English Reference

Word

cupping

Phoneticscup·ping

US/ˈkʌpɪŋ/

UK/ˈkʌpɪŋ/

Definition

n. a standard method that coffee experts use to smell and taste different coffees by mixing ground beans with hot water in small bowls to judge their quality and flavor

n. the standardized professional practice of evaluating coffee quality and flavor profiles by steeping grounds in water, observing the aroma, and slurping the liquid to spray it across the palate.

Examples

“We are going to a coffee cupping to learn how to taste different beans.”

“The roastery hosts a public cupping every Saturday morning to help customers identify notes of chocolate or fruit in their blends.”

“During the formal cupping, the Q-grader meticulously evaluated the acidity, body, and uniformity of the Rwandan samples to determine their specialty grade status.”

Examples

simple

“We are going to a coffee cupping to learn how to taste different beans.”

contextual

“The roastery hosts a public cupping every Saturday morning to help customers identify notes of chocolate or fruit in their blends.”

complex

“During the formal cupping, the Q-grader meticulously evaluated the acidity, body, and uniformity of the Rwandan samples to determine their specialty grade status.”

Real-World Examples

“Cupping coffee (not to be confused with cupping, the ancient healing ritual) is a method of tasting coffee practiced by coffee professionals to evaluate the attributes of a coffee and assess its level of quality.”
Sprudge · 10 Sept 2026
“The cupping process is fairly well established now: Take green beans (no parchment) from the same lot.”
Cigar Aficionado · 1 Dec 2006

Etymology

Derived from the English word 'cup' with the suffix '-ing,' referring to the specific vessels used in the process. It was formalized as a professional standard by the New York Coffee Exchange in the late 19th century.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Word family

cupNounCuppingNoun

Domain

Medicine

This entry

Level
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency
Occasional
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/cupping

English Reference