| Acidity |
This characteristic is not to be mistaken with the low pH levels of coffee. Acidity is the bright,
pointed taste left in your mouth which also increases the overall natural sweetness of the coffee.
It is tasted mainly on the tip of the tongue and can be accessed as lively, moderate, flat or dull.
Compare the acidity of Kenya and Mocha with Colombia and Java.
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| Affogato |
meaning 'drowned' A shot of espresso (served separately) poured over a scoop of vanilla ice-cream in a latte glass
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| American Roast |
see cinnamon roast
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| Arabica |
A variety of coffee (Coffee Arabica) first found in The Yemen/Ethiopia, known as the only real coffee. Over 70% of the worlds coffee is Arabica. They are grown in cool tropical climates, lots of rich, moist soil. Arabica are more susceptible to damage from pests, cold and bad handling. The beans are of a more consistent shape and less bitter than Robusta coffee with half the amount of caffeine.
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| Aroma |
Aroma is the odor of the coffee and contributes to its flavor. Terms used to describe it include caramelly (candy- or syrup-like), carbony (for dark roasts), chocolatey, fruity, floral, malty, rich, round, and spicy.
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| Babycino |
Cold milk in a demitasse cup, topped with froth and dusted with chocolate powder
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| Bag |
A burlap sack of coffee. Most commonly comes in a weight of 132lbs but varies from country to country e.g. Colombia 154 lbs, Hawaii 100 lbs.
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| Barista |
A person who makes coffee as a profession
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| Batch Roaster |
A coffee roasting machine which roasts coffee in certain quantities for lengths of times controlled by skilled roasters to bring a coffee to its unique 'sweet spot'.
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| Bitter |
Bitterness is a harsh unpleasant taste detected towards the back of the tongue. Most of the time this would mean a bad coffee unless it was a very dark roast where the bitterness is intentional. Can be caused by a number of factors including burnt coffee or milk, incorrect grind, defective beans and over-roasted beans.
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| Bland |
A pale flavor perceived on the upper sides of the tongue caused by sugars reacting with salts to reduce saltiness. Commonly found in low grown Robusta beans and coffee that has been under extracted.
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| Blend |
Is when two or more individual or varietal coffees are mixed together for a desired result including disguising bad characteristics, to provide added strength, color and taste.
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| Bodum |
A trade name associated with a specific brand of cafetiere/plunger.
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| Body |
Body is the perceived thickness of brewed coffee on the tongue. Descriptions can range from "watery", "thin", or "light"; to "medium"; to "full", "heavy", "thick", or "syrupy".
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| Bouquet |
The fragrance and aftertaste of brewed coffee.
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| Breve |
A cappuccino made with light cream
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| Bright |
Often used to describe the good pleasant acidity of the coffee, the bright taste left in your mouth.
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| Briny |
A salty sensation associated with coffee that has been over roasted or brewed too hot.
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| Buttery |
A full flavor and oily 'mouth feel'
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| Cafetiere |
A glass jug of medium ground coffee which is steeped in just off the boil water. A plunger filter is pressed down to the bottom to separate the grounds from the coffee. click herealso see French Press, Plunger
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| Caffeine |
Naturally occurring in coffee, an odorless, white, alkaloid which stimulates the central nervous system and can cause adrenaline to be released.
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| Cafe Latte |
One shot espresso, topped with hot milk, topped with 1cm creamy layer of micro foam served in a latte glass
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| Cafe Mocha |
Shot of chocolate syrup, shot of espresso, topped with steamed milk and a layer of whipped cream and sprinkled with chocolate.
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| Cappuccino |
One third espresso, one third hot milk and one third micro foam, dusted with chocolate. Name originates from the Italian Catholic Capuchin monks whose hoods resembles a cappuccino's cap of foam.
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| Caramelly |
An aromatic created by a volatile of sugar compounds that produces a sensation reminiscent of syrup or caramelized sugar.
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| Chaffy |
The papery skin of green beans that is released during roasting.
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| Chocolately |
A aromatic aftertaste that brings to mind the richness and sweetness of chocolate.
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| Cinnamon Roast |
a light cinnamon colored roast which develops after the first crack, with no oil development and a usually nut like flavor.
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| City Roast |
Slightly darker roast than the American normal roast. also know as Espresso Roast
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| Clean |
Clean refers to the clarity of the flavor.
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| Crema |
The caramel colored, creamy layer on top of a shot espresso. A good espresso should produce an at least 5mm layer of crema on top. The crema 'caps' the espresso retaining its flavor and aroma.
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| Cupping |
Used to describe the practice of coffee professionals assessing coffees by sipping the brewed product.
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| Decaffeinated |
Coffee with more than 97% of its caffeine removed
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| Demitasse |
A small cup used for serving espresso, French for 'half cup'
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| Doppio |
Double strength espresso served in a demitasse cup
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| Doser |
A spring loaded device on a grinder which doses out the correct amount of coffee for a shot of espresso.
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| Dry Processed Coffee |
Coffee cherries are laid to dry in the sun then passed through a huller to remove the dried pulp and parchment. Often used in poorer coffee growing regions where water is not available for wet processing. Greater chance of beans becoming sour, crushed or split, also known as Natural Process.
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| Earthy |
An earthy or musty flavor. Often the odor and flavor absorbed by the bean when coffee is dried on the ground.
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| Espresso |
A one ounce shot of coffee created by pressurized extraction from finely ground coffee under nine or more bars of pressure.
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| Espresso Breve |
An espresso with light cream
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| Espresso can Panna |
An espresso topped with whipped cream.
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| Estate |
A farm where a specific variety of bean is grown, also refers to the government controlled coffee farms of certain countries. see also Single Estate
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| Finish |
The aftertaste left in the mouth after drinking coffee, ranging from long to brief.
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| Flat White |
One shot espresso, topped with hot milk and a fine layer of microform
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| Flavor |
A summary of Acidity, Body and Aroma when combined provide a sensation of aromatic and taste compounds perceived by the senses of taste and smell.
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| French Press |
see also cafetiere, plungerclick here
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| French Roast |
Very dark brown in color roast, providing a bittersweet, pungent flavor and aroma. Roasted too the second crack, almost but not quite burnt, also known as Full City Roast
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| Froth |
The dense, creamy layer that forms on top of milk after it has been properly heated and aerated using hot steam.
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| Fruity |
The flavor or aroma of coffee that is reminiscent of fruits or berries, can be associated with the sweet sensations within a coffee.
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| Full City Roast |
When coffee is roasted long enough to bring the oil to the surface. Darker roast than the American normal roast with some oil patches, also known as French Roast
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| Grading |
Classification of beans according to size and shape. The beans are sorted using sieves (screens) into the following categories: AA, plantation A, Screen 18/20, AB, screen 16, C, Brokens, E, Elephants, Peaberry.
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| Green |
A result of under roasting or too early harvesting, giving the coffee a sharp, herbaceous taste.
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| Hard Bean |
Coffee that is grown above 3000 feet. Lower temperatures cause the beans to mature slower then normal and produce a bean that is more dense and less porous. They are more desirable than softer beans.
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| High Grown |
Coffee that is grown of altitudes of 2000 to 4000 feet above sea level.
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| Italian Roast |
Darker than a French Roast (although this is dependant on which area of the world you live)
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| Java |
Coffee from Java, established by the Dutch with plants taken from Malabar
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| Joe |
American slang for a cup of coffee
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| Latte |
A shot of espresso topped with hot milk and a 1cm layer of micro froth, served in a latte glass.
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| Latte Mach |
Two thirds of a glass of hot milk with a 1cm layer of micro froth, topped with a shot of espresso, producing a layered effect, served in a latte glass.
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| Long Black |
Coffee cup filled with two thirds hot water and topped with single or double shot of espresso
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| Long Macchiato |
Two shots of espresso in a latte glass with a dash of cold milk poured down the side to form a layer and a mark of froth on the top
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| Macchiatone |
A shot of espresso topped to halfway up side of latte glass with hot milk and a 1cm layer of micro froth, dusted with chocolate powder. Perfect when you don't want a large drink but do not want the intensity of an espresso. Marocchino mini cafe latte sprinkled with heaps of coca on top.
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| Marogogipe |
A very large, porous grade of bean that is usually randomly found except for species Maragogipe.
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| Mellow |
A taste sensation created as the salts in the coffee combine with the sugars to increase the overall sweetness. A smooth, well balanced coffee with low to medium acidity.
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| Mocha |
Coffee from Yemen which gets its name from the old ports of Mocha, also known as Moka. Can also be the name of coffee beverage where coffee is mixed with chocolate.
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| Mocha Latte |
One shot of espresso and one shot of chocolate syrup topped with hot milk and 1cm layer of micro froth, dusted with chocolate powder, served in a latte glass
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| Monsooned Coffee |
Indian green beans that are deliberately exposed to humid monsoon winds in open warehouses for six months to cause the beans to swell and reduce acidity. Monsoon Malabar is the best example of this.
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| Nutty |
Having the aroma or flavor reminiscent of roasted nuts, typically associated with poor quality beans.
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| Peaberry |
A grade of coffee where the coffee cherry has formed one small round bean whereas it would normally have produced two separate beans. Has quite a distinctive taste to other beans with a brighter point.
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| Portafilter |
The cupped shaped filter in the handle of the cappuccino machine where the coffee grounds are placed.
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| Plunger |
see Cafetiere,French Press
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| Quad |
A drink made from four shots of espresso.
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| Red Eye |
A shot of espresso in coffee cup topped with drip coffee.
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| Ristretto |
Meaning restricted, one espresso shot stopped halfway, served in demitasse cup
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| Robusta |
Predominantly used for instant coffee and Italian blends of espresso. Robusta bushes grow in lower altitudes and produce more beans. The bean is more bitter and higher in caffeine than Arabica beans. also known as 'Coffea Canephora'
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| Short Black |
see Espresso
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| Short Macchiato |
One shot of espresso with a dash of cold milk poured down the inside of espresso glass to forma layer and a mark of froth on top
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| Single Origin |
A coffee that comes and single area or region.
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| Soft Bean |
Beans that are grown of altitudes of less than 4000 feet above sea level. The beans mature faster causing the beans to become more porous than higher grown beans.
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| Sourness |
Not to be mistaken for acidity, sourness is a sharp taste that occurs when beans are under ripe or under roasted.
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| Spicy |
A flavor or aroma that is reminiscent of spices eg. cinnamon.
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| Stale |
Coffee that has been exposed to oxygen too long giving it a flat, cardboard taste
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| Sweet |
Perceived primarily on the tip of the tongue, used to describe coffee that is free from harsh flavors or defects. TOP
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| Varietal Character |
Term used to describe a distinct characteristic of coffee from a single area or region that sets it apart from other coffee regions.
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| Winy |
A smooth full-bodied flavor with a hint of acidity and dryness associated with fine red wines. Often found in coffees that are grown above 4000 feet.
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