The evaluation cup, also known as a tasting cup or officially as the international tea evaluation set, is the standard tea ware used globally for objectively assessing tea aroma, appearance, liquor color, and grade. The evaluation set consists of a tasting cup, a lid, and a tasting bowl (tea pitcher). Made of white porcelain, it has a standard capacity of 150ml.
To evaluate tea grades as fairly and accurately as possible, tea competitions utilize standardized tea ware and brewing procedures, which is why the standard evaluation cup was created. Generally crafted from white porcelain to best preserve the authentic flavor of the tea, these cups were originally designed for competition judging before eventually becoming a standard brewing method for everyday tea enthusiasts. They are especially useful during tea-tasting comparisons (“ga-cha”) to effectively contrast the qualities of different teas.
How to Brew Using the Standard Evaluation Cup
Take 6 g of tea leaves and place them into the evaluation cup. Fill to the brim with 100°C hot water and steep for 3 minutes. Afterward, pour the tea liquor into the pitcher and let it rest for 3 minutes. Once the tea has cooled slightly after 3 minutes, you can first smell the infused leaves, then the tea liquor, and finally taste the liquor to compare and evaluate the quality of the teas.