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Coffee Glossary

Table of Contents

Acidity

A bright, crisp taste in coffee that creates a sharp and clean sensation on your tongue. Often described as citrusy, fruity, or wine-like. Higher-grown coffees typically have more acidity.

Adaptation

How coffee plants change over time to suit their growing environment. This includes changes to survive different temperatures, rainfall, and soil conditions.

Aeropress

A coffee brewing device invented in 2005 that uses pressure and filters to make coffee. It’s plastic, portable, and creates a clean-tasting cup of coffee in about 2 minutes.

Affogato

A dessert drink made by pouring a shot of hot espresso over a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The word means “drowned” in Italian.

Aging

The process of storing green coffee beans for an extended period to develop new flavours. Most coffees are best fresh, but some specialty coffees are aged on purpose.

Americano

A coffee drink made by adding hot water to espresso. It was named after American soldiers in WW2 who added water to Italian espresso to make it more like the coffee they had at home.

Arabica

The most popular type of coffee bean, known for better flavour than other varieties. It makes up about 60% of world coffee production and grows best at high altitudes.

Aspect

The direction a coffee farm faces on a hill or mountain. This affects how much sunlight the plants get and can change how the coffee tastes.

Barista

A person who prepares and serves coffee drinks. They’re trained in making espresso-based drinks and often learn about coffee brewing, latte art, and coffee knowledge.

Batch Brewing

Making large amounts of coffee at once, usually with a drip coffee maker. Common in cafes and restaurants that need to serve many people quickly.

Bean Density

How compact a coffee bean is. Denser beans are usually grown at higher altitudes and often make better coffee. Roasters adjust their techniques based on bean density.

Bitter

One of coffee’s basic tastes. Some bitterness is normal, but too much usually means the coffee is over-extracted or roasted too dark.

Blade Grinder

A simple coffee grinder that uses a spinning blade to chop beans. They’re cheaper than burr grinders but don’t grind as evenly, which can affect coffee taste.

Blend

A mix of coffees from different places or varieties. Roasters create blends to make specific flavour combinations or keep a consistent taste year-round.

Bloom

What happens when you first pour hot water on fresh coffee grounds. The coffee puffs up and bubbles as CO2 gas escapes. This usually takes 30-45 seconds.

Body

How heavy or thick the coffee feels in your mouth. Think of the difference between skimmed milk and whole milk – coffee can feel light like tea or thick like honey.

Brew Ratio

The amount of coffee used compared to the amount of water. Usually shown as 1:15 or 1:16, meaning one part coffee to 15 or 16 parts water.

Burr Grinder

A coffee grinder that crushes beans between two rough surfaces called burrs. It makes more evenly-sized grounds than a blade grinder, which means better coffee.

Bypass Brewing

Adding hot water to already-brewed coffee to make it weaker. Often used to make an Americano or to adjust coffee strength.

Caffeine

The natural substance in coffee that makes you feel more awake. A typical cup of coffee contains about 95mg of caffeine.

Cappuccino

An espresso drink with steamed milk and lots of foam on top. Traditional cappuccinos are one-third espresso, one-third steamed milk, and one-third foam.

Cascara

Tea made from dried coffee cherry skins. It’s what’s left after the coffee beans are removed from the fruit. Tastes sweet and fruity, not like coffee.

Catimor

A type of coffee plant created by mixing different varieties. It was made to resist disease and grow in tough conditions, but some say it doesn’t taste as good as other types.

Chaff

The thin, papery skin that comes off coffee beans during roasting. It looks like small brown flakes and is usually collected and thrown away.

Chemex

A pour-over coffee maker shaped like an hourglass. It uses special thick filters and makes very clean-tasting coffee. It was invented in 1941 and is in New York’s Museum of Modern Art.

Cherry

The red or purple fruit of the coffee plant. Each cherry usually contains two coffee beans. Farmers pick the cherries when they’re perfectly ripe.

Clean Cup

A coffee that tastes pure and free from odd flavours. Think of drinking fresh water versus water with a slight taste – clean cup means no unwanted tastes.

Cold Brew

Coffee made by soaking grounds in cold water for 12-24 hours. It’s less acidic than hot coffee and often tastes smoother.

Complexity

How many different flavours you can taste in the coffee. A complex coffee might taste fruity, chocolatey, and nutty all at once.

Cortado

A Spanish coffee drink made with equal parts espresso and warm milk. It’s smaller than a latte but bigger than an espresso.

Crema

The golden-brown foam that sits on top of an espresso shot. It’s made when hot water forces its way through the coffee grounds under pressure. Fresh coffee usually makes better crema.

Crop

The coffee harvest from one growing season. Different parts of the world harvest at different times of the year, depending on their climate.

Cupping

A standard way of tasting coffee used by professionals. They smell and taste multiple coffees in identical cups to compare them fairly.

Dark Roast

Coffee beans roasted until they’re dark brown and oily. They usually taste bold and smoky, with less of the original bean’s flavour coming through.

Decaffeination

The process of removing caffeine from coffee beans. It can be done using water, chemicals, or carbon dioxide, all while trying to keep the coffee’s taste.

Defects

Problems with coffee beans that hurt quality. These could be insect damage, weird shapes, or wrong colours. Better coffees have fewer defects.

Degassing

When roasted coffee beans release carbon dioxide gas. Most gas comes out in the first few days after roasting, which is why many roasters wait before selling their coffee.

Density

How heavy coffee beans are for their size. Denser beans usually grew at higher altitudes and often make better coffee.

Dialling In

Adjusting your grinder and coffee recipe to get the best taste. Baristas do this every day because things like weather can change how coffee extracts.

Direct Trade

When coffee roasters buy straight from coffee farmers. This often means farmers get paid more and roasters get better coffee.

Dosing

Measuring the exact amount of coffee you use. For espresso, it’s usually 18-21 grams. For filter coffee, it depends on how much you’re making.

Double Shot

The standard espresso shot size these days, using about 18 grams of coffee. A single shot uses about 9 grams. Most coffee shops use double shots as standard.

Drip Coffee

Coffee made by hot water dripping through grounds in a filter. It’s what most people make at home and what coffee shops serve as their basic coffee.

Dry Process

A way of preparing coffee cherries where they’re dried with the fruit still on the beans. Also called natural process, it often makes fruitier-tasting coffee.

Ephemera

Old coffee-related items that collectors value, like vintage coffee tins, old adverts, or antique coffee grinders.

Espresso

A small, concentrated shot of coffee made by forcing hot water through finely ground coffee under high pressure. It’s the base for drinks like lattes and cappuccinos.

Extraction

The process of getting flavour out of coffee grounds using water. Under-extraction tastes sour, over-extraction tastes bitter, and good extraction tastes balanced.

Fair Trade

A certification that means farmers got paid at least a minimum price for their coffee and workers had good working conditions.

Filter

The paper, cloth, or metal screen that holds coffee grounds and lets liquid coffee pass through. Different filters can change how your coffee tastes.

Finish

The taste that stays in your mouth after swallowing coffee. Some coffees have a short finish that disappears quickly, others linger longer.

First Crack

A popping sound that happens during roasting when beans expand and break open. It sounds like popcorn and marks the point where beans become light roast coffee.

Flat White

An espresso drink with steamed milk that’s popular in Australia and New Zealand. It has less foam than a latte and is usually served in a smaller cup.

Flavour Notes

The different tastes people spot in coffee. These might be fruity (like blueberry), nutty (like almond), or sweet (like caramel).

French Press

A coffee maker that brews by steeping grounds in hot water, then pushing a metal filter down to separate the liquid from the grounds.

Gesha

A rare type of coffee plant known for making extremely good (and expensive) coffee. It first came from Ethiopia but is now famous from Panama.

Grade

A score given to coffee beans based on their size, shape, and number of defects. Higher grades usually mean better quality.

Green Bean

Coffee beans before they’re roasted. They’re actually green-grey in colour and can be stored much longer than roasted beans.

Grinding

Breaking roasted coffee beans into smaller pieces. The size you grind to depends on how you’re brewing – espresso needs very fine grounds, French press needs coarse.

Hand Grinder

A manual coffee grinder that you operate by turning a handle. They’re usually cheaper and more portable than electric grinders.

Hard Bean

Coffee grown at high altitudes which makes the beans denser and harder. These beans often have more complex flavours.

Honey Process

A way of preparing coffee where some of the fruit flesh is left on the bean while drying. It’s between washed and natural process, and can make coffee taste sweeter.

Humidity

The amount of moisture in the air where coffee is stored. Too much humidity can ruin coffee beans, so they need to be kept in dry conditions.

Immersion

A brewing method where coffee grounds stay in contact with water the whole time, like in a French press or cold brew.

Instant Coffee

Coffee that’s been brewed, then dried into powder or crystals. You make it by adding hot water. It’s convenient but usually doesn’t taste as good as freshly brewed coffee.

Irish Coffee

Hot coffee mixed with Irish whiskey and topped with cream. It was invented in Ireland in the 1940s for cold airport passengers.

Latte

An espresso drink made with lots of steamed milk and a small layer of foam on top. The word means “milk” in Italian.

Light Roast

Coffee beans roasted for a shorter time, keeping more of their original flavours. They’re light brown and not oily on the surface.

Lungo

An espresso shot made with more water than usual. It’s bigger than a normal espresso but smaller than an Americano.

Macchiato

An espresso with a small amount of steamed milk added. The word means “stained” or “spotted” in Italian.

Manual Brewing

Making coffee by hand rather than with an automatic machine. Includes methods like pour-over, French press, and AeroPress.

Medium Roast

Coffee roasted to a middle point – darker than light roast but not as dark as dark roast. It balances the bean’s original flavours with roasted flavours.

Micro-lot

A very small batch of coffee from a specific part of a farm. These are usually higher quality and more expensive than regular coffees.

Milling

Removing the outer layers from dried coffee cherries to get to the beans inside. This can be done by machine or sometimes by hand.

Moka Pot

A stovetop coffee maker that pushes hot water through coffee grounds using steam pressure. It makes strong coffee similar to espresso.

Mocha

A drink made with espresso, steamed milk, and chocolate. Also the name of a type of coffee bean from Yemen.

Moisture Content

How much water is in coffee beans. Green beans should have 10-12% moisture. Too much or too little can ruin the coffee’s taste and shelf life.

Natural Process

When coffee cherries are dried whole before removing the beans. This usually gives coffee a fruity taste and is the oldest way of processing coffee.

Networking

When several coffee machines are connected to a computer system. This helps cafes track their coffee output and maintain consistent quality.

New Crop

Coffee from the latest harvest. It usually arrives a few months after picking, once it’s been processed and shipped.

Nitro Coffee

Cold brew coffee infused with nitrogen gas. It has tiny bubbles that make it creamy and smooth, like a stout beer.

Origin

The place where coffee is grown. Different origins have different flavours based on their soil, climate, and altitude.

Over-extraction

When too much flavour is taken from the coffee grounds. This makes coffee taste bitter and harsh.

Parchment

A papery layer that covers coffee beans. It’s removed during processing but sometimes left on during storage.

Peaberry

A natural mutation where a coffee cherry produces one round bean instead of two flat ones. About 5% of coffee beans are peaberries.

Percolation

When water moves through coffee grounds by gravity, like in pour-over brewing or automatic drip machines.

Pour Over

A brewing method where you manually pour hot water over coffee grounds in a filter. It gives you lots of control over how the coffee turns out.

Pre-infusion

Wetting coffee grounds with a little water before brewing. This helps the coffee extract more evenly.

Processing

The steps taken to turn coffee cherries into green beans ready for roasting. The main methods are washed, natural, and honey process.

Pulped Natural

A processing method where the skin is removed from coffee cherries before drying, but some fruit is left on. Similar to honey process.

Quakers

Defective coffee beans that don’t roast properly. They stay pale while other beans turn brown and can make coffee taste bad.

Quality Control

The steps taken to make sure coffee meets quality standards. This includes checking the beans, tasting the coffee, and testing brewing equipment.

Ratio

The amount of coffee compared to water used in brewing. Common ratios are 1:15 to 1:18 (one part coffee to 15-18 parts water).

Ripeness

How mature coffee cherries are when picked. The best coffee comes from cherries picked at perfect ripeness, when they’re bright red.

Ristretto

A shorter, more concentrated espresso shot made with less water. It’s stronger and more intense than regular espresso.

Roast Date

The day coffee was roasted. Most coffee tastes best between 4-21 days after roasting.

Roast Level

How dark coffee beans are roasted, from light to dark. Different roast levels bring out different flavours in the coffee.

Roast Profile

The time and temperature changes used when roasting coffee. Different profiles can make the same beans taste quite different.

Robusta

The second most common type of coffee. It has more caffeine than Arabica but usually doesn’t taste as good. Often used in instant coffee.

Screen Size

A measure of how big coffee beans are. Beans are passed through screens with different sized holes to sort them by size.

Second Crack

A second set of popping sounds during roasting, happening at higher temperatures than first crack. This is when coffee becomes dark roast.

Shade Grown

Coffee grown under a canopy of trees. This is better for the environment and can make coffee grow more slowly, developing better flavours.

Silver Skin

A thin layer on coffee beans that often comes off during roasting as chaff. Some might remain in the creases of the beans.

Single Origin

Coffee that comes from one specific place, like a single farm or region. This lets you taste the unique flavours of that area.

Siphon

A brewing device that uses vacuum pressure and looks like science equipment. It makes clean, complex coffee but needs practice to use well.

Sorting

Separating coffee beans by size, density, and quality. This helps ensure even roasting and better cup quality.

Specialty Coffee

High-quality coffee that scores 80 points or above out of 100 in professional tasting. It’s grown with extra care and usually costs more than regular coffee.

Staling

When coffee loses its fresh flavours over time. This happens faster with ground coffee than whole beans, which is why it’s best to grind just before brewing.

Stamping

Using a distribution tool to evenly spread coffee grounds in an espresso basket before tamping. This helps water flow evenly through the coffee.

Storage

How coffee is kept before use. Beans should be stored in an airtight container, away from heat, light, and moisture.

Tamping

Pressing coffee grounds down firmly in an espresso basket. This creates resistance for the water to flow through when making espresso.

TDS

Total Dissolved Solids – how much coffee is dissolved in water. It’s measured as a percentage and tells you how strong your coffee is.

Temperature

How hot the water is for brewing coffee. The best temperature is usually between 90-96°C (195-205°F).

Terroir

How the growing environment affects coffee taste. This includes soil, climate, altitude, and farming practices.

Third Wave

A movement treating coffee as an artisanal product, like wine, rather than just a commodity. Focuses on quality, origin, and brewing methods.

Tipica

One of the oldest varieties of Arabica coffee. Known for good cup quality but can be difficult to grow.

Triage

Sorting coffee beans by hand to remove defective ones. This is usually the final quality check before roasting.

Turkish Coffee

Coffee made by boiling very finely ground coffee with water and sugar. The grounds are left in the cup and settle at the bottom.

Under-extraction

When too little flavour is taken from the coffee grounds. This makes coffee taste sour and weak.

Uniformity

How consistent coffee beans or grounds are in size and shape. Better uniformity usually means better brewing.

Variety

Different types of coffee plants within species like Arabica. Each variety has unique characteristics and flavours.

Washing Station

Where coffee cherries are processed after picking. Farmers bring their cherries here to be turned into green coffee beans.

Wet Process

A way of preparing coffee where the fruit is removed from the beans before drying. Also called washed process, it usually gives cleaner-tasting coffee.

Whole Bean

Coffee that hasn’t been ground yet. It stays fresh longer than ground coffee and lets you choose your grind size.

Yield

The amount of brewed coffee you get from a certain amount of grounds. For espresso, it’s usually 2-2.5 times the weight of the grounds.