How Specialty Coffee is Graded: A Guide to the Cupping Process

How Specialty Coffee is Graded: A Guide to the Cupping Process. In recent years, the popularity of specialty coffee has increased, but what precisely it is and how it is graded remains a mystery to many. Specialty coffee is defined as high-quality coffee that is sourced, roasted, and brewed with care to showcase its unique flavors and characteristics. Typically, specialty coffee is cultivated in specific regions and is frequently of single origin, implying that it comes from a single farm or cooperative.

In this guide, we’ll take a closer look at the grading and cupping process for specialty coffee. We’ll explore how to grade beans, the steps to involve in cupping, and the factors that affect coffee grading. So, whether you’re a coffee lover or a coffee professional, read on to learn more about the fascinating world of specialty coffee grading and cupping.

Grading Process:

Grading is a crucial step in the specialty coffee industry, as it helps ensure that only the highest quality beans make it to market. There are several grading systems used in the industry, but two of the most common are those developed by the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) and the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI).

1. The SCAA system uses a 100-point scale to evaluate coffee beans, with scores above 80 considered to be of specialty grade. The CQI system, on the other hand, uses a 1-10 scale, with scores above 80 considered to be of specialty grade.
2. Trained cuppers carefully consider each of the criteria, including aroma, flavor, aftertaste, acidity, body, and balance, during the grading process to assign a score to coffee beans, regardless of the grading system used.
3. Aroma refers to the smell of the coffee and can include notes such as floral, fruity, or nutty. Flavor refers to the taste of the coffee, and can include notes such as chocolate, caramel, or citrus. The coffee’s aftertaste lingers on the palate after swallowing. Acidity refers to the brightness or sharpness of the coffee, while body refers to the weight or mouthfeel of the coffee. Balance refers to how well all of these elements work together to create a harmonious and enjoyable cup of coffee.

By evaluating beans based on these criteria, coffee professionals can identify the highest quality beans for roasting and brewing, ensuring that consumers can enjoy the best possible cup of coffee.

SCA Grading System:

1. 90-100 points: Exceptional coffee with unique and outstanding flavors.
2. 85-89.99 points: Excellent coffee with distinctive qualities and a balanced flavor profile.
3. 80-84.99 points: Very good coffee with some unique qualities but lacking the complexity and depth of higher-scoring coffees.
4. Below 80 points: Coffees with significant defects or off-flavors that don’t meet specialty coffee standards.

It’s worth noting that the grading system is just one aspect of what makes coffee a specialty. If a coffee does not meet other criteria such as being sustainably sourced and roasted to perfection, it cannot be considered a specialty coffee, even if it scores high on the grading scale.

Cupping Process:

Q Graders use this cupping process to evaluate and grade the coffee. It is a sensory analysis that involves the careful assessment of coffee aroma, flavor, body, and aftertaste.

1. Ground the coffee beans in coarsely grind size and use for the cupping process.
2. Q Graders will evaluate the coffee’s aroma by smelling ground coffee before adding the water. This is very important because it helps identify the coffee’s aroma.
3. In this step, Q Graders will add water to the cup has the ground coffee and let coffee steep for a few minutes.
4. Now, Q Graders break the crust that forms on the surface of the coffee, which will release the coffee’s aroma so the intensity, quality of the aroma evaluated.
5. Q Graders taste the coffee and evaluate the flavour based on a few factors such as sweetness, acidity, bitterness and complexity.
6. The cupper evaluates the aftertaste or finish of the coffee, which refers to the taste that lingers in the mouth after swallowing.

The cupping process involves using specialized equipment such as a cupping spoon, cupping bowls, and a cupping table. This is done by experts or Q Graders who is certified by the Coffee Quality Institute. It helps to identify high-quality coffee, which is essential for both coffee enthusiasts and industry professionals.

Factors that Affect Coffee Grading:

Before grading the coffee beans, experts or Q-Graders check various factors such as region, altitude, processing method, roasting process and age of the coffee beans that can have impact on it’s grading.

Here are some of the most important factors that affect coffee grading:

1. The region of the coffee from where it comes can impact the flavour profile and overall quality of the coffee as different regions have different weather conditions and soil type.
2. The altitude plays a crucial role and it can also have significant impact on it’s grading. Higher altitudes generally produce higher-quality coffee due to the cooler temperatures and slower maturation process, resulting in a more complex and nuanced flavor profile.
3. The coffee processing method can have a significant impact on it’s grading because different processing methods, such as washed or honey can result in different flavour profiles and quality
4. The roasting process can also affect the grading of coffee. The length of time and temperature used during the roasting process can significantly affect the flavor and aroma of the coffee and can result in different grades.
5. Finally, the age of the coffee can also impact it’s quality, the longer it stored the lower the grade because they may lose the flavour and aroma.

Understanding these factors is crucial for coffee roasters and buyers to determine the quality of coffee and assign the appropriate grading. By considering these factors, coffee professionals can make informed decisions about which coffees to source and how to roast them to produce high-quality specialty coffee.

The Importance of Coffee Grading:

Coffee grading plays a crucial role in the coffee industry, serving as a quality control mechanism for coffee producers and a guide for consumers looking to purchase high-quality coffee. Here are some reasons why coffee grading is important:

1. Coffee grading provides a standardized way of assessing the quality of coffee beans, ensuring that every batch of coffee beans meets a certain quality standard. This consistency in quality is important for both coffee producers and consumers, as it can impact the price of coffee and customer satisfaction.
2. Coffee grading allows producers to differentiate their products based on quality, which can help them command higher prices for their premium beans. For consumers, coffee grading provides a way to distinguish between different types of coffee and make more informed purchasing decisions.
3. A coffee’s grade can also serve as a marketing tool for coffee producers, as it can help them position their brand as a premium product. Consumers are often willing to pay more for coffee that has a higher grade, which can help producers increase their profits and build their brand reputation.
4. Coffee grading can also influence the perception that consumers have about a particular coffee. Higher grade coffee with great taste and quality, which can make coffee more advisable to consumers.

Summary:

Coffee grading is an important process that benefits both coffee producers and consumers. By providing a standardized way of assessing coffee quality, grading ensures consistency in quality, allows for differentiation, serves as a marketing tool, and influences consumer perception.

In conclusion, the coffee grading and cupping process are essential components in the specialty coffee industry. The grading process provides an objective and standardized method to assess the quality of coffee beans, while the cupping process allows for a sensory evaluation of coffee flavor and aroma. These processes enable producers to receive fair prices for their high-quality beans, while also providing consumers with the assurance that they are purchasing a premium product. By understanding the grading and cupping process, coffee enthusiasts can better appreciate the complexity and diversity of specialty coffee.