Coffee Taster

If you are a java junkie and can tell your Italian Roast from your Colombian Supreme, a career as a Coffee Taster might just be your calling. Coffee Tasters, also known in the industry as Coffee Cuppers, do exactly what it sounds like—observe the taste and aroma of brewed coffee.

As a Coffee Taster, you may work at a number of different venues, such as a roasting plant, and your job can entail sampling incoming batches of coffee and weeding out the undesirables, deciding which coffees will work well for certain blends, or discovering new coffee combinations.

The coffee tasting process involves sampling approximately six to 10 cups that contain about two teaspoons of roughly ground coffee. You pour hot water into each cup and make note of the aroma.

After a couple of minutes, you use a spoon to push down any grounds that have floated to the top, and take another whiff of the coffee. Once your cups of joe have cooled, you slurp a small amount from a spoon, and swish it around in your mouth to get a feel for its flavor, body, and acidity. Then you spit out the coffee, rinse your mouth, and move on to the next sample.

If you’re interested in a side of travel with your java, many Coffee Tasters have the opportunity to travel to coffee farms in exotic locations such as Indonesia, Brazil, and Jamaica. If you’re a self-proclaimed coffee connoisseur, a job as a Coffee Taster could be a dream come true.