Cupping Coffee Guide

The Fermentation Project: Cupping at Home

Live tasting

Saturday 3 October 2026
Livestream starts at approximately 3pm UK time on James Hoffmann’s YouTube channel.

Have everything ready by 2.45pm, but wait for James’s instructions before pouring the water.

You’ll need

  • 4 cups or bowls, ideally the same size

  • 2–3 cups or glasses filled with clean water for rinsing

  • 2 or more tasting spoons

  • A coffee grinder, unless your coffee is already ground

  • A kettle

  • Filtered water

  • A timer

  • A pen and paper for tasting notes

Recipe

For each coffee:

  • 12g coffee

  • 200ml water

Before the livestream

  1. Label four cups to match the four coffees in your kit.

  2. Measure 12g of each coffee.

  3. Grind each coffee to a medium-fine grind.

  4. Place each coffee in its labelled cup.

  5. Boil your water and allow it to cool slightly to around 97°C.

  6. Join the livestream before 3pm and wait for the tasting to begin.

During the tasting

  1. Pour 200ml of water over each coffee.

  2. Leave the coffees to steep for four minutes.

  3. After four minutes, gently break the floating coffee crust with the back of a spoon.

  4. Scoop off and discard any coffee remaining on the surface.

  5. Leave the coffees to cool for around 10 minutes.

  6. Taste each coffee with a clean spoon. Slurp to experience the full range of flavours.

  7. Rinse your spoon in clean water between each coffee.