A comprehensive coffee glossary covering 50+ essential terms. From acidity to yield, learn the language of specialty coffee, brewing methods, grind sizes, and flavor descriptors.
Coffee has its own language. If you're new to specialty coffee or home brewing, terms like "ristretto," "channeling," and "first crack" can feel like jargon designed to keep you out. They're not—they're precise words for specific concepts that help you make better coffee.
This glossary defines 50+ essential coffee terms in plain English. Use it as a reference when reading brew guides, recipe notes, or roaster descriptions.
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The bright, tart, or tangy quality in coffee that tastes like citrus, berries, or wine. Not the same as sourness (which is a defect). Acidity is a desirable trait in specialty coffee, especially in light roasts from high-altitude regions like Ethiopia or Kenya.
On BrewMark: Acidity is one of six dimensions in our taste vector matching system. Recipes are ranked based on how closely they match your acidity preferences.
A manual brewing device invented by Alan Adler in 2005. Uses air pressure to push water through coffee grounds, creating a concentrated brew similar to espresso but without the crema. Brew time: 1-3 minutes. Grind size: medium-fine.
On BrewMark: Find community recipes for AeroPress with grind settings adapted to your specific grinder.
An Italian dessert where a shot of hot espresso is poured over vanilla gelato or ice cream. The coffee melts the ice cream into a sweet, creamy mixture.
One of two main coffee species (the other is Robusta). Arabica accounts for 60-70% of global coffee production and is the standard for specialty coffee. It has more complex flavor, higher acidity, and less caffeine than Robusta. Grows best at high altitudes (1,200-2,200 meters).
The initial pour of water during pour-over brewing. You wet the grounds with 2-3x the weight of the coffee dose (e.g., 30g water for 15g coffee) and wait 30-45 seconds. This releases trapped CO₂ from the roasted beans, which allows for more even extraction in the main pour.
The weight, texture, or mouthfeel of coffee. Full-bodied coffees feel heavy and creamy (like whole milk). Light-bodied coffees feel thin and tea-like. Body comes from oils and dissolved solids in the brew.
On BrewMark: Body is tracked as one of six taste dimensions. Use our taste preferences to match recipes that deliver the body you prefer.
The relationship between coffee dose and water weight, expressed as 1:X (e.g., 1:16 means 1 gram of coffee for every 16 grams of water). A smaller ratio (1:14) makes stronger coffee. A larger ratio (1:18) makes weaker coffee.
On BrewMark: Use the Brew Calculator to calculate precise doses and water weights for any ratio.
A coffee grinder that crushes beans between two abrasive surfaces (burrs) rather than chopping them with blades. Produces uniform particle size, which is essential for even extraction. Burrs can be flat or conical.
On BrewMark: We've mapped 81 burr grinders to a universal grind index (0-100) so you can follow any recipe regardless of your grinder brand.
A brewing defect where water finds a path of least resistance through the coffee bed, flowing through one area instead of evenly saturating all grounds. Common in espresso. Causes under-extraction (sour, weak flavor) in the channeled areas and over-extraction (bitter) elsewhere.
A pour-over coffee maker designed by Peter Schlumbohm in 1941. Uses thick, bonded paper filters that produce a clean, tea-like cup with very little body. Brew time: 3.5-5 minutes. Grind size: medium-coarse.
On BrewMark: Find Chemex recipes adapted to your grinder settings.
The fruit that contains coffee beans (seeds). Each cherry typically contains two seeds facing each other (these become the beans you buy). The fruit is removed during processing, leaving only the green seed which is later roasted.
Coffee brewed with cold or room-temperature water over 12-24 hours. The long extraction time produces a smooth, low-acidity concentrate that's typically diluted before drinking. Grind size: extra coarse (like peppercorns).
The golden-brown foam that forms on top of espresso shots. Created when CO₂ trapped in roasted beans is released under pressure during extraction. While crema is a visual marker of fresh espresso, it doesn't necessarily indicate quality—many excellent espressos have thin or no crema.
The standard method for tasting and evaluating coffee. Grounds are steeped in hot water (like tea), then the floating crust is broken and the coffee is slurped loudly from a spoon. Used by roasters, green buyers, and Q-graders to assess flavor profiles.
Coffee roasted to the second crack or beyond, typically reaching internal bean temperatures of 430-450°F. Produces oils on the bean surface, dark brown to black color, and flavors dominated by roast character (chocolate, caramel, smoke) rather than origin character.
Coffee that has had at least 97% of its caffeine removed before roasting. Common decaffeination methods include Swiss Water Process (chemical-free), CO₂ process, and solvent-based methods (ethyl acetate or methylene chloride).
The process of adjusting brew variables (grind size, dose, ratio, temperature, time) to achieve the best-tasting cup for a specific coffee. Most dialing in focuses on grind size adjustments.
On BrewMark: Track your dial-in progress with grind notes, taste ratings, and adjustments for each brew.
The weight of dry coffee grounds used for a single brew. Measured in grams. Typical doses: 15-20g for pour-over, 18-22g for espresso, 30-60g for batch brew.
Any brewing method where water drips through coffee grounds by gravity. Includes pour-over (manual drip) and automatic drip machines.
A concentrated coffee brewed by forcing hot water through finely ground coffee under 8-10 bars of pressure. Typical shot: 18-20g coffee in, 36-40g liquid out, extracted in 25-30 seconds. Grind size: fine (like table salt).
On BrewMark: Browse espresso recipes with machine-specific parameters and grind conversions.
The process of dissolving soluble compounds from coffee grounds into water. Under-extraction (too fast, too coarse, too cool) produces sour, weak coffee. Over-extraction (too long, too fine, too hot) produces bitter, harsh coffee. Balanced extraction is the goal.
Material used to separate coffee grounds from brewed liquid. Common types include paper filters (Chemex, V60), metal filters (French press, AeroPress metal disk), and cloth filters (Chemex cloth, nel drip). Each affects body and clarity differently.
An audible popping sound during roasting, occurring around 385-400°F. Caused by water vapor expanding and breaking open the bean's cellular structure. Marks the beginning of "light roast" territory.
An espresso-based drink similar to a latte but with less milk and a higher coffee-to-milk ratio. Originated in Australia/New Zealand. Typically made with a double ristretto and steamed microfoam milk. Served in a 5-6oz cup.
An immersion brewing device invented in France in the 1850s. Coarse grounds steep in hot water for 4-5 minutes, then a metal mesh plunger separates the grounds from the liquid. Produces a full-bodied, oily cup with more sediment than paper-filtered methods.
On BrewMark: See the French Press brewing guide for detailed recipes and ratios.
Unroasted coffee beans. They're actually seeds from the coffee cherry, not beans. Green coffee is stable for 6-12 months when stored properly. It has no coffee flavor until roasted.
A universal scale (0-100) for measuring coffee grind size. Developed by BrewMark to translate between different grinder models. 0 = espresso (finest), 40 = filter coffee (medium), 100 = cold brew (coarsest).
On BrewMark: Use the Grind Converter to convert any recipe's grind setting to your specific grinder. We support 81 grinders.
The particle size of ground coffee, ranging from extra fine (Turkish, espresso) to extra coarse (cold brew). Grind size controls extraction rate: finer grinds extract faster, coarser grinds extract slower. Each brew method requires a specific grind size range.
See also: Coffee Grind Size Chart
A coffee processing method where the fruit (mucilage) is partially removed but some sticky, honey-like pulp remains on the bean during drying. Produces a sweeter, fruitier cup than washed coffees. Common in Central America. Not actually made with honey.
Any brewing method where coffee grounds are fully submerged in water for the entire brew time. Includes French press, AeroPress, cupping, and cold brew. Contrast with percolation brewing (pour-over, drip) where water flows through the coffee bed.
A coffee-producing country in East Africa known for bright, complex, wine-like coffees with strong acidity and berry or black currant flavors. Kenyan coffee is typically wet-processed and graded by size (AA being the largest, highest grade).
An espresso-based drink made with steamed milk and a thin layer of microfoam. Typical ratio: 1 part espresso to 3-5 parts milk. Served in an 8-12oz cup. The milk's sweetness balances espresso's intensity.
Coffee roasted to just after first crack, typically reaching internal bean temperatures of 385-410°F. Retains most origin characteristics (floral, fruity, acidic flavors). Beans are light brown with no oil on the surface. Higher density and acidity than darker roasts.
Coffee roasted between first and second crack, reaching internal temperatures of 410-430°F. Balances origin character with roast development. Medium brown color, no oils on surface. Most commercial specialty coffee falls into this category.
A small, distinct batch of coffee from a single farm or section of a farm, often with unique processing or varietal characteristics. Typically 5-50 bags (300-3,000 kg). Priced higher than standard lots due to quality and traceability.
Steamed milk with very fine, velvety bubbles—the goal for espresso-based drinks. Created by introducing air during the first few seconds of steaming, then heating the milk to 140-160°F while creating a whirlpool motion.
A coffee processing method where the whole cherry is dried in the sun before removing the fruit. The bean absorbs sugars from the fruit during drying, producing fruity, wine-like, sometimes funky flavors. Common in Ethiopia and Brazil.
The country or region where coffee is grown. Different origins produce distinct flavor profiles based on varietal, altitude, soil, and climate. Common origins include Ethiopia, Colombia, Brazil, Kenya, Guatemala, and Sumatra.
On BrewMark: Filter recipes by origin to find brews that highlight specific regional characteristics.
When too much is extracted from coffee grounds, typically from too-fine grind, too-long brew time, or too-hot water. Tastes bitter, harsh, astringent, or hollow. Fix by grinding coarser, brewing faster, or using cooler water.
A manual brewing method where you pour hot water over coffee grounds in a filter. Water flows through by gravity. Includes V60, Kalita Wave, Chemex, and Melitta. Brew time: 2.5-4 minutes. Grind size: medium to medium-coarse.
See also: Pour Over Coffee Ratio Guide
See Brew Ratio.
A "restricted" espresso shot made with the same dose but half the liquid output. For example, 18g in, 18-27g out (instead of the standard 36-40g). Tastes sweeter and more concentrated, with less bitterness.
The date coffee beans were roasted, usually printed on the bag. Freshness matters: coffee is best 7-30 days after roasting. After 60 days, it's stale. Green (unroasted) coffee is stable for months, but roasted coffee degasses and oxidizes quickly.
One of two main coffee species (the other is Arabica). Higher in caffeine (2-3x more than Arabica), more bitter, less complex flavor. Commonly used in instant coffee and espresso blends for crema. Grows at lower altitudes and is more disease-resistant than Arabica.
An audible crackling sound during roasting, occurring around 435-450°F. Caused by the bean's cellular structure breaking down further and oils migrating to the surface. Marks the beginning of "dark roast" territory.
Coffee from one country, region, or farm (as opposed to a blend of beans from multiple origins). Highlights the unique characteristics of that specific growing area.
High-quality coffee scoring 80+ points on a 100-point scale (SCA standard). Grown at high altitude, carefully processed, and free of defects. Represents about 10% of global coffee production. Arabica only.
The process of soaking coffee grounds in water without active pouring. Used in immersion methods like French press, cupping, and cold brew. Extraction happens through diffusion rather than percolation.
Compressing espresso grounds evenly in the portafilter basket before brewing. Proper tamping (firm, level pressure) creates uniform resistance for water flow and prevents channeling.
The force applied when tamping espresso. Common recommendation is 30 pounds of pressure, but consistency matters more than specific force. Modern thinking focuses on even distribution of grounds (WDT) rather than tamping pressure.
A 6-dimensional representation of coffee flavor preferences used by BrewMark to match recipes to your taste profile. Dimensions include acidity, sweetness, body, clarity, richness, and aftertaste. Recipes are ranked using cosine similarity to find the closest matches.
On BrewMark: Vote on recipes to teach our algorithm your preferences. We'll use taste vectors to recommend recipes you'll love.
Water temperature for brewing, typically 195-205°F (90-96°C) for most methods. Hotter water extracts faster (risk of over-extraction). Cooler water extracts slower (risk of under-extraction). Light roasts often benefit from hotter water; dark roasts from cooler.
When too little is extracted from coffee grounds, typically from too-coarse grind, too-short brew time, or too-cool water. Tastes sour, salty, grassy, or thin. Fix by grinding finer, brewing longer, or using hotter water.
A cone-shaped pour-over brewer made by Hario (Japan). Named for the 60-degree angle of the cone. Features a large single drain hole and spiral ribs for fast, even flow. Brew time: 2:30-3:30. Grind size: medium.
On BrewMark: Find V60 recipes with grind settings converted to your grinder.
The subspecies or cultivar of coffee plant. Common Arabica varietals include Typica, Bourbon, Geisha, Caturra, and SL-28. Each has distinct flavor characteristics, yield, and disease resistance.
A coffee processing method where the fruit is removed from the bean immediately after picking, then the beans are fermented in water tanks to remove remaining mucilage. Produces clean, bright, acidic coffees. Also called "wet process." Common in Central America and East Africa.
A statistical ranking method used by BrewMark to rank community recipes. Accounts for both upvotes and confidence intervals—recipes with 10 upvotes and 1 downvote rank higher than recipes with 100 upvotes and 30 downvotes. Prevents hype-driven recipes from dominating the rankings.
On BrewMark: All recipe rankings use Wilson score, not simple upvote counts.
The weight of liquid espresso in the cup (output), as opposed to the dry coffee dose (input). Typical yields: 1:2 ratio (18g in, 36g out) for espresso, 1:1 to 1:1.5 for ristretto, 1:3+ for lungo.
This glossary covers the essentials, but coffee has endless depth. To go further:
The best way to learn coffee terminology isn't memorization—it's tasting, brewing, adjusting, and repeating.
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