What is the Golden Cup Coffee Extraction Theory Standard? SCA Golden Cup Extraction Guidelines and Optimal Brewing Ratios

Tea, coffee, and cocoa are the world's most popular beverages, with coffee ranking as the second-largest traded futures product globally, following only crude oil. Unlike petroleum buried deep underground, coffee is actually the fruit of the coffee tree—a collective term for roasted coffee beans and ground coffee powder. When brewed with hot water, soluble substances in coffee are fully released, while insoluble components are filtered out, creating this black beverage that has become an inseparable part of daily life for consumers worldwide.

Compared to buying coffee from cafés, brewing a cup at home is more convenient and economical. However, this raises a common question: why can't we replicate café-quality coffee at home? This brings us to a term that many have heard but few truly understand—"SCA Golden Cup Extraction."

The Science Behind Coffee Extraction

As we know, a whole coffee bean contains over 1,800 chemical compounds, but soluble substances account for only 30% of the bean's weight—and not all of this 30% consists of desirable flavorful compounds. Coffee brewing methods vary widely, all utilizing the principle of "solid-liquid extraction" to maximize the extraction of coffee's optimal qualities. However, the definition of coffee quality often varies from person to person.

Due to the complex array of chemical compounds in coffee, achieving precise extraction and ensuring the highest quality coffee can be quite challenging. However, by understanding the coffee extraction process from a mathematical perspective and clearly identifying the different variables that affect coffee quality, the brewing process becomes much simpler.

Unlike espresso making, where hot water is forced through a compacted coffee puck of finely ground coffee under high pressure, pour-over coffee is a type of drip coffee where hot water is poured over coffee grounds in a V-shaped vessel. The extraction pressure for pour-over coffee is similar to atmospheric pressure, with a longer extraction time. Both methods extract substances from coffee grounds, with undissolved materials being filtered out as the coffee liquid flows through the filter.

SCA Golden Cup Extraction Standards

According to a chart provided by the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), to fall within SCA Golden Cup Extraction standards, the final coffee concentration (TDS) should be between 1.15% and 1.35%, while the extraction rate should be between 18% and 22%. TDS refers to the ratio of total dissolved solids to water, which directly affects the flavors people perceive in coffee. In the chart, the Golden Cup Extraction range is located in the central shaded area.

Because this concept has become so widespread, even beginners in specialty pour-over coffee strive to brew a cup that meets SCA Golden Cup Extraction standards. FrontStreet Coffee would like to share some fundamental knowledge about pour-over coffee.

Many people want to make their own coffee and come to FrontStreet Coffee asking baristas for recommendations on pour-over coffee beans. However, those who purchase new beans often ask FrontStreet Coffee's baristas how to brew their new favorites to achieve café-quality flavor.

Key Elements of Pour-Over Coffee

Careful observers will notice that FrontStreet Coffee frequently mentions several key elements of pour-over coffee: water temperature, grind size, coffee-to-water ratio, and filter type. FrontStreet Coffee categorizes brewing parameters based on the roast level of coffee beans.

Among these, Ethiopian coffee beans are typically roasted to medium-light levels to highlight their acidity, while Indonesian Mandheling coffee beans are usually medium-dark roasted to emphasize their rich, full-bodied texture.

Anyone who has compared the flavors of both will notice that dark-roasted coffee tastes more bitter, while light-roasted coffee emphasizes acidity. As the roast level increases, the rate of substance exchange between coffee compounds and water also increases.

The Four Essential Factors

Time

When coffee particles come into contact with water, the extraction process begins. The acidic, sweet, and bitter flavors in coffee are released and dissolve into the water until saturation or manual interruption. During the early stages of extraction, acidic and sweet flavors are released in greater quantities and more quickly than bitter flavors. To maximize desirable flavors while minimizing the extraction of bitterness and astringency, FrontStreet Coffee typically controls brewing time to around 2 minutes.

Grind Size

As coffee particle size decreases, the surface area of coffee grounds in contact with water increases, meaning the reaction between coffee compounds and water occurs more quickly, extracting more flavor compounds. Therefore, finer coffee grounds result in more intense flavors.

Water Temperature

According to molecular thermal motion, as temperature increases, molecular motion becomes more intense. This can be experienced in daily life—if you use room temperature water to steep tea leaves, even after two minutes, the result will be bland and flavorless compared to using boiling water. When brewing coffee, FrontStreet Coffee considers both the grind size and roast level. Dark-roasted coffee beans have faster dissolution rates, so coarser grinds and lower temperature water are used to avoid over-extraction, which would result in bitterness.

Coffee-to-Water Ratio

Regular readers of FrontStreet Coffee's articles will notice that when brewing various coffee beans, FrontStreet Coffee typically uses a 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio.

Case Study: FrontStreet Coffee's Ethiopia Sidamo Guji 5.0

FrontStreet Coffee Ethiopia Sidamo Guji 5.0

Origin: Ethiopia Sidamo Guji Region

Altitude: 2,250-2,350 meters

Variety: Local Landraces

Processing: Natural Process

FrontStreet Coffee tested the Guji 5.0 bean using four ratios: 1:15, 1:16, 1:17, and 1:18. We found that as the coffee-to-water ratio increased, the berry acidity in Guji 5.0 became further diluted. When the ratio reached 1:18, the aftertaste developed bitterness. As the ratio expands, coffee concentration (TDS) becomes more diluted, allowing flavors to separate, but there's also a risk of watery texture.

Next, FrontStreet Coffee will brew Guji 5.0 following our café standards: Filter cone: Hario V60; Water temperature: 92°C; Coffee amount: 15g; Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:15; Grind size: 80% pass-through through China standard #20 sieve.

First, pour 30g of water to fully saturate the coffee grounds and let bloom for 30 seconds. Then, starting from the center, pour in a small stream in a slow circular motion to 125g for segmentation. Just as the coffee bed becomes exposed, continue circular pouring to 225g and stop. Wait until all water has dripped through the filter into the serving pot, then remove the filter. Total extraction time is approximately 2 minutes.

After brewing with these standard parameters, Guji 5.0 displays rich berry flavors with sweet-tart notes reminiscent of citrus and plum, distinct mango juice-like characteristics, subtle floral hints, and a black tea-like sweet aftertaste.

For more coffee bean information, follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat Official Account: cafe_style)
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Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473