Glossary

A Coffee descriptor used to describe the “brightness of the brew. Often associated with fruity or citrus-like flavors.

A drink made with ice cream and a shot of espresso pulled over it. 

An espresso shot pulled into a serving of hot water to create an experiences similar to a cup of coffee.

Coffee processing where oxygen exposure is drastically reduced or limited allowing for specific acids to develop thereby imparting desirable flavors.

A high quality coffee species known for its complex flavors and sweetness.

The smell of coffee when grounds are mixed with water.

A person tasked with the duty to professionally prepare and serve coffee in a variety of ways.

The initial release of gas from coffee grounds when water is added during brewing.

The texture or mouthfeel of coffee ranging from light to heavy or full.

The Ratio of coffee to water used in brewing.

A coffee grinder that uses two revolving abrasive surfaces to grind beans evenly.

A drink made with equal parts espresso, steamed milk and milk foam.

Coffee Processing that creates a CO2 enriched atmosphere in order to assist in the creation of specific acids and flavor compounds.

Uneven water flow though coffee grounds, leading to inconsistent extraction.

Method of brewing coffee through immersion and extended time at room temperature.  This creates a rounded flavor.

The golden-brown layer of foam on top of a properly pulled shot of espresso. It’s made up of CO2, natural coffee oils, proteins and other soluble compounds. 

A method of tasting and evaluating coffee.

The release of CO2 from freshly roasted coffee beans. Many specialty coffee bags have a degassing valve on them to prevent pressure build up after bagging freshly roasted coffee. 

A double shot of espresso.

The amount of ground coffee used in brewing.

Coffee machine brewed by passing how water through a bed of ground coffee and then through a filter.

AKA “Natural Process”. A Coffee processing method where cherries are dried with the fruit still intact.

A brewing method to create a concentrated coffee where it is brewed by forcing hot water through finely ground coffee. The espresso is the base of many coffee drinks made in the cafe. (Eg. Latte, Cortado, Americano…) 

A machine designed to brew espresso by applying pressure to water.

**There is no official roast for espresso but when referred to as an “espresso roast”, it is commonly a darker roast. 

The process of dissolving coffees soluble compounds in water thereby extracting and separating the solubles from the insolubles.

A drink made with espresso and lightly textured steamed milk.

A manual brewing method using immersion and a metal mesh plunger.

The process of aerating and stretching milk with a steam wand.

Unroasted coffee. The color can vary between yellow to green to blueish green or even brown with decaffeinated coffee. 

The fineness or coarseness of coffee. While ultra-fine though coarse are common measurements, the grind size is scientifically measured in microns. Settings on different grinders do not correlate with each other.

The part of the espresso machine where the portafilter attaches. 

The darker bottom layer of an espresso shot.

A coffee processing method where the coffee is dried with the skin removed but a layer of pulp still attached to the parchment.

The milling process in coffee production where the parchment (endocarp) layer is removed. In most instances this is done after drying but in limited instances such as wet-milled (Gilling Basah) coffee it is done before final drying takes place. 

A coffee plant bred from 2 different species or varietals. A Hybrid could naturally occur or it can be purposefully cultivated by human. 

A brew method where you brew coffee using hot water and then cool to serve over ice. 

Espresso served over ice and cold milk is added.

Brewing category where coffee grounds are steeped in water. Common immersion styles are French Press and Cold Brew. 

There is not an official defined roast level for an Italian roast but when this term is used, it is typically a very dark roast.

A growing region in Indonesia as well as a slang term for coffee.

A growing region adjacent to Kona on the “Big Island” (Hawaii island) know for creating many award winning coffees.  

A container used to discard the “puck” of used coffee from the portafilter after brewing espresso. The portafilter is physically knocked against the box in order to get the coffee out. 

The most renowned of the 8 growing regions in Hawaii. 

A drink made with espresso and steamed milk. There is a thin layer of microfoam on top.

Patterns or designs created in a latte using milk foam. There are many latte art events throughout the world done for both community building and competitiveness. Events held at are often called “Throwdowns”

Coffee roasted with low level of roast flavor imparted from the roasting process. This roast level often highlights the process and origin to a greater level than darker roasts. Roast levels are not standardized in the industry.

A shot of espresso where it is pulled “long” with nearly double the water of a typical espresso.  This creates more volume and a less concentrated drink.

An Espresso “Stained” or marked with a small amount of foam from steamed milk. 

Coffee roasted with a moderate level of roast flavor imparted from the roasting process. This is the most common roast level and creates balance between roast flavor, origin and process. 

Tiny bubbles often imperceptible to the eye that are imparted into milk through the steaming process.

The sticky layer of coffee pulp that remains attached to the parchment after the pulping process. 

Nitrogen infused coffee. This brew style involves infusing a cold brew style coffee with nitrogen at ~30psi. This creates a microfoam of coffee bubbles and a creamier mouthfeel.

A Coffee processing method where cherries are dried with the fruit still intact. This creates a fermentation process that can impart fruity or citrusy flavors into coffee. 

There are many different certifying bodies with varying requirements throughout the world. They all carry a core principle of avoiding the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and GMO’s.

The place where the coffee was grown. It can be as general as continents and countries or as specifically as regions and farms but typically it is used to indicate the country where a particular coffee was grown.

Extracting more than the desired amount of coffee solubles into a brew. This will often create a bitter taste in the coffee.

The Endocarp of the coffee cherry. This is the hard shell that surrounds each coffee seed. The shell must be hulled off before roasting. 

A small rounder coffee bean. Peaberry’s occur when only one of the 2 seeds of a coffee cherry develop. This only occurs ~5% of the time and is considered a natural mutation. The rarity and demand for peaberry coffee alongside the challenges it can create in sorting adds to the value. 

A manual brew style where hot water is manually poured over the coffee grounds. This is one way to control the extraction rate and quality. Often times, a goose neck kettle with a slow flow will be used.

A license given by the Coffee Quality Institute to a professional coffee taster certified to evaluate and grade coffee using Specialty Coffee Associations cupping protocols and standards. Q-graders are awarded the license after passing over 20 intensive tests which challenge their ability to discern and describe flavors, acids, fragrance, aromas, sweetness, as well as recognizing specific defects that may be found in coffee. 

A certification awarded by Coffee Quality Institute. They are certified in coffee processing techniques. This certification focuses on the post-harvest stage of coffee production where coffee cherries are transformed into green coffee beans. They are trained to ensure coffee is processed with precision ensuring the optimal flavors of the coffee are available and processing defects are avoided. 

Coffee beans that have underdeveloped growing or ripening. They are identified after roasting due to their pale color and inability to be roasted at the same pace as the other coffee. They have an inherent peanut taste that can be discernible in the cup. 

Located in the back of the mouth where the oral cavity meets the nasal cavity.  This is the area responsible for how we perceive aromas when eating or drinking. It is significantly responsible for how we perceive, differentiate and distinguish flavors. 

A short, concentrated shot of espresso that utilizes less water than a typical espresso  to intensify the experience.

The approach and execution of roasting a specific coffee. Factors include pre-heating, initial temperature settings, fuel changes, airflow changes and when the roast is ended. Each roast profile is developed for a specific coffee and a specific desired outcome. 

The process of adding high heat to coffee in order to bring out desirable flavors in coffee. 

A common variety of coffee within the Canephora species. The variety often produces a cup that is more bitter, less sweet and a lower acidity than an Arabica. Robusta coffee has more natural oil that can produce greater creama in an espresso and it also carries nearly twice the level of caffeine than typical Arabica.

A movement emphasizing consistency, uniformity and higher production outputs.  

Coffee originating from a specific county, region or farm. The specifics of this term are unfortunately not completely defined. 

Coffee that has differentiated itself from the underlying commodity to produce a higher quality,  higher scoring coffee with significantly less defects. 

The perceived sweetness in coffee.

The tool used to compact a bed of coffee in the portafilter in order to create uniformity in how the coffee is extracted by creating resistance to the water being pressed through it. A tamper can be manual or mechanical. 

A movement emphasizing coffee as an artisanal product with enhanced traceability. 

Extracting less than the desired coffee solubles in a brew. This coffee will often taste sour.  

A cone-shaped brewing device used for pour-over and this one is specifically made by Hario, a Japanese based company. 

A specific coffee plant with unique genetics and characteristics found in appearance, characteristics and genetics. 

Aromatic chemicals released during brewing. 

A coffee processing method that uses water to remove the remaining mucilage after pulping in order to reduce its impact during drying.

A Coffee processing most popular in parts of Indonesia. The coffee cherry is pulped, briefly dried and hulled before finally completing the drying down to the desired 11% in green form. This is used to quickly reduce moisture in moist  environments where drying would be a challenge. 

A facility where harvested coffee cherry is brought to be received, washed and prepared for processing.

A process where specific, often not native yeast strains are added during drying and fermentation in order to impart desired flavors.