Coffee Glossary
A-Z guide to coffee terms and brewing terminology. From acidity to yield, learn the language of specialty coffee in plain English.
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 55+ essential coffee terms in plain English. Use it as a reference when reading brew guides, recipe notes, or roaster descriptions.
View Full Glossary
This page provides a quick reference. For detailed definitions with examples and BrewMark feature integrations, see the complete glossary.
Read Full Glossary →Featured Terms
Grind Index
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).
Try the Grind Converter →Brew Ratio
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.
Use the Brew Calculator →Taste Vector
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.
Browse recipes by taste match →Wilson Score
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.
See Wilson score rankings →Browse by Category
Grind & Equipment
Flavor & Taste
Brewing Science
Related Resources
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The best way to learn coffee terminology isn't memorization—it's tasting, brewing, adjusting, and repeating. Start with community recipes adapted to your exact grinder.
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