For a useful first workshop, compare three to five contrasting coffees with one repeatable method, pour small portions and ask everyone to record impressions before discussion. The purpose is not to guess the most expensive coffee. It is to isolate what origin, processing, roast, freshness, grind, water and extraction can change.
The Specialty Coffee Association now frames professional evaluation through its Coffee Value Assessment, with separate physical, descriptive, affective and extrinsic assessments rather than one idea of value. At home, borrow the discipline of consistent preparation and the distinction between description and preference, without pretending to run a professional certification session.
Choose a manageable format #
| Format | Best for | Strength | Limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Three coffees, one method | Beginners | Coffee differences remain clear | Less theatrical |
| Home cupping | Curious enthusiasts | Efficient side-by-side comparison | Needs identical bowls and tidy workflow |
| One coffee, three methods | Advanced group | Demonstrates extraction effects | Harder to coordinate |
| Blind tasting | Any playful group | Reduces brand and price bias | Samples must be coded |
Allow about one hour for four to six people. A shorter social version is covered in our guide to a coffee tasting with friends.
Select three to five coffees #
Choose contrasts that the label actually supports: washed versus natural process, light versus medium roast, a floral profile versus a chocolate-led one, or regular versus decaf. Origin is a clue, not a flavour guarantee. Variety, processing, roast and brewing can overturn a country stereotype.
Look for precise origin, process, variety where known, roast date and a clear roaster description. Our guide to specialty coffee labels and certifications in Switzerland explains those details.
Prepare the equipment #
- beans and a burr grinder;
- a gram-accurate scale;
- kettle and consistent water;
- one stable brewer or identical cupping bowls;
- identical cups;
- one clean spoon per person for cupping;
- plain water, neutral crackers and note sheets;
- labels or codes that conceal each coffee.
Grind consistency is critical. One sample ground much finer can seem bitter, dry or intense because of extraction rather than the bean. Check the starting point in our grind guide.
Home cupping or filter brewing #
For an approachable cupping, use 8 to 10 g coffee per 150 ml water in equal vessels. Pour the same water at the same time, steep consistently, break and remove the crust, then taste by small spoonfuls as the cups cool. Professional mechanics are specified in SCA-102; a home host should prioritise repeatability and hygiene over mimicking every laboratory detail.
For filter tasting, brew each sample to one fixed recipe, such as 12 g per 200 g water or 15 g per 250 g. Do not change method halfway unless the announced subject is brewing-method comparison.
A one-hour schedule #
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 0-10 minutes | Explain the method and criteria without disclosing price or brand |
| 10-20 minutes | Grind, weigh and brew |
| 20-35 minutes | Smell and taste quietly; everyone writes three impressions |
| 35-50 minutes | Compare descriptions and preferences |
| 50-60 minutes | Reveal the coffees and connect observations to the labels |
Silence during the first notes reduces suggestion. Once someone says strawberry, others start searching for strawberry.
Use a short tasting sheet #
| Dimension | Useful questions |
|---|---|
| Aroma | Floral, fruity, roasted, spicy, chocolate-like or vegetal? |
| Acidity | Bright, soft, citrus-like, flat or sharp? |
| Sweetness | Round, dry, caramel-like or juicy? |
| Bitterness | Light, pleasant, dominant or drying? |
| Body | Light, silky, heavy or syrupy? |
| Finish | Brief, clean, persistent or harsh? |
Separate description from liking. A participant can accurately describe a bright, light coffee and still prefer the round chocolate-like sample. The World Coffee Research Sensory Lexicon offers shared references, but ordinary words such as toast, cocoa and citrus are already useful.
Portions, caffeine and hygiene #
Tasting several full mugs is unnecessary. Pour small amounts and permit spitting when many samples are compared. The EFSA identifies 400 mg per day as a level that does not raise safety concerns for most healthy adults, but sensitivity, pregnancy, serving strength and time of day matter. Offer decaf and avoid scheduling a caffeine-heavy workshop late.
Use individual spoons or a clear rinse-and-clean workflow rather than repeatedly sharing one utensil. At a workplace or public event, individual sample cups are simpler. Serve strongly flavoured food only after the coffee-only comparison.
Avoid the common failures #
- More than five coffees in a beginner session.
- Changing dose, grind, water and method at once.
- Pouring full cups and exhausting both palate and caffeine tolerance.
- Revealing price or reputation before the first notes.
- Treating the roaster's flavour notes as answers to reproduce.
- Turning the host's preference into the group's score.
A good workshop controls the preparation but leaves perception open. Code the cups, describe first, state preferences second and reveal context last. That structure teaches more than a lecture and keeps a home tasting welcoming.