Common coffee terms.
There are 143 entries in this glossary.All
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| AA |
green classification term used in East Africa; designates green beans over a screen size of 18. |
| AB |
green classification term used in East African; designates green beans with 50% over a screen size of 16 and 50% over 17. |
| acid |
is any compound capable of yielding a hydronium ion (H+) in aqueous solution. In coffee there are over 30 organic acids which play an important role to coffee's flavor. |
| acidity |
is a sharp brightness caused by hydronium ions (H+) in solution. Usually characterized with a sourness, the exact intensity is dependent on the acid's anion. Coffee's cultivated at higher altitude generaly produce coffee with higher perceived acidity. |
| afterburner |
is a device attached to the end of the exhaust portion in roasters; serves to burn smoke and other incomplete combusted products. |
| aftertaste |
the term is usually used during cuppine and refers to the duration of taste attributes on the tongue. The attribute can be both positive or negative, |
| agtron |
developed by the Agtron Corporation, the scale ranges from 25 to 95 and is the measure of light refelected off roasted coffee. The lower the number the darker the cofee (less light reflected back) while larger numbers refer to lighter roasts. Measurements can be taken in both whole bean and in ground form. |
| alkaline |
are substances basic in nature and capabale of raising pH. It is has the opposite effect of an acid. Caffeine is perhaps the most common alkaline substance in coffee |
| amino acid |
is any compound containing an amine and carboxyl functional group; there 20 amino acids in nature; amino acids play a key role in the Maillard reaction during roasting. |
| apellation |
is a geographically defined region with noticeably distinct flavor attributes. Appellations are usually backed within the countries legal system. Perhap the most common appellation is Jamaica Blue Mountain. |
| aqua pulped |
a relatively new method of processing developed in Brazil. Refers to a coffee which is depulped and allowed to dry with its mucilage on - thereby forefitting the fermentation process. Coffee's produced via this method have characteristics of both wet and dry processed coffee. |
| arabica |
is a species of coffee accounting for 75% of world coffee production. Arabica has less caffeine and chlorogenic acid that its Robusta counterpart. Originally discovered in Ethiopia, it soon made it was over to the New World. |
| aroma |
a term usually used during cupping, it refers to the aromatic aspects of coffee when the coffee grounds are infused with hot water. |
| arroba |
spanish term used to designate green coffee weight. For the most producing countries, one arroba equals 11.5kg (25.353 lbs). Though there are some exceptions - in Brazil one arroba equals 15.0kg (33.07 lbs); Honduras one arroba equals 11.34kg (25.0 lbs). |
| astringent |
is the dry puckering effect produced usually phenolic (tannins) compounds. Chemically tannins precipitate salivary proteins to produce a "sandpaper-ish" feel. It is a common characteristic in both red wines and teas. |
| baggy |
a term commonly used in cupping, used to describe a off-taste due to coffee being stored for an extended period of time in nsuitable conditions. |
| baked |
a bland, tasteless often flat roasted caused by roasting too slowly and/or at low temperatures.
|
| balanced |
synomous with 'round', used to describe a coffee with a well-balanced cup profile. That is, where one characteristic does not outweigh any other. |
| barista |
an Italian word for bartender, its now commonly used to refer to a qualified coffee maker. |
| bean size |
refers to the size of the bean, typically measured in 64th's of an inch. Bean sizes typically range from 10-22, with 15-18 being the most common. Some countries such as Colombia use bean size to indicate coffee qualiy. Due to a number of variable, bean size should not be used as a sole indicator of coffee quality. |