Requirements for the credibility of sensory analysis of coffee

Abstract

This research to determine the minimum amount of testers was made to ensure the reliability of the sensory analysis of the coffee beverages. It were analyzed the scores assigned by three Q-grader who adopted the international rules from the Cup of Excellence (CoE) methodology. Based on descriptive statistics of the scores the testers assigned to eight sensorial characteristics of different samples for Red and Yellow Catuaí coffees, at the ripe coffee cherry produced in altitudes below and above 900 meters, it was concluded that the most important fact is not on the number of testers involved, but rather on the reliability of the scores they assign. Therefore, the reliability is a measure directly related to the homogeneity for the set of scores assigned by different testers, given the same condition for the evaluation.