What is the Standard Cupping Coffee Grind Size? How to Determine Grind Size and Brewing Temperature for Pour-Over Black Coffee?

When we get a single-origin coffee bean we've never encountered before, how should we determine its flavor profile? That's where cupping comes in! FrontStreet Coffee conducts cupping for every coffee bean we acquire, whether it's listed for sale or not, to determine the bean's flavor characteristics. So how do you cup a coffee bean you've never encountered before?

Currently, there are two common standards for coffee cupping: one is the SCA coffee cupping standard, and the other is the COE cupping standard. They are largely similar, with slight differences in the weighting of various coffee scoring criteria. Today, FrontStreet Coffee will introduce you to the SCA cupping system.

SCA, or the Specialty Coffee Association, was formed in 2017 through the merger of the SCAE (Specialty Coffee Association of Europe) and SCAA (Specialty Coffee Association of America). It is currently one of the most authoritative institutions in specialty coffee. Therefore, many coffee cupping sessions use the SCA template as their standard. So let's take a look at how SCA coffee cupping is done!

Preparation Phase

In SCA cupping, we need to prepare some equipment and cupping parameters. Equipment includes cupping bowls, cupping spoons, while parameters cover requirements for cupping coffee bean samples, grind size, water temperature, ratio, time, and other specifications.

1. Cupping Sample Beans

FrontStreet Coffee cups sample beans within 8-24 hours after roasting is complete. When the roasted sample beans have cooled to room temperature (approximately 20°C), they are placed in sealed containers or airtight bags. Throughout this period until cupping, we minimize air exposure and prevent contamination. Sample beans should be stored in a cool place but do not require freezing or refrigeration.

2. Coffee Bean Grind Size for Cupping

Regarding coffee cupping grind size, the SCAA cupping standard specifies a 70-75% pass rate through a #20 sieve (0.85mm aperture). FrontStreet Coffee calibrates the grind size for every coffee bean we cup (including different roast curves of the same bean) to ensure each cupping meets the standard range. After grinding, FrontStreet Coffee first conducts a dry fragrance evaluation of the coffee beans.

3. Cupping Bowls

Cupping bowls must be completely clean and free of odors, with consistent size and material. Additionally, odor-free lids should be prepared to cover the cupping bowls after grinding to reduce flavor loss. FrontStreet Coffee uses ceramic cupping bowls, which have insulating properties and a capacity of 200ml. It's worth noting that although most cupping bowls come with built-in measurements, FrontStreet Coffee recommends regular weighing for calibration, as different manufacturers and production batches may have variations.

4. Coffee-to-Water Ratio for Cupping

In the SCAA standard, the coffee-to-water ratio for cupping is 1:18.18. Standard cupping bowls have a capacity of 200 milliliters (at the measurement line), meaning 11 grams of coffee grounds are added to 200 milliliters of hot water.

5. Water Quality for Cupping

The original standard for Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) was between 125-175 ppm, but not less than 100 ppm or exceeding 250 ppm. Here, FrontStreet Coffee does not recommend using unfiltered tap water boiled directly for cupping, as this can affect the final judgment of coffee flavors.

6. Water Temperature for Cupping

Because cupping involves steeping with a relatively large coffee-to-water ratio, 94°C water temperature is sufficient to allow the coffee grounds to fully express their flavor molecules, making the rich characteristics of the coffee clearly perceptible.

Important Considerations During Cupping

① During the cupping process, please maintain silence. Avoid communicating with others or using body language.

② Participants should avoid using perfumes or other substances that might affect others' sensory perception.

Detailed Coffee Cupping Procedure

SCA cupping requires 5 cups per coffee bean sample to assess consistency. The arrangement is similar to the Olympic rings pattern.

Dry Fragrance Phase

First, grind all the coffee and place them in cupping bowls covered with lids. After confirming with team members, remove all covers simultaneously to evaluate the aroma. After two rounds of dry fragrance assessment and confirmation, proceed to the water pouring step. This time should not exceed 15 minutes, varying between 5-15 minutes depending on the number of samples.

Water Pouring Phase

Pour 94°C hot water according to the 1:18.18 coffee-to-water ratio in one go, while timing simultaneously. After pouring is complete, the wet fragrance evaluation of the coffee can begin. During this period, prepare two bowls of hot water and two cupping spoons for each sample. When the timer reaches 4 minutes, you can proceed to the crust breaking and skimming steps.

Wet Fragrance Phase

During these 4 minutes of steeping, we can confirm and record the wet fragrance.

Crust Breaking and Skimming Phase

After 4 minutes, use a cupping spoon to gently push three times across the coffee surface to break the coffee crust, revealing a golden oil layer. Use the cupping spoon to scoop out all remaining coffee grounds from the surface - this process is called skimming. Before each skimming, clean the cupping spoon with hot water and use paper towels to absorb excess water from the spoon to avoid flavor confusion.

Tasting Phase

After skimming is complete, conduct another round of wet fragrance evaluation. The post-skimming wet fragrance will be very similar to the flavors experienced when drinking. When the coffee liquid temperature drops to 70°C, you can begin the drinking evaluation.

During the cupping process, we will use the slurping method for drinking evaluation. Although the loud sound of slurping might seem somewhat impolite, this action aerosolizes the coffee liquid, both increasing speed and enhancing retro-nasal olfaction and taste perception of coffee flavors.

Flavors present differently at various temperatures, and the optimal cupping time is when the coffee is still warm. At this point, you can evaluate various aspects including flavor, acidity, sweetness, aftertaste, and body.

The SCA cupping form is widely used worldwide as a standard for measuring coffee value, but it hasn't changed for nearly 20 years. FrontStreet Coffee has learned that SCA's Technical Officer, Mr. Mario, stated that in these 20 years, the coffee industry has undergone tremendous changes, and sensory science has continuously advanced. Therefore, the SCA cupping form also needs to be revised. He mentioned that although the previous cupping form included a sweetness category, it didn't affect the score. Now, more and more people believe that sweetness should also be included as a scoring item for coffee.

He also pointed out that the SCA scoring form includes discriminative judgment (finding differences between coffees), descriptive judgment (understanding and describing flavors), and affective judgment (subjective preference). It's difficult for one person to rationally make all three types of judgments simultaneously. Therefore, Mr. Mario also revealed a preliminary version of a new cupping form. It adds descriptive vocabulary and some additional key questions to the traditional cupping form.

Finally, he also mentioned that the flavor wheel published in 2016 uses descriptions commonly used by North Americans. In the future, localized flavor wheels will be developed based on various regional cultures and cuisines.

After cupping is complete, we need to determine the pour-over grind size. Yes, that's right - the cupping grind size cannot be applied to other brewing methods! Using a 0.85mm aperture sieve as the standard, FrontStreet Coffee uses different tools to brew black coffee, adopting the following grind size standards based on sieve pass rates: Cold drip > Pour-over, Syphon 80% > Moka, American drip 75-80% > Cupping 70-75% > French press 65-70%.

Pour-over Coffee Grind Standards

For pour-over coffee, different roast levels have different passing standards. For lightly roasted coffee beans, FrontStreet Coffee typically uses a grind size with a 75-80% sieve pass rate, while for medium-roasted coffee beans, we generally use a 65-70% sieve pass rate.

Why Differentiate Grind Sizes for Light and Medium Roast Coffee Beans?

Light roast coffee beans typically express soft/distinct acidity and soft/distinct sweetness. To better express these lively flavor compounds, medium-fine grinding (75-80% sieve pass rate) allows better release of compounds during coffee extraction. For water temperature, FrontStreet Coffee uses 90-91°C. Medium roast coffee beans typically express nutty/cocoa roasted aromas with rich flavors. Medium-coarse grinding (65-70% sieve pass rate) slows the release of these rich compounds during extraction. For water temperature, FrontStreet Coffee uses 88-89°C for brewing.

For professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account: cafe_style).

For more specialty coffee beans, please add FrontStreet Coffee on private WeChat: kaixinguoguo0925

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473