Quality control

Our quality control procedures operate throughout the coffee supply chain. All our coffee is strictly graded and samples are analysed in London prior to shipment. At Equatorial Traders, we really go to town in our cupping and quality procedures.

Because we only work with suppliers we have known for a long time, there is additional security that the right quality will be delivered against every contract. These longstanding relationships give us influence in resolving unforeseen issues speedily and effectively.

From grading beans to preparing a light roast to establish any defects, the thoroughness of our cupping procedures is second to none.

We establish a clean glass for cupping to begin. We then grind the coffee and create a standard measure. It is important to use water that is not quite boiling and also to wait a minute or two after pouring to let the coffee brew.

The first stage is then to test the aroma of the coffee, at its strongest at the moment of breaking the crust. The nose is a useful tasting tool and the nasal passage should be fully receptive to many subtle aromas. At this time we might sometimes top up the coffee with fresh hot water. The proportion of coffee to water is a critical variable.

Next the coffee is tasted by spoon and sucked abruptly into the mouth. This provides the palette with a sharp intake of flavour, allowing proper quality assessment. All parts of the tongue should be exposed. Keeping the coffee in the mouth, we can also assess body. After spitting out, there may be an aftertaste which is duly noted.

Finally, our experience shows that some coffees display different characteristics while cooling, so we like to re-taste the same sample several minutes later.

We like to write down our observations at each stage so we can document the quality of every cup. This is a fundamental part of our in-house quality management system. The thoroughness of our quality and cupping procedures allows us to optimise the coffee delivered to our customers.