A glance at some of the most used coffee terms. It will take a lifetime to finish this page.
A
ACIDITY – One of the coffee’s major characteristics in the tasting.
AEROPRESS – Great invention by Alan Adler. One of the simplest ways to brew a great cup of Joe.
AFFOGATO – Scoop of vanilla ice cream topped with one shot of espresso. Usually served in a tall glass. Traditionally served as a dessert after a meal.
AMERICANO – One shot of espresso topped with hot water. Allegedly an invention of American tourists in Italy whose palates were too sensitive for espresso.
ARABICA – One of two main coffee bean varieties. Arabica is fruity, delicate and has less caffeine. Also more expensive than Robusta.
AROMA – One of coffee’s primary qualities.
B
BARISTA – Guy that makes your coffee and serves it. Usually tattooed and pierced. Prone to scoffing.
BATCH ROASTER – Roaster that produces a small fixed quantity of beans.
BITTERNESS – Usually a sign of bad beans, or bad brewing.
BLEND – Coffee mixture, from a different variety of beans.
BRAZIL – World’s largest coffee growing and exporting country in the world.
BREVE – The American version of a latte. One shot of espresso is topped with steamed half-and-half and finished with a layer of foam.
BREWING – Extracting flavour from coffee beans, usually using hot water.
BURR GRINDER – Best grinder you can use.
C
CAPSULES – Plastic containers with already prepared ground coffee.
CAFFEINE – The most used legal drug, one of the reasons people drink coffee.
CAFFE LATTE – One part of espresso, two parts of hot milk, a layer of foamed milk.
CAPPUCCINO – One part of espresso, one part of warm milk, one part of thick milk foam.
CREMA – Foam on the top of a good espresso.
COLD BREW – Coffee brewed using cold (room temperature) water.
COLOMBIA – Southern American country, grows great beans.
D
DECAFFEINATING PROCESS – Process of removing the caffeine from the coffee. Never 100% successful.
DOPPIO – It means double. Doppio espresso is a double shot of espresso.
E
ESPRESSO – My favourite coffee drink. Finely ground coffee is extracted using hot water and high mechanical pressure.
ESTONIA – Country that lives through a coffee renaissance. I do my part.
F
FAIRTRADE COFFEE – Coffee that is paid fairly to coffee farmers.
FILTER METHOD – Method of removing coffee grounds from the brew.
FINLAND – The country that consumes the most coffee per capita. In 2021 it’s 12 kilos per person. Also, they managed to grow coffee in a lab in 2021.
FRENCH PRESS – My favourite coffee-making method. Simple, affordable and makes the most out of your beans.
FOAMED MILK – same as frothed milk. You aerate the milk and the air bubbles create the foam. The result is creamy and rich foam.
FRESH BEANS – Alpha and omega of coffee making. Fresher the beans, the better the coffee.
FROTHED MILK – same as foamed milk. Some baristas beg to differ, but the minor differences (if they exist) are too minor.
G
GLASS OF WATER – Usually served with coffee in European cafes. In Estonia, I usually have to pour the water myself.
GOLDEN RATIO – According to the Specialty Coffee Association Of America, the perfect coffee-to-water ratio. They claim it’s 1:18.
GRANDE – In the USA, a name for a large coffee. In Europe, usually part of the name of Italian Circus.
GRINDING – Breaking down the surface of the coffee bean, so it can be extracted by water.
H
HAWAII – The birthplace of Kona coffee. Only US state that grows coffee commercially.
HOT – The only way to serve and drink espresso.
I
IBS – Irritable bowel syndrome. The case when coffee makes you poop a lot. Or not at all.
ITALY – The birthplace of the coffee culture, espresso, espresso machine, French press and much more. Italy contributed to the coffee world more than all the other countries together. Yes, I said that. Sue me.
J
K
KALDI – A goat herder that discovered the first coffee plant, according to the legends.
KILOGRAM (kg) – The standard coffee package.
KONA COFFEE – Hawaiian coffee, one of the most expensive ones.
L
LA MARZOCCO – Perhaps the best espresso coffee machines maker. Also one of the priciest.
LAVAZZA – One of my favourite coffee brands for a good Italian espresso.
M
MACCHIATO – Shot of espresso, a splash of warm milk.
MOCHA – One shot of espresso, a layer of chocolate, warm milk and foam.
MOKA POT – Standard coffee maker. Mostly used in Europe and Latin America.
MONIN – Probably the most famous coffee syrup maker. In autumn, the Pumpkin Spice Monin is almost impossible to find.
N
NATURAL PROCESSING – Sun-drying the green coffee beans.
O
ORGANIC COFFEE – Coffee is produced with (almost) no chemical substances.
OXIDATION – The worst enemy of coffee. Oxidation makes coffee lose its flavour.
P
POD – also known as K-cup. A pod is already prepared and packed coffee dose. Used in pod machines.
POUR-OVER METHOD – Pouring hot water through ground coffee.
Q
QAHVA – One of the first official terms for coffee
R
ROASTING – Exposing green coffee beans to high temperatures. Roasting gives coffee the most of the taste.
ROBUSTA – One of the two most famous coffee varieties. Robusta has a stronger flavour, more caffeine and a lower price.
S
SEGAFREDO – Italian coffee brand, one of my favourites
T
TURKISH COFFEE – One of the oldest methods of preparation. The result is an unfiltered, strong and sometimes bitter drink.
TURKISH DELIGHT or LOKUM – Traditional Oriental sweet that goes great with Turkish coffee
U
V
VEGAN COFFEE – One more way to sell everything to vegans.
VIENNA – The start of the coffee house culture in Europe.
VIETNAMESE COFFEE – Coffee and condensed milk.
W
WATER – A base of good coffee. Bad water equals bad coffee every time.
WASHED – Coffee beans washed using water.
X
X – You can’t find it in the word “espresso”. Nor you should.
Y
YEMEN – The country where the first coffee bush was found.
