Coffee Cupping - Traditional Equipment

Traditional Equipment

• Spittoon - Traditionally a spittoon is used for the taster to expel the sipped cup that is being tasted. The spittoon is typically large and held between the legs of the taster to facilitate spitting.
  
• Spoon - Traditionally a large spoon, such as a soup spoon, is used by the taster. Each taster typically has his/her own spoon for hygiene and for facilitating the tasting experience.
  
• Table - Tables for coffee tasting are traditionally circular, and swivel so that the coffee taster can taste one cup after another in a series of coffees being tasted. Traditionally tasters take turns with the senior coffee taster tasting first Followed successively by junior members.
  
• Stool - Traditionally there is a short stool upon which the coffee taster sits with the spittoon between his/her legs. The stool is intended to raise the taster to the correct level with respect to the spittoon and the coffee tasting table to facilitate tasting.
  
• Cup - The cups used for coffee tasting are traditionally 8 oz. glass, such as a whiskey glass, so that the coffee taster can see the color of the brew, and inspect the foam on top of the cup and the sediments formed at the bottom of the cup.
  
• Coffee sample trays - Traditionally coffee sample trays are set out on the coffee tasting table behind the cup being tasted. There will be a tray for the green coffee, a tray for the whole roasted coffee beans, and one for the fresh ground coffee; so that the coffee taster can inspect the color, and aroma of all three states that the coffee comes in. The coffee taster will run his/her finger through the coffee in the tray, then run his/her nose through the coffee in the tray.
  
• Coffee tag - Each Coffee sample tray will have a tag with the lot number, region, type of coffee bean and year grown listed on it, so that the taster can inspect the history of the coffee being tasted.
  
• Hot water kettle and heating stand - Traditionally there is one or more large brass kettles in a heating stand nearby the coffee tasting table keeping water at the ideal temperature for coffee tasting, which is typically just below boiling temperature.
  
• Roaster - Traditionally there is a gas fired batch roaster nearby the coffee tasting table for roasting small batches of coffee for tasting. Typically the coffee would be roasted and ground immediately prior to tasting.
  
• Grinder - Traditionally there is a small coffee grinder nearby the coffee tasting table as part of the coffee tasting equipment for grinding the coffee just after roasting, and just prior to tasting.