This year marks ten years since we launched the original Acme Taster Cup—designed for professional coffee tasters who take their slurping seriously. Since then, it’s quietly worked its way into cafés, roasteries, training labs, competition tables, home kitchens, and event brew bars around the world. We’ve even spotted a few imitators along the way. Honestly, we’re flattered. If our little cup has helped lift the standard across the specialty coffee industry, we’re all for it.
Acme Celebrating 10 years of Taster Cups
To mark a decade of service, we’re releasing something a little bold: the Tall Taster 260ml in Penguin Black, debuting at this year’s World of Coffee in Geneva. It’s a fitting launchpad—the playground of coffee’s most exacting professionals—so it felt right to introduce the ultimate cupping tool to the toughest critics first.
Fully black and finished in a sleek high-gloss glaze, this version removes visual bias from the tasting process so you can focus on what really matters: flavour. No colour cues, no distractions—just pure sensory experience. It’s built for those who trust their instincts, train for nuance, and know that clarity comes from focus, not appearances.
And while the finish is new, the shape is a proven performer. The Tall Taster is our OG. Its taller profile gives coffee grounds more space to fall during brewing, resulting in a cleaner cup and a larger volume to taste from. That height makes all the difference when you’re midway through a cupping flight and trying to pull out precise flavour notes.
You can also choose between two base colours—Kōkako 002 or Milk White—so it’s still easy to identify your coffees, while still keeping the look clean and modern.
So what makes the Taster Range such a staple?
The popularity probably starts with the shape and smart details. Instead of relying on stickers (which fall off) or Sharpie scribbles (which rub off), we introduced a simple but effective fix: glazing the base in a different colour. It made triangulations quicker, cuppings easier to organise, and meant your dishwasher didn’t have a meltdown.
Of course, we also thought about the realities of busy cafés and roasteries—where space is precious. The cups had to stack securely, tuck into tight drawers, ride atop espresso machines, and hold up to daily use. That made them just as handy at home too. Think cereal, desserts, spices, dips, olives—you name it. They’re the kind of versatile, compact tool every kitchen (tiny or otherwise) can appreciate.
We originally created the Tasters in four sizes to support all corners of the specialty coffee industry—from production cupping and competition prep to home brews on quiet mornings. And ten years on, they’re still doing just that.
So, here’s to the next decade—fewer distractions, better brews, and cups that know exactly what they’re doing.
