Our comprehensive coffee glossary covers the essential terms for brewing specialty coffee at home. We consider this a living reference and resource for coffee aficionados looking to deepen their knowledge and improve their home brewing skills.
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AeroPress - A manual coffee maker that uses air pressure to force hot water through ground coffee.
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Arabica - A species of coffee plant that produces high-quality beans with a sweet and fruity flavor.
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Barista - A person who is trained in the art of making and serving coffee.
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Bloom - The process of pouring hot water over freshly ground coffee to release carbon dioxide gases from the beans, allowing for a more even extraction.
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Body - The texture or mouthfeel of coffee, which can range from light and watery to heavy and creamy.
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Caffeine - A natural stimulant found in coffee that can affect energy levels and mood.
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Chemex - A manual pour-over coffee maker that uses a thick paper filter to produce a clean and flavorful cup of coffee.
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Cupping - A method of tasting and evaluating coffee that involves smelling and slurping the coffee to evaluate its aroma, flavor, and body.
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Dark Roast - A coffee that has been roasted for a longer amount of time, resulting in a dark brown color and a strong, bold flavor with a low acidity.
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Decaffeinated - Coffee that has had most of its caffeine content removed.
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Direct Trade - A sourcing model for specialty coffee that involves direct communication and relationships between coffee farmers and roasters, often resulting in higher prices and quality for the farmers.
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Drip Brewing Machine - A machine that automatically drips hot water over ground coffee to produce a large quantity of coffee quickly.
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Espresso - A concentrated coffee beverage made by forcing hot water through finely ground coffee under high pressure.
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Extraction Time - The length of time that hot water is in contact with coffee grounds during the brewing process.
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Filter - A device used to remove coffee grounds from brewed coffee.
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Flavor Profile - The unique combination of flavors, aromas, and characteristics that can be tasted in a particular coffee.
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Flavor Wheel - A tool used to help describe and categorize the different flavors and aromas that can be found in coffee, often used in cupping to identify specific notes in a coffee's flavor profile.
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French Roast - A dark roast coffee that has been roasted for a longer amount of time than a regular dark roast, resulting in a very dark brown color and a smoky, bold flavor with a low acidity.
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Full City Roast - A medium to dark roast coffee that has been roasted for a longer amount of time, resulting in a darker brown color and a more developed flavor profile with a mild sweetness.
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Grind Consistency - The uniformity of coffee grounds, which can affect the extraction and flavor of the coffee.
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Italian Roast - A dark roast coffee that has been roasted for a longer amount of time than a French roast, resulting in an almost black color and a very bold, intense flavor with a low acidity. It is often used for making espresso.
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Light Roast - A coffee that has been roasted for a short amount of time, resulting in a light brown color and a mild flavor with a higher acidity.
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Medium Roast - A coffee that has been roasted for a moderate amount of time, resulting in a medium brown color and a balance of acidity and sweetness. It is often referred to as a "regular" roast.
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Organic - Coffee that is grown without the use of synthetic fertilizers or pesticides.
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Over Extracted - A term used to describe coffee that has been brewed for too long or with water that is too hot, resulting in a bitter and unpleasant taste.
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Pour Over - A manual coffee brewing method that involves pouring hot water over ground coffee through a filter.
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Single Origin - Coffee that comes from a single farm or region, allowing for the unique flavor profile of that specific location to be highlighted.
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Specialty Coffee - High-quality coffee that is grown, processed, and roasted with a focus on exceptional taste and ethical sourcing. Less than 3% of the world's coffee supply meets the standard of specialty grade coffee.
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Swiss Water® Process - A method of decaffeinating coffee beans without the use of chemicals, instead using water and activated carbon to remove caffeine while preserving the flavor of the coffee.
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Under Extracted - A term used to describe coffee that has not been brewed for long enough or with water that is too cool, resulting in a weak and sour taste.
- Vienna Roast - A dark roast coffee that is roasted just beyond the Full City Roast stage, resulting in a dark brown color and a slightly oily surface. The beans are roasted to the point where the oils begin to rise to the surface, giving the coffee a rich and robust flavor with a low acidity.