The Coffee Quality Process: From Bean to Cup

In the world of specialty coffee, every cup we enjoy has gone through a rigorous series of evaluations to ensure its quality. The quality control process is essential for highlighting the best characteristics of each bean and guaranteeing that coffee lovers have an exceptional sensory experience. Today, we take you behind the scenes to explore how we evaluate coffee before it reaches your cup, focusing on three key steps: physical analysis, roasting, and cupping.

1. Physical Analysis: Evaluating the Bean in Its Natural State

The quality control process begins with the physical analysis of raw or green coffee beans. This stage is crucial for detecting potential defects and ensuring that the beans are in the best condition for the next step: roasting.

• Bean Selection: Coffee beans come from different regions and varieties, each with its own flavor nuances. But before any sensory evaluation, we inspect the physical quality of the beans.

• Size and Shape: Beans are classified based on their size and uniformity. More uniform beans tend to roast more evenly, resulting in a cup of coffee with a more balanced flavor profile.

• Color and Brightness: A healthy green coffee bean should have a bright and uniform color, free of blemishes or discoloration. Dull or discolored beans can be signs of harvest or storage issues.

• Defects: Visual and manual inspection is performed to identify defects such as broken beans, insect damage, immature beans, or mold. Even one defective bean can alter the final cup's flavor, so these defects are removed before proceeding.

2. Roasting: Unlocking the Bean's Potential

Once the beans have passed the physical analysis, it's time for roasting, one of the most critical steps in the quality process. The way coffee is roasted directly affects its flavor profile, body, and aroma. For specialty coffee roasters, this process is both an art and a science.

• Roasting Curve: During roasting, coffee beans go through several phases where they change color, release oils, and develop flavor characteristics. Controlling the roasting curve is key: roasters adjust the temperature and time precisely to highlight the best attributes of each batch.

• Light, Medium, or Dark Roast: Depending on the characteristics we want to highlight, coffee can be roasted to different levels.

  • A light roast tends to bring out brighter, fruity notes with higher acidity.
  • A medium roast achieves a balance between sweetness and acidity, with more developed flavors.
  • A dark roast tends to give body and more intense flavors, with lower acidity.

• Quality Control in Roasting: Each batch is monitored to ensure it doesn't burn or over-extract. Small samples are taken at different points during the process to ensure the beans are developing correctly.

3. Cupping: The Art of Evaluating Coffee's Flavor

Once the beans have been roasted, we move on to cupping, a systematic process used to evaluate the sensory profile of the coffee. This stage is crucial for determining if the beans meet the necessary quality standards before being sold.

• Preparing for Cupping: The roasted beans are ground uniformly, and several samples are prepared with the same amount of coffee and water at a controlled temperature. The goal is to evaluate the coffee in its purest form.

• Sensory Evaluation: During cupping, different aspects of the coffee are evaluated:

  • Aroma: Both dry and wet aromas are evaluated. Aroma is the first indicator of what the coffee might offer in terms of flavor.
  • Flavor: The richness and complexity of the flavor are evaluated, looking for fruity, floral, chocolatey, or other notes.
  • Acidity: This is a positive attribute in specialty coffee. Acidity provides brightness and liveliness, but it must be balanced with the other flavors.
  • Body: This refers to the mouthfeel of the coffee. It can be light, medium, or full, depending on the density of the coffee.
  • Finish: The aftertaste or the sensation the coffee leaves after drinking is also evaluated. A good coffee should leave a pleasant and lasting flavor.

• Scoring and Selection: After cupping, each sample is rated on a scale from 0 to 100, following the criteria set by the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA). Only coffees scoring above 80 points are considered specialty-grade.

Ensuring Quality Before Sale

All these processes—physical analysis, roasting, and cupping—ensure that the coffee we offer in our shop has been rigorously evaluated to provide an exceptional experience. For us, every cup of coffee tells a story, and we want our customers to enjoy the best each bean has to offer.

Conclusion

The coffee quality control process is essential to ensure that the specialty coffee we offer maintains its high standards. From physical inspection to cupping, each step is designed to highlight the unique characteristics of the coffee and guarantee that only the best beans make it to our customers' cups. So, when you enjoy a cup of coffee, you can appreciate not only the flavor but also the effort and dedication behind every sip.