Cup-testing is the most important part of quality control other parameters are:

- Too high moisture content indicate incomplete drying of the coffee at origin. If this reaches to about 14 % or 15 % it can then lead to development of off-flavours of a musty nature. Here there is also the economic aspect of buying large quantities of very useless water

- Low moisture content is undesirable in that beans being brittle tend to break up during handling then burn too quickly when roasted and this affects flavour

A fine to medium grind is prefered, the roasted beans are passed through the grinding machine and the ground coffee is weighed out into tasting bowls or cups 10 gms in each 200 ml bowl

Freshly boiled or near boiling water is poured onto the coffee to half fill the bowl and the contents stirred with a spoon. more water is added to fill the bowl completely after allowing to stand for 3-5 minutes scum and floating particles are removed with a spoon the latter of which should be rinsed in water between each bowl. The infused coffee is then allowed to cool to a suitable temperature for tasting. When assesing cup quality comparisons are made with a standard sample of the type of coffee under examination.

Before commencing to taste it is recommended to rinse the mouth with cold water, the taster sucks in a mouthful of coffee from the spoon rolls it around the mouth a little weighs its taste characteristics and then ejects it before going to the next bowl. the taster concentrates on the positive attributes namely acidity body and flavour

This is a sharp and pleasing taste that is neither sweet nor sour. It gives a sensation in the mouth similar to acid substances. It should not be associated with the sourness arising from over fermentation, it is regarded as a desirable attribute

This has to do with the mouth feel. It gives a sensation of viscosity where some coffee taste heavy or rich on the tongue

This is the combination of aroma and taste. this gives a high score if sweet and aromatic.

A scale of points may be used to record the level of each of these attributes in relation to a standard sample.

Coffee volatiles are numerous and varied in thier aroma quality potency and concentration and therefore contribution of each affects the overall aroma, most of the volatiles are derived from non voilatile components of the raw bean which break down and react during roasting forming a complex moisture. Pyrolysis, other reactions and interactions of components such as sugars, amino acids organic ascids and phenlic compounds resulting in the formation of the characteristic aroma an flavour of coffee

The three degress of roast are light medium dark where medium roast is the most prefered The acidity of the coffee extracts depends upon the degree of roast of the coffee; the darker the the roast the lower the acid content. The acids found in coffee and coffee infusions (or brews) are mainly aliphatic carboxylic. Other acids are alicyclic and heterocyclic acids

The receptors of the taste are the taste buds most of which are located on the tongue. regions responsible for taste are found in the palate, pharnyx and larynx, on the tonsils and epiglottis and in some people on the mucosa of the lips and cheecks, the underside of the tongue and in the floor of the mouth

The areas of greatest responsivenes however are in the upper suface of the tongue at its tip sides and rear surfaces (deman 1976). On the tongue some areas are more sensitive to one taste than to another. Bitter solutions are better tasted at the back of the tongue and sweetness at the tip. Sensitivity to salt is about the same onm most tongue areas and acids (sour) can best be detected along the sides of the tongue from midway to the back.