Let’s get cupping!
The cupping process takes about 45 minutes to an hour to complete so set aside the time you need. If you’re doing it with a group of friends, it will likely take a bit longer, so give yourself a bit of a buffer.
Arrange the cups, spoons, rinsing glass on the table where you’re going to carry out the activity.
You will pour the hot water at the table where you’re cupping paraphernalia is located, which means you don’t have to carry the hot cups to where you want to taste.
Mocha Life online tasting
If you’re taking part in a Mocha Life tasting, get everything ready 5 mins before we’re due to begin, so when the start time arrives you’re ready to rock and roll.
Creating that Mocha Life vibe
Whether you’re tasting with friends or on your own, check our Mocha Life playlists, available on Spotify, (soon to be on Tidal, Apple Music and Amazon music as well). It will hopefully help to set the mood. (see https://mocha.life/playlists for more info). Be aware that everyone playing music at full volume whilst tasting may disrupt the proceedings a bit.
Tastings with friends?
Get everyone together on your favourite video call app, be it skype, zoom, whatsApp. You will have too much fun and you’ll find it interesting to know how your taste differs from your coffee mates.
Safety First
Remember, please be safe, and keep hot items away from the little ones.
Pour the water and put the kettle on to boil First things first, get the kettle on! You’ll want to boil enough water to fill the cups you’re going to be using. If you haven’t got a kettle with a temperature gauge, just boil a regular kettle and let it stand for a couple minutes so it’s ‘off the boil’ when you’re ready to pour.
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Distribute 8.25g/150ml water If you are using beans, set your grinder to a medium coarse grind
Once ground pour the grounds into a cup. Use one cup per coffee sample
For each variety, use about 2g of beans in between each grind to ensure none of the previous beans are left in the grinder, then grind your main batch
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What does it smell like to you? Note the aromas you are smelling from the dry grounds Use the coffee flavour wheel to help you describe what you are smelling There is no wrong answer, just try to identify as many aromas as you can
Fill the cups to the same level & start the timer Fill each cup with the water from the boiled kettle The water temperature should ideally be between 92-95 degrees celsius Try to pour each cup to the same level Start the timer and wait for four minutes
Stir three times to let grounds settle A ‘crust’ will form at the top of the cup where the coffee has bloomed. Use the back of your spoon to break this As you break put your nose close to the cup and inhale, you may notice some new flavours, note these down as well Stir the grounds three times, which will allow most of the grounds to settle.
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Let rest for further 10 mins Using two spoons, remove any remaining grounds from the surface of your cups The coffee needs to cool further before we start tasting You will be able to taste more flavours the cooler the cup becomes
Slurping is good Take a spoonful of coffee and slurp it into your mouth. Slurping helps to aerate the coffee so you can taste more Rinse your spoon in between each cup Note the taste and flavours you get from each cup on the cupping sheets you downloaded earlier
Using the flavour wheel User the coffee flavour wheel to refine your tasting notes Take in the whole wheel and refine as you go along Repeat steps 7 & 8 a few more times. Additional flavour notes will present as the cup cools
Share your discoveries Discuss the notes that you’ve made with your friends Part of being part of the Mocha Life community is the fun discussing your tasting notes Submit your notes to the mocha life site for comparison with the wider community