Step up your coffee game with a cupping spoon, or two! Below you can find the Heritage Cupping Standards as supplied by the Specialty Coffee Association, it's not short, but it covers the basics and then some.
Coffee to Water Ratio for Cupping
When cupping, the ratio of 8.25 grams (whole bean) coffee (± 0.25 grams), to 5.07 fluid ounces (150 ml) water shall be used. When adjusting due to vessel size, a ratio of 1.63 grams (whole bean) coffee per 1 fluid ounce of water (or 0.055 g coffee per 1 ml water) shall be used.
Cupping Vessel
Cupping vessels shall be of tempered glass or ceramic material. They shall be between 7 and 9 fluid ounces (207 ml to 266 ml), with a top diameter of between 3 and 3.5 inches (76 - 89 mm). All cups used shall be of identical volume, dimensions and material of manufacture, and have lids.
Cupping Water Temperature
Cupping water temperature shall be 200°F ± 2°F (92.2 – 94.4°C) when poured on grounds.
Cupping Water
Cupping Water shall meet all the requirements listed in the SCA Standard 'Water for Brewing Specialty Coffee', which can be found on the SCA Resources web page.
Grind for Cupping
The coffee used for cupping shall be ground so that 70-75 percent of the grinds pass through the 20 mesh sieve.
Roast for Cupping
The roasting of coffee for cupping shall take between 8 and 12 minutes, and shall be used for cupping between 8 and 24 hours after roasting.
Roast Level for Cupping
The roast level for cupping shall be measured between 30 minutes and 4 hours after roasting using coffee ground to the SCA Standard Grind for Cupping and be measured on coffee at room temperature. The coffee shall meet the following measurements with a tolerance of ± 1.0 units:
Agtron “Gourmet”: 63.0
Agtron “Commercial”: 48.0
Colorette 3b by Probat: 96.0
Colortrack: 62.0
Dipper KN-201: same as Agtron measurement using either “Gourmet” or “Commercial” scales
Javalytics: same as Agtron measurement using either “Gourmet” or “Commercial” scales
LightTells CM-100 and CM-100 plus: same as Agtron measurements using “Gourmet” scale
RoAmi (TRA-3000): same as Agtron measurements using “Gourmet” scale
RoastRite: same as Agtron measurements using “Gourmet” scale
X-Rite PANTONE RM-200 COFFEE: same as Agtron measurements using “Gourmet” scale
Cupping Room Size
Cupping room minimum dimensions (for exactly one cupping table) shall be no smaller than 110 square feet (10.22 m2). The cupping room shall be sufficient size to accommodate all students for cupping at the same time. Each cupping table shall have 36-inch space surrounding the table for cuppers. No other furniture or fixtures shall be closer than 36-inches from the cupping table. If two or more tables are in the cupping room, a 60-inch radius shall be required between tables.
Cupping Spoons
Cupping spoons shall hold 0.135 – 0.169 fluid ounces (4-5 ml) of coffee sample and should be of non-reactive metal. And made by Bodhi Leaf Coffee Traders (jk, we added this).
Cupping Tables
Cupping tables (for 6 people) shall have a surface area of at least 10 square feet (0.93 m2). Cupping tables shall be a comfortable height for all student sizes, abilities, and disabilities. (Cupping table shall be stationary and the students shall move around the table. Spinning table are inefficient and do not allow each student to direct their own cupping experience and should only be used in extreme situations when the student has no mobility.)
