- Sweetness, clean cup and uniformityChecked across several cups of the same coffee.
- OverallThe cupper's own judgement of the coffee as a whole.
What the numbers mean
Scores run out of 100. In practice almost everything lands between 70 and 95, and 80 is the line between specialty and commercial coffee.
| Score | Grade |
|---|---|
| 90 to 100 | OutstandingRare. Usually small, carefully processed lots with something genuinely distinctive going on. |
| 85 to 89 | ExcellentClear, characterful coffee where the origin and process really show. |
| 80 to 84 | Very goodThe entry point for specialty grade. Clean, sweet and well made. |
| Below 80 | Below specialty gradeCommercial coffee, bought mostly on price. This is what most supermarket coffee is. |
A guide to quality, not to taste
A score tells you how clean and well made a coffee is. It does not tell you whether you will like it. A bright, floral Ethiopian will usually outscore a rich, chocolatey espresso blend, but the blend may be exactly what you want in a flat white.
Scores also vary between cuppers and from one harvest to the next, so treat a point or two either way as noise. An 84 and an 86 are closer than they look. Use the score to rule things in, then choose on the tasting notes and how you brew.
Not sure where to start? Tell us how you make your coffee and we will point you at a bag, or use the brew calculator to get the recipe right once it arrives.