Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
Glossary of
Coffee Terms
By Peter Baskerville
August 2009
Front Cover - A ninth century book boarder from Tymms, W. R.: “The Art of
Illuminating As Practised in Europe from the Earliest Times” (1860) – Public Domain
B
Baba Budan: (History - Plant) The legendary name of the Indian Moslem pilgrim who
in about 1650 AD on one of his annual travels to Mecca smuggled some coffee seeds
out of Arabia. He planted them in the Chandreguri Hills of Karnataka in India.
Descendants of these plants today are still known as “Old Chick”
Babycino: (Drink) Cappuccino styled drink served in an up-market café typically for
children. It consists of warm milk in a small cup and topped with milk froth and
chocolate powder. No coffee essence is added.
Backflushing: (Espresso Machine - Maintenance) A system devised to clean the build
up of burnt coffee essence that forms on the group heads of an espresso coffee machine.
This is done by replacing the perforated coffee basket/filter in the handle with a blind
filter (no holes) and putting in a small amount of coffee dissolving powder. By pulling a
shot the pressurized water mixes with the powder and ‘backflushes’ against the group
heads. Backflushing must only be carried on machines with the 3 - way valves
(Pressure release valves).
Bag: (Export - Trade) A burlap sack of coffee. It carries different weight connotations
in different countries. As an example: In Brazil a bag of green coffee beans is 132
pounds (60 klio): In Hawaii it is 100 pounds (45 kilo): In Colombia it is 154 pounds (70
kilo) and in Angola it is 176 pound (80 kilo).
Baggy: (Cupping) An off-taste characteristic of coffee stored too long in burlap (jute)
bags or unsuitable conditions, causing the coffee beans to acquire a straw-like coffee
bag flavor. Also used to describe light roasted coffee with mildewy qualities.
Bahia: (Brand) This is a market name of a coffee bean supplied from Brazil and
exported from a state bearing the same name. Located at the northern end of the coffee
states in Brazil it is currently achieving breakthrough yield success with the
introduction of a pivot irrigation growing system.
Baked: (Cupping) Generally the description of a coffee taste and odour taint that has a
flat uninteresting bouquet and a dull insipid taste. It is an unpleasant characteristic that
ranks in order of intensity from cooked to baked to burnt. It is usually the result of too
little heat in the roasting process over too long a period.
© Peter Baskerville 2009 Page 7 of 89
Balance: (Cupping) A well-balanced coffee that contains all the basic characteristics
but at the right level of intensity. It is where no one single taste quality overwhelms all
others. It is the satisfying presence of all the taste characteristics but there is still
enough complexity in the coffee still to arouse interest. Depending on taste preferences,
balance my not necessarily be a positive taste attribute as some people prefer coffees
that have particularly strong flavor distinctions. It is a term that on occasion damns with
faint praise.
Balancing Siphon: (History - Inventor) See – Napier, Robert
Bale: (Export – Trade) Another term for bag. See - Bag.
Bani Mattar: (Region) See - Mattari
Bani: (Brand) Is a city and market name for a good washed coffee with mild acidity
that is produced in the region of Sierra Sur in the Peravia Province of the Dominican
Republic. It is noted for it’s soft, mellow cup.
Bar: (Espresso Machine - Component) This is a measure of pressure usually identified
on gauges used in espresso coffee machines. Pressure is a measure of the force against a
surface and is usually expressed as a force per unit area. Normal atmospheric pressure
means that a column of air one square inch in area rising from the Earth's atmosphere to
space weighs 14.7 pounds i.e 14.7 pounds per square inch (psi) = 1 Atmosphere (atm).
The term “(1) bar of pressure” is equivalent to = 1 atmosphere or 14.7 pounds per sq.
inch. The word comes from the Greek “baros” meaning weighty. It is the same root
word that is used in “barometer” (an instrument measuring atmospheric pressure).
Commercial coffee machines are usually set to 9-10 Bar in order to extract the coffee
essence.
Barahona: (Brand) Is the market name for a high grown coffee in the southwest of the
Dominican Republic. Named after the city and province that bears the same name. It is
considered by many to be the best coffee of the Dominican Republic and is identified
by its increased acidity yet heavier-bodied cup.
Baratti & Milano Caffe: (History - Coffeehouse) One of Turin’s most beautiful early
Italian cafés that was opened in 1875 on the Piazza Castello.
Barbeques: (Green Bean Processing) The term sometimes given to the concrete coffee
yards where the harvested coffee cherries are dried in the sun. (i.e. in Jamaica)
Barista: (Coffee Making) An Italian term for a skilful, experienced and professional
espresso coffee maker. It is considered a respected job title in Italy where the average
age is 48 years old but typically involves the sale of alcoholic beverages as well.
Baron Goto Red: (Botany) A coffee bean cultivar that is very similar to 'Catuai Red'. It
is grown at several sites in Hawaii.
Basic Tastes: (Cupping) The four basic tastes are identified as 1.Sweet (e.g. sucrose),
2. Sour (e.g. tartaric acid), 3.Salt (e.g. sodium chloride), and 4.Bitter (e.g. quinine).
Flavors detected by the tongue are known as primary tastes whereas flavors detected
through the nose are grouped as secondary tastes. Each taste bud contains between 50-
100 taste cells, and each taste cell has receptors. While receptors are capable of
recognizing all tastes, some tend to recognize sour foods and are usually located around
the sides of the tongue. Sweet and salty foods are usually tasted best near the end of the
tongue. Bitter foods are usually tasted at the back of the tongue. The middle of the
tongue usually has no taste buds.
Batch Roaster: (Roasting) A machine that roasts the green coffee bean in a given
quantity (a batch) at one time. In effect, it is a roaster that does not continually roast
© Peter Baskerville 2009 Page 8 of 89
beans. Continuous roasters produce roasted coffee at a fixed rate (lbs per hour) whereas
with batch roasters, the beans are removed before roasting the next batch. With batch
roasting, there is an identifiable start time and end time to the roasting process.
Bean Belt: (Region) The area of the planet located roughly between the tropic of
Cancer 23°30' north of the equator and the Tropic of Capricorn 23°30′ latitude south of
the equator. These areas offer the best climate conditions for growing coffee
commercially.
Bean Probe: (Roasting) A probe thermometer used to accurately measure and monitor
the surface temperature of coffee beans during roasting bean. Modern roasters use
either resistance thermal detector (RTD), or thermocouple (TC), bean probes, along
with electronic temperature controllers, to monitor and control the roasting process.
Beany: (Cupping) A term to describe an insufficiently roasted coffee that has not
developed its full aroma and flavour.
Beddin, Scheha: (History - Writing) An Arabic historical writer from the 15th century
who wrote about the coffee drink.
Bedouins: (History) In the homes of the Bedouins, coffee is generally served plain with
ginger or cardamom. It gives off a yellow color and a very sweet taste. Sometimes
ginger is added instead of cardamom. The Bedouins would greet the guest in honour
with "Allah wa Sablan", meaning, "My home is your home".
Belighi: (History - Writing) A Turkish poet of the XVII century who wrote "the coffee
bean, the perfume of ambrosia". Ambrosia is the food of the Greek gods closely
associated with honey and often involve in the act of anointing mortals.
Bella Vista: (Estate) This is one of the oldest coffee growing estate in the Tres Rios
region of Costa Rica. Noted for its bright acidity and clean refreshing finish. (Now a
Starbucks farm)
Belly-buttons: (Marketing) A one-way-valve molded into the plastic flexible air tight
roasted coffee bean bags, that allows the remaining carbon dioxide (degassing) to
escape whilst preventing oxygen from the ambient air from entering the bag. Invented
by Luigi Goglio in Milan Italy, it is sometimes referred to as the “conor system”.
Beneficio: (Green bean Processing) Beneficio in Spanish means benefit or profit.
Traditionally, a Beneficio is a local mill where farmer bring ripe cherries for further
processing, bagging and export.
Beneficios Secos: (Green Bean Processing) The name of coffee processing plants in
Mexico that houses the machines that clean, wash, dry, and sort the green coffee beans.
Bentz, Melitta: (History - Inventor) A housewife from Dresden who in July 8 1908,
invented the first coffee filter using blotting paper from her son’s notebook and
eventually patented it as the “Filter top device with filter paper”. This invention
eliminated the linen or cloth filter and created an efficient disposal method for the
coffee waste.
Bernheimer: (Chemistry) See - Caffeol/Coffeol
Bevanda Asiatica: (History - Writing) An Italian naturalist, diplomat and bibliophile
who published ‘Count Luigi Marsili’ in Vienna in 1685. It is one of the earliest detailed
accounts of the coffee plant.
Bezzera, Luigi: (History - Inventor) The Italian inventor who in 1901 revolutionized
coffee making by inventing (Italian Patent - Late 1901) an espresso coffee machine
named the ‘Tipo Gigante’. The uniqueness of the machine at the time related to the fact
© Peter Baskerville 2009 Page 9 of 89
that espresso coffee could be made ‘one cup at a time’. Financial pressure saw the sale
of his patent/business to his friend Desidero Pavoni in 1903.
Bird Friendly: (Farming) A marketing seal awarded by the Smithsonian Institution in
the US and controlled by the National Audubon Society. Is a term used, when
marketing coffee, which identifies coffee that is grown under a shady canopy or one
that did not destroy the forest to create a plantation and meets the criteria established by
the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center of the National Zoo. This canopy supplies a
habitat for migrating birds and it particularly important to migratory birds passing
through Central America. Usually 25c per pound of Bird-Friendly coffee is used to
support Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center research and conservation programs.
Bits: (Grading) Pieces of coffee beans crushed during processing.
Bitter/Bitterness: (Cupping) An unfavourable taste descriptor that is perceived
primarily towards the back of the tongue and is a characteristic of over-extracted,
defective, and extra dark roasted coffees. It describes a harsh and unpleasant taste that
is characterized by a solution of quinine, caffeine, and certain other alkaloids. The
darker roasts generally develop this bitter characteristic intentionally. The Robusta
(Canephora) bean variety is also generally described as more bitter than the Arabica
bean variety. It is not used by professional cupers as a synonym for sour. Can be a
desirable characteristic at a certain level.
Black Beans: (Grading) it is used as the basic unit for counting sample imperfections
(1 black bean = 1 imperfection) in the grading system used by the New York Coffee
Exchange.
Black Beans: (Green Bean Processing) A black or very dark unroasted coffee bean that
is caused harvesting immature cherries, or by harvesting dead cherries that fell naturally
from the trees. They can also be caused by exposure to water and heat, insect-damage,
and metal contamination. An unroasted coffee bean that has more than 25% black, deep
blue, or dark brown surface area, is considered a black bean. These beans have a
detrimental effect on the coffee taste.
Black Frost: (Farming) Between July 17-19 in 1975, Brazil was hit with a lethal
combination of very severe frost and a drought. The coffee plantations died and
appeared black from the air and so the period became known as the “Black Frost”.
Coffee prices responded to the lack of supply that year by increasing almost 7 times on
the previous year.
Black Jack Coffee: (Export - Trade) This term describes those green coffee beans that
have turned bad/black after picking or during the shipping process.
Blackish: (Grading) These are wet processed beans that have been cut or bruised by the
machinery during pulping. They have brown or black marks, caused by cuts from
damaged or improperly configured pulping equipment. Discoloration develops by
oxidation at the damaged areas and off-flavors may result. Blackish beans roast
unevenly, age rapidly, and are susceptible to chemicals and adverse environments. Also
called pulper-cut or pulper-nipped.
Blade Grinder: (Grinding) Describes a domestic coffee grinder that uses propeller-like
blades to pulverize the roasted coffee beans into ground coffee. Not considered
conducive to producing a good coffee cup due to the inconsistent particle size.
Bland: (Cupping) A flat, neutral, insipid or pale coffee flavor lacking coffee flavour
and characteristics and is often found in washed Arabica coffees grown at elevations
below 2,000feet/610m (e.g. Guatemala). Bland coffees range from soft to neutral.
C
C - Contract: (Export - Trade) A term used to describe a coffee contract traded on the
New York Sugar & Coffee Exchange and consists of 32,500lb or 250bags of green
coffee beans. Coffee beans are traded as $US cents per pound.
C.S.: (Grading) Acronym for (Central Standard). See – Central Standard
Café Capulín: (Green Bean Processing) The term used to describe natural processed
coffee from Mexico
Café Central: (Coffee House) Opens in 1860 in Vienna. Was a popular meeting place
for Vienna’s intellectual elite, including Hugo von Hofmannsthal, Anton Kuh and
Adolf Loos. Known as the "Chess School" until 1938 because of the many regular
© Peter Baskerville 2009 Page 14 of 89
chess players were regulars including the Russian revolutionary Leo Trotzky. Fully
refurbished in 1986
Café de Altura: (Grading) Mexican highland coffee that is grown at 900-1,200 meters
and receives a better-than-average price on the international markets
Café de Colombia: (Marketing) See - Juan Valdez
Café de Flore: (Coffee House) Opens in Paris in 1890 in the unique Saint-Germain-
Des-Prés district of Paris. A popular meeting place for intellectuals, writers, painters,
publishers and filmmakers. The current furbishing dates back to the 1924-26 period.
Café de Terreiro: (Green Bean Processing) Portuguese term to describe dry processed
green coffee bean: Also known as natural/cherry (India) coffee
Café Despolpado: (Green Bean Processing) The Portuguese term for a wet processed
green coffee bean.
Café Hawelka: (Coffee House) Opens in Vienna in 1939. Still with its artistic
atmosphere it remains one of the few traditional Central European coffee houses.
Café Lavado: (Green Bean Processing) The Spanish term for wet processed green
coffee bean.
Café Lave: (Green Bean Processing) The French term for wet processed green coffee
bean.
Café New York: (Coffee House) Opens in 1894 in Budapest Destroyed in World War
II but in May 2006 the Café reopened in all its former glory with an inviting gallery,
sophisticated ball lamps and ceilings decorated with frescos.
Café No-lavado: (Green Bean Processing) Spanish term to describe a dry processed
green coffee bean: Also known as natural/cherry (India) coffee
Café Non lave/Café Naturel: (Green Bean Processing) A French term to describe a dry
processed green coffee bean. Also known as natural/cherry (India) coffee
Café Nouveau Obecni Dum: (Coffee House) Opens in 1912 in Prague An Art Deco
Café in the basement of the Obecni Dum (House of Representatives) next to Prague’s
Powder Tower.
Cafe Procope: (History – Coffeehouse) The first true Paris coffeehouse opened in 1689
by a former lemonade vendor, Francois Procope. The cafe faces the Theatre Francais,
where it drew the artists and actors of the day.
Cafe Ristretto: (Drink) See - Ristretto
Café Sanka: (Decaffination) See – Sanka
Café Slavia: (Coffee House) Opens in 1863 in the Czech capital Prague. Located
opposite the National Theatre, the Café is popular with Prague’s acting community.
Café: (History – Coffee house) French word for "coffee".
Cafeate: (Drink) Coffee made with milk.
Cafestol: (Chemistry) One of the coffee lipids that create the shininess on the roasted
coffee bean. It was once thought to be implicated in LDL (bad) cholestorol production.
Cafetal: (Farming) A plantation of coffee trees.
Cafetiere: (Coffee Making) See - Bodum.
Caffè Americano: (Drink) See – Long Black.
D
Daklak: (Region) One of the two original coffee pilot provinces planted by the French
colonialists in 1922. It is located in the Western Highland of Vietnam and lies about
300 kilometers northeast of the capital, Ho Chi Minh City. Starting originally with less
than 2,000 hectares under coffee cultivation, Daklak now accounts for 70% of
Vietnam's mostly Robusta coffee bean output.
Dark Roast: (Roasting) This is coffee that has been roasted to a dark brown to almost
black color and is typically more pungent with a distinctly burnt flavor and less acidy
than medium or light roasted coffee.
F
F.H.B.: (Grading) Acronym for (Fancy Hard Bean). See - Fancy Hard Bean
Faded: (Grading) Unroasted coffee beans that have lost much of there original color, a
characteristic of old crop and beans that were dried too rapidly. Processed coffee beans
will slowly fade from green to pale yellow, if stored too long before roasting. Also
called "soapy" or "bleached".
Faema: (Espresso Machine - Manufacturer) An espresso machine manufacturing
company that produced the first pump driven espresso machine in the 1960’s, replacing
the previous spring compression system that had dominated the market. Ernesto
Valente of Faema invented the concept and the first manufactured machine was called
the Faema E61.
Fair Traded Coffee: (Export - Trade) A certification given to coffee beans that have
been purchased from peasant farmers at a price defined by international agencies as
"fair". It is intended to help ensure equitable trading arrangements for disadvantaged
small holders who are organized into cooperatives Also used to promote sustainable
agricultural and farm management practices without the use of agrochemicals or
genetically modified organisms. See - Eco-Friendly/Eco Cultivated
Fancy Hard Bean: (Grading) (F.H.B.) The second highest grade for Guatemala’s
green coffee beans traded on the Tokyo Grain Exchange.
Fancy: (Grading) Hawaii’s second best grade of coffee behind extra fancy.
FAQ: (Grading) Acronym for (Fair to Average Quality).
Fazenda: (Farming) The Portuguese name of a farm. Coffee plantations in Brazil are
called Fazenda.
Fazendero: (Farming) A proprietor of a fazenda (coffee plantation).
Fermentation Vat: (Green Bean Processing) These are large water filled pools that are
used in the “wet processing system” to remove mucilage from the coffee bean after they
have been pulped. It is usually made of either wood or concrete however wood has the
advantage that it holds the natural heat generated by the fermentation process better
than concrete. Steam generally must be introduced into the vats made of concrete as a
means of warming the fermenting beans.
Fermentation: (Green Bean Processing) This is the most common process used to
remove the sticky pulp mucilage remaining on the coffee bean after pulping. The
© Peter Baskerville 2009 Page 33 of 89
pulped green beans are rested in vats filled with water where the natural bacteria and
fungi decompose the remaining mucilage in temperatures of between 80°F and 90°F.
The process takes 14-18 hours but is faster in warmer and slower in colder climates.
Fermented: (Cupping) A sour taste sensation that describes compost-like, rotten-fruit,
oniony, harsh, mouldy, musty, or medicinal beans. Often a taste characteristic of over-
fermented coffee where the enzyme activity in the fermentation process is not stopped
as soon as the remaining parchment (husk) is no longer slimy.
Filter Basket: (Espresso Machine - Component) See - Filters
Filter Holder: (Espresso Machine – Component) See - Portafilter.
Filter Method: (Coffee Making) See – Drip Method
Filter-Drip Method: (Coffee Making) See - Drip Method
Filters: (Espresso Machine - Component) These are the round, flat bottomed metal
perforated stainless steel baskets which hold the pre-measured amounts of ground
coffee and are clamped into the portafilters by a sprung steel ring. Only the coffee
essence produced by the pressurized water is able to pass out into the cup through the
finely perforated holes. Espresso machines typically have two filter baskets, one for
brewing a single serving and one for brewing a double serving.
Fincas: (Farming) The name of coffee plantation/estates in Mexico and Venezuela.
Fine Cup: (Cupping) The description of a coffee that in tasting terms has good,
positive characteristics.
Fine Wash: (Grading) See - Lavado Fino
Fine: (Cupping) A prefix used in coffee cupping to convey positive quality
characteristics such as acidity, body, flavour, etc.
Finish: (Cupping) A wine connoisseurship tasting term that when applied to coffee
refers to the resonant taste sensation of the aftertaste that lingers on the palate after the
coffee is spit out or swallowed. Descriptions range from brief to long and it is tied
closely to the body of the coffee i.e. heavier-bodied Sumatran coffees will have a much
longer finish than the lighter-bodied Mexican coffees.
First coffee house in Christendom: (History - Coffeehouse) Believed to have been
established in Oxford in 1650 by a Jew called Jacob at the Angel in the parish of St
Peter in East London.
First Crack: (Roasting) A first of the defining moments in the bean roasting process
where at bean probe temperatures of about 400ƒF the heat causes the internal pressure
of the coffee bean cells to rupture and almost double in size. The beans make a sound
similar to popcorn, and then diminishes, and sometimes stops momentarily, before the
start of "second crack" at the higher temperatures.
Flat Grinding Blades: (Grinding) See – Burr Grinder
Flat White: (Drink) “White Coffee” - ‘uncompromising taste’ CRÈME TOPPED –
STEAMED MILK – MEDIUM STRENGHT. A uniquely Australian term for one shot
of espresso together with steamed milk and topped with a fine layer of velvet milk foam
sitting just under the rich caramel crème.
Flat: (Cupping) A taste term to describe lifeless coffee. A real lack of acidity, aroma,
and aftertaste and is without distinct taste or smell. Describes a taste that has a range of
gases and vapors present in almost imperceptible strength. The aromatic compounds
G
Gabriel Mathieu de Clieu: (History - Plant) The importer of the coffee tree from
France to Martinique in the Caribbean in 1723. Eventually, 90 percent of the world's
coffee trees spread from this one plant.
Gaggia Achilles: (History – Inventor) See - Achilles Gaggia
Galeras: (Region) See - Narino
Galla tribe: (History) Members of an Ethiopia in 1,000AD notice that they get an
energy boost when they eat a certain type of berry, ground up and mixed with animal
fat.
Gaskets: (Espresso Machine – Component) See – Group Gasket.
Gastrointestinal Caffeine-absorption: (Chemistry) This is the time it takes for
caffeine to be absorbed by the body to its maximum concentration. Caffeine reaches the
highest level about 15 to 45 minutes after ingestion.
Gayo Mountain: (Brand) Is the market name for coffee exported from a large
processing centre and mill in the Aceh Province, Northern Sumatra. Coffee here utilizes
a combination of both the wet and dry processing systems.
H
Hacienda: (Framing) The Spanish name for a farm or ranch.
Hakm and Shams: (History - Coffeehouse) The name of the two Syrians who opened
the first coffee shop in the district of Talchtacalah in Constantinople in 1555.
Half Caf: (Drink) A coffee drink with half the caffeine, made by blending equal parts
of decaffeinated and "regular" coffees. Also called "half and half" or "split shot".
Half-life Caffeine: (Chemistry) This is the time necessary for humans to eliminate
from the blood half the quantity of caffeine introduced into it. Caffeine’s half-life varies
but in the average adult it takes some 4-6 hours. Ranging from 3hrs for smokers up to
13hrs for women taking oral contraceptives.
Hammerhead: (Drink) A coffee drink only served in the USA. It is an American term
for a shot of espresso in a coffee cup that is topped up with drip-filtered coffee.
Hand sorting: (Green Bean Processing) This is the most common method used to
separate out the defective beans from the export quality green coffee beans prior to
them being bagged and shipped. This is not a suitable process in areas where labour
costs are high.
Harar/Harrar: (Brand) A Ethiopian Arabica bean that is grown at 1500-2200m in the
northern part of state. The state produces two distinct varieties, the Longberry Harar
which is considered to be the more desirable taste to the second shortberry variety. It is
garden grown and cultivated from the species obtained from the south-west of the state.
They are considered to be one of the world’s most prized coffees because they possess a
complex medium to light acidity with full body and a unique winey/fruit wild-
blueberry-like aroma. The beans are dry processed and have a slightly yellowish-green
colouring.
Hard Bean: (Grading) (H.B.) The third highest grade for Guatemala’s coffee bean
export and the standard grade for Costa Rica’s green coffee beans traded on the Tokyo
Grain Exchange. It denotes coffee grown at relatively high altitudes (4,000 - 4,500 feet)
(1,220m – 1,370m) or at least above 3000 feet (915m). Hard beans are believed to
produce a more flavorsome cup due to their less porous, slow maturity nature caused by
the lower growing temperatures. Hard Bean Synonymous with "high grown (HG)",
Hard: (Cupping) A secondary coffee taste sensation that strikes the palette with mixed
sensation and where the bitterness and astringency in the brew are not offset by
roundness of body. In other words, a hard coffee is poorly balanced. It is also
characterized by a predominantly stinging, sour sensation on the posterior sides of the
tongue.
© Peter Baskerville 2009 Page 40 of 89
Harsh: (Cupping) A term used to describe a coffee flavor that creates a disagreeable
taste sensations of a caustic, clawing, astringent and raspy effect at the back of the
tongue. A taste that is pungent and disagreeable, such as a low quality bitter Robusta.
Often due to imperfect beans in the mix.
Harvest Machine: (Green Coffee Processing) Coffee harvest machines are used mostly
on flat plantations at lower elevations. Robusta is harvested mostly by machine, while
Arabica, which is normally grown at higher elevations, is typically hand picked.
Hawaii Kona: (Brand) See - Kona
Hawaii: (Coffe Growing Region)coffee is grown primarily on the islands of Hawaii
and Kauai, with the coffees of the Kona region of the island of Hawaii being the most
highly prized. The Kona region possesses an excellent environment for growing
Arabica. The best estates grow beautiful, large, flat beans, which produce a medium-
bodied brew, with buttery, spicy characteristics.
HB: (Grading) Acronym for (Hard Bean). See - Hard Bean
Heat exchanger: (Espresso Machine - Component) This is a smaller cylinder or
cartridge built inside the boiler chamber, through which the cold water from the main
water supply is drawn. The cold water is heated by the hot water surrounding it in the
boiler as it passes through to the group head when the coffee making process is being
conducted. Both the heat exchanger and boiler are generally made of copper.
Heat Up Time: (Coffee Making) The time needed after turning on a commercial
espresso machine to heat up the boiler to a point that proper extraction of coffee can
occur. Most commercial machines take about 30 minutes or more.
Heavy: (Cupping) The mouth-feel descriptor that identifies the high level of solid
materials suspended in coffee brew. It result from the fine particles of bean fiber and
insoluble proteins being present in pronounced amounts in the brew.
Hecienda San Pedro: (Estate) See – Yauco Selecto.
Hekem of Aleppo: (Coffee House) Opened, in 1554, the first coffee house in
Constantinople with Shemsi of Damascus
Hemilaeia Vastatrix: (Farming) See – Coffee Rust
Herbal/Herby: (Cupping) A taste reminiscent of (1) aromatic vegetable such as onions
or (2) legume, grass, dried herbs, cabbage or fresh foliage.
Heredia: (Estate) Is the market name for a respected and famous coffee brand from
Costa Rica.
Hess-type Demucilage: (Green Bean Processing) A machine used the wet processing
method that strips away the mucilage left on the bean after the pulping process. This is
achieved by mutual friction. (i.e. one bean knocking against another)
HG: (Grading) Acronym for (High Grown). See - High Grown
HGA: (Grading) An acronym for (High Grown Andes) coffee. See - Lavado Fino.
HGC: (Grading) Acronym for a coffee grade meaning (High Grown Central).
Hibrido de Timor: (Botany) This is a cultivar that is a natural hybrid of Arabica and
Robusta. It resembles Arabica coffee in that it has 44 chromosomes.
Hidy or Hidey: (Cupping) An imperfection in the coffee taste where the tallowy smell
and taste of leather or animal hides is noticed. It is most often caused by the coffee
beans being stored close to animal hides. It can result from the breakdown of fats in the
J
Jamaican Blue Mountain: (Brand) Is a single-origin coffee grown above 3,000 feet
(915m) in the Blue Mountain District of Jamaica. It is noted for its exceptionally rich,
complex and bouillon-like flavour. This balanced, classic coffee contains a rich flavor,
full body and a smooth yet vibrant acidity. This exceptional taste quality coupled with
its short supply, has made it one of the world's most celebrated coffees.
Jamaican Blue Mountain: (Cultivar) Also carries its own tag as a variety of the
Arabica bean.
Jamal-al-Din: (History – Writing) See - Sheikh Jamal-al-Din al-Dhabhani
Jampit: (Estate) See - Government Estate
K
'K7', 'SL6', 'SL26', 'H66", 'KP532': (Botany) Promising new cultivars that are more
resistant to the different variants of coffee plant disease like Hemileia.
Kaanapali: (Brand) A market name for a coffee grown in Hawaii.
Kadi of Mecca: (History) In 1524 closes the public coffee houses because of disorders,
but permits coffee drinking at home and in private. His successor allows them to re-
open under license.
Kafano: (History - Coffeehouse) The name of the small coffee shops that operated in
the old state of Yugoslavia.
Kaffa: (Region) A province of Ethiopia where coffee is grown.
Kaffee Hag: (Decaffeinated) The name of the company formed in Bremen in 1906 to
market the decaffeinated coffee brand called "Sanka" See – Sanka
Kaffee-Kantate: (History - Writing) The name of a musical number composed by
Johann Sevastian Bach and devoted to the coffee drink and its effects.
KaffeeKlatsch: (History - Coffeehouse) The derogatory term originally coined in
Germany to describe a women's gossip session at afternoon coffee. It has since been
broadened to mean relaxed conversation in general.
Kahveci/Kahveci Usta: (Coffee Making) The title of a skilled preparer of Turkish
coffee.
Kahveh/Kahve: (History - Names) This is the Turkish name for coffee. It is believed
that all European words to describe coffee are derived from the pronunciation of this
Turkish word.
Kahveol: (Chemistry) One of the coffee lipids that creates the shininess on the roasted
bean. It was once thought erroneously to be implicated in human LDL (bad) cholesterol
production.
Kair Bey: (History) In 1511 Governor of Mecca, after consultation with a council of
lawyers, physicians, and leading citizens, issues a condemnation of coffee, and
prohibits the use of the drink. Prohibition subsequently ordered revoked by the sultan of
Cairo.
Kaldi/Khalid: (History – Drink)
According to legend, one night in Eastern
Africa, (most likely modern day Ethiopia)
coffee was discovered by this Yemeni
goat herder when he noticed his goat
herd’s lively behaviour after eating the red
cherries from a coffee bush.
Kalossi: (Region) A coffee growing
region in the southeastern highlands of
Sulawesi/Celebes. It is distinguished by
its full body, expansive flavor and a low-toned yet vibrant acidity. Some beans from
this region can display the unpleasant hard, earthy or musty flavours.
© Peter Baskerville 2009 Page 46 of 89
Karnakata: (Region) See - Mysore
Karnatka: (Region) A coffee growing region (formerly Mysore) in India that produces
80% of India’s total coffee harvest.
Kauai: (Brand) A market brand for a coffee grown in Hawaii.
Kaven Kanes: (History - Coffeehouse) This is the name given to the first coffee houses
that were established in Mecca.
Kayumas: (Estate) See - Government Estate
Kent: (Botany) A cultivar of the Arabica coffee bean that was originally developed in
Mysore India and grown in East Africa. It is a high yielding plant that is resistant to the
“coffee rust” decease but is very susceptible to coffee berry disease. It is being replaced
gradually by the more resistant cultivar’s of 'S.288', 'S.333' and 'S.795'.
Kerala: (Region) A coffee growing region in India.
Kessel, Gustav: (History - Inventor) A German, who in 1878, lodged the first patent
for a machine that contained separate controls to cause the water followed by the steam
to pass through the coffee. The coffee was held in a filter holder with a bayonet type
fitting. The design incorporated the now false notion that steam was needed to get a full
extraction of coffee oils.
Khair Beg: (History - Coffeehouse) In 1511 this corrupt governor of Mecca attempted
to ban coffee as he feared that its influence might foster opposition to his rule. The
Sultan on hearing this, declared that coffee was sacred and ordered the governor's
death.
Khat/Kat/Qat: (History - Drink) A plant growing naturally in Arabia whose leaves
were used by ancient Muslims to create a simulating drink. Later the coffee cherries
were boiled as a substitute for this drink, probably due to lack of supply or because of
the severe side affects caused by the leaves.
Kilimanjaro: (Region) The market name for coffee grown on the slopes of Mt.
Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.
King Frederick the Great of Prussia: (History) In 1777 issues his celebrated coffee
and beer manifesto, recommending the use of the latter in place of the former among
the lower classes. In 1781 establishes state coffee-roasting plants in Germany, declares
the coffee business a government monopoly, and forbids the common people to roast
their own coffee. "Coffee-smellers" make life miserable for violators of the law.
Kinjibi: (Brand) The brand name of a coffee grown in the Western Highlands of Papua
New Guinea by the Kimjibi tribe who process their Arabica beans using a combination
of both the wet-pulped and sun-dried processing methods.
Kiv Han: (History - Coffeehouse) This is the first coffee shop believed to have opened
in Constantinople (later Istanbul) in 1475.
Kivu: (Region) A coffee growing region of Zaire
Knockbox: (Coffee Making) A term that describes a bin, draw or box with a rubber or
wooden bar supported across a wide opening. It is used to dispense with the spent puck
after an espresso shot has been brewed. The portafilter is knocked against the bar, and
the coffee puck is “knocked” out into the bin.
L
La Guiara: (Region) See - Caracas
La Minita: (Estate) One of the most famous coffee growing estates in the Tarrazu
district of Costa Rica. The quality of the coffee bean is linked predominately to its
meticulously preparation.
La Pavoni: (Espresso Machine - Manufacturer) The name of an espresso machine
manufacturing company (La Pavoni Spa) that was founded in Milan in 1905. The
founding principal, Desiderio Pavoni, operated from a little workshop in Via Parini
with Luigi Bezzera to develop the first espresso coffee machine for a bar called
"Ideale". These units were mass produced and in 1927 they ignited a cafe revolution.
The first one to appear in America was at at Caffe Reggio's.
la Roque, Jean de: (History - writing) See - Jean de la Roque's
Langley: (Brand) See - Blue Mountain
M
Macchiato: (Drink) Meaning “stained” - Described as ‘strong, marked or stained’. A
touch of steamed foamed milk added to a double shot of coffee extract made from
24gm of fresh ground beans producing 75ml of essence. Served in glass.
Macchina Espresso: (Coffee Making) See - Four M's formula
Macchinetta: (Coffee Making) See - Flip-Drip
Machine Drying: (Green Bean Processing) A system of drying the coffee beans after
they have been extracted under the wet process method. Machine drying replaces or
compliments sun drying methods by using either large heated rotating drums or by
heated cascading silos or trays.
Macinadosatore: (Coffee Making) See - Four M's formula
Madam Vassieux: (Coffee Making) See - French Balloon
Madder Family: (Botany) The common name given to the botanical family Rubiaceae.
Madder is a word that has been used for more than a millennium to refer to a red
vegetable dye that has been used since prehistoric times and found in greatest
concentrations in the species of Rubia. (Rubia tinctorum, and Rubia cordifolium). The
family name, Rubiaceae was derived from this generic name. See – Rubiaceae
Made sound: (Export - Trade) Identified as coffee that has been damaged but which
has now been cleaned and available for sale.
Maillard Reaction: (Roasting) Discovered by French scientist Louis Camille Maillard
in 1912. What food technologists and cooks commonly call “browning” is not caused
by the burning of the product but rather the reaction between the amino compounds
N
Napier, Robert: (History - Inventor) A Scottish
naval engineer who invented a version of the Vacuum
Pot Brewer called ‘the Balancing Siphon’ in the
1840’s. Commonly called ‘The Napierian brewer’ it
was the preference of choice for coffee makers in
England into the early part of the twentieth century.
The stunningly beautiful silver-plated version has
since become a collectors item.
Napierian Brewer: (History - Inventor) See –
Napier, Robert
Nariño: (Estate) A coffee growing producer from the
extreme south of Colombia on the boarder with Ecuador. It produces certain
particularly admired vibrant medium body coffee with strong fruity floral acidity. It is
grown around the volcano ‘Galeras’ and has an inverted crop harvesting cycle
compared to the rest of Columbia with the Fly/secondary crop being harvested in
October to December.
Narrow-leaf Coffee: (Botany) See – Stenophylla.
National Audubon Society: (Farming) See – Bird Friendly
Natural Coffee: (Green Bean Processing) Is the name given to the dry processed green
coffee bean. It is also known as Unwashed or cherry coffee (India) – in French (Café
non lavé Café naturel), Portuguese (Café de terreiro), Spanish (Café no-lavado, Café
natural). See - Dry Processed Coffee.
Navarro: (History) Coffee was brought into Costa Rica from Cuba by a Spanish
traveller, Navarro, in 1779.
Neapolitan Macchinetta: (Coffee Making) See - Flip-Drip
© Peter Baskerville 2009 Page 57 of 89
Nectar of the Gods: (Marketing) A popular marketing term used to describe the best
tasting espresso coffee. Originally it was used by the ancient Greeks, including
Aristotle, to describe honey or the alcoholic drink Mead. Fine espresso coffee today
shares this description with most alcoholic beverages including mead, wine and the beer
Guinness.
Neo-Arnoldiana: (Botany) Coffea Neo-Arnoldiana is a coffee bean cultivar that is
grown in some parts of the Congo because of its high yield. It is not considered suitable
for commercial cultivation.
Nescafé: (Marketing) Commercial volumes of instant coffee were first created by the
Nestlé company in 1938 as it assisted the Brazilian government in solving its coffee
surplus problem. Nescafe (Freeze Dried) was developed and first introduced into the
Swiss market. (Export - Trade) See - Manufacturers
Neumann Gruppe GMGH: (Export – Trade) See - Green Bean Traders
Neutral: (Cupping) A flat flavored tasting coffee beverage with the absence of a
predominant taste sensation on any part of the tongue. This coffee type can be used as a
base for other blends of coffee where it can be a positive attribute but generally it is not
a sort after taste as stand alone. It is a common characteristic of washed Ugandan
Robusta coffee that has been wet processed and some coffees from Brazil and
Colombia.
New Crop: (Export - Trade) These are green coffee beans that have been delivered for
roasting soon after being freshly harvested and processed. These coffees are at their
brightest (or rawest) tasting profile where the acidity is quite pronounced.
New York Board of Trade: (Export – Trade) See – NYBOT.
New York Sugar & Coffee Exchange: (Export – Trade) See - C - Contract
Nganda: (Botany) Coffea canephora Pierre ex A. Froehner 'Nganda'. Where the upright
form of the coffee plant Coffea Canephora is called Robusta its spreading version is
also known as Nganda or Kouillou.
Niaouli: (Botany) This is the name of a traditional Coffea canephora cultivar given to it
in Togo and Dahomey
Nippy: (Cupping) A secondary coffee taste characterized by a predominantly sweet,
nipping sensation at the tip of the tongue.
Nitrogen Flushing: (Marketing) This is the process of forcing the inert Nitrogen gas
over the beans in the packing process in order to displace the ambient air containing the
taste destroying oxygen gas.
No #18: (Grading) A descriptor of a bean size along with #17 … #12. In the case of #18
it means that this is a large bean that will not pass through a mesh with an opening of
7.14mm square.
No.1: (Grading) This is the top grade of Jamican Blue
Mountain Coffee and is equivalent to a #17/18 screen
size. No.2 grade is #16/17 in size and No.3 grade is a
#15/16 screen size.
Noble Tree: (History - Plant) The name often given to
the single coffee plant that was given by the Dutch to
the French King Louis XIV in 1715. This tree was the
father of over a billion trees in over 60 countries world
O
Oahu: (Brand) A market name for a wet-processed coffee (var. Typica) from the north
shore of this island in Hawaii. The first Hawaiian coffee is believed to have been
planted here in the Manoa Valley in 1825.
OAMCAF: (Export - Trade) Acronym for the French name (Organisation Africaine et
Malgache du Café) or the (African and Malgache (Republic of Madagascar) Coffee
Organisation). It represents members from 16 countries in the pursuit of suitable
markets and they include; Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo (Rep.)
Côte d’Ivoire,Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Madagascar, Togo, Philippines, Sierra Leone,
SriLanka, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda and Vietnam.
Oaxaca Pluma: (Brand) This is one Mexican coffee grown on the southern slopes of
the central mountain in the Oaxaca state that is highly regarded by the speciality trade.
Oaxaca: (Region) This is the market name for coffee coming from the southern Mexico
state of Oaxaca. This state is ranked 4th in production of the 12 Mexican States. Coffee
makes up 30% of this state’s economy.
Ocoa: (Brand) The market name for one of the better-respected, well balanced coffees
from the Dominican Republic. It is a wet-processed coffee that is noted for its
sweetness. Most of this coffee is exported to European markets.
Old Arabicas: (Botany) These are the botanical varieties or cultivars of the Coffea
Arabica species that can trace their geanology back to the native forests of south-
western Ethopia. The two main varieties are “var. bourbon” and “var. typical”. Many
new hybrid varieties have been developed from these “old Arabicas” in an effort to
increase disease resistance and production yield.
Old Chick: (Botany) These are the direct genetic descendants of the original coffee
trees that were planted in India by Baba Budan in 1650AD. These plants still produce
around a third of India's coffee production even today.
P
P.W.: (Grading) Acronym for (Prime Washed). See - Prime Washed
Paca: (Botany) Created by El Salvador’s agricultural scientists, this cultivar of Arabica
is shorter and higher yielding than Bourbon but many believe it to be of an inferior cup
in spite of its popularity in Latin America.
Pacamara: (Botany) An Arabica cultivar created by crossing the low yield large bean
variety Maragogipe with the higher yielding Paca. Developed in El Salvador in the
1960’s this bean is about 75% larger than the average coffee bean.
Pache Colis: (Botany) An Arabica cultivar being a cross between the cultivars Caturra
and Pache comum. Originally found growing on a Guatemala farm in Mataquescuintla.
Pache Comum: (Botany) A cultivar mutation of Typica (Arabica) developed in Santa
Rosa Guatemala. It adapts well and is noted for its smooth and somewhat flat cup
Paduan Prospero Alpino: (History – Writing) See - Alpino Paduan Prospero
Pales: (Grading) Unroasted yellow coffee beans that stink when crushed or ground.
Pales may result from drought or from harvesting immature coffee cherries.
Pancoer: (Estate) See - Government Estate
Pannerello: (Espresso Machine Component) See Froth Aider
Parchment coffee: (Green Bean Processing) This is a term used to describe wet
processed coffee after it has been pulped. Known in French as (Café en parche),
Portuguese as (Café em pergaminho) and Spanish as (Café en pergamino). Parchment
Coffee has had the skin and pulp removed, but with the parchment (hull) still attached.
Dried parchments are transferred to hulling facilities where the hulls are removed and
the beans are packaged in large burlap bags ready for export.
Parchment: (Botany) Is the endocarp (skin) of the coffee fruit that lies between the
coffee cherry flesh and the bean’s outer silverskin.
It is a final thin, crumbly skin covering wet-
processed coffee beans after the berries have had
their pulp removed and the beans dried. Just prior
to roasting the parchment layer is removed in a
process called milling. While the parchment skin
is removed from the coffee bean, the silver skin,
also called chaff, usually remains until it floats
away, burns away, or is otherwise separated
during the roasting process.
Pare: (Brand) Is the market name of a coffee
grown in the south of Tanzania. Also called
Mbeya after the town in the area.
Parenchyma: (Botany) Sitting just below the
Mesocarp of the coffee cherry is a slimy golden
yellow layer called the Parenchyma.
Pascal: (History) An Armenian who in 1672 was
the first to sell coffee publicly at St. Germain's
© Peter Baskerville 2009 Page 61 of 89
fair, Paris, and opens the first Parisian coffee house.
Pasilla: (Grading) The lowest grade of Columbian coffee.
Pasqua Rosee: (History - Coffeehouse) He was a Greek servant of a Turkish Merchant
who opened one of the early London coffee houses in 1652. It was located in St.
Michael’s Alley Cornhill and was made famous for its first known coffee advertising in
England. The original advertisement ‘The Vertue of the Coffee Drink’ is on display in
the British Museum. It is believed that he opened the shop in partnership with
Christopher Bowman.
Past crop PC, P/C: (Export - Trade) Refers to coffee cropped during the previous year.
These coffee beans are older than one generation but are still kept in parchment during
storage. Past crop, old crop, old, or oldish are also used as a taste terms to describe
coffees stored for more than a year. Past crop coffees tend to have a woody, strawy, or
hay-like, flavor and less acidity.
Patio Drying: (Green Bean Processing) This is the more traditional process of drying
coffee beans, which involves spreading and raking the coffee cherries in thin layers on
open patios and utilising the heat of the sun. This is done directly after harvesting in the
dry-processed method or after the pulp removal and fermentation stages in the wet-
processed method. An alternative to this drying method is machine drying.
Pavoni Desidero: (History - Inventor) He was a close friend of Bezzera who purchased
his patent/business in 1903 and brought the espresso machine to market as the “Ideale”
espresso coffee machine. Pavoni added the ‘steam relief valve’ (French & German
patients) to Bezzera’s original design and exhibited the machine under the Bezzera
name at the 1906 Milan International Fair where it won a gold medal. His company (La
Pavoni Spa) that was founded in Milan in 1905 from a little workshop at Via Parini
Peaberry: (Botany) A small rounded bean that is formed occasionally when only one
seed, rather than the usual flat sided pair, develops at the heart of the coffee cherry. It is
a mutant bean that is often found at the tip of young branches. These beans are often
separated from normal beans and sold as a distinct grade of a given coffee. New Guinea
and Tanzania are some of the more popular Peaberries on the market. Typically they
have quite a distinctive taste to other beans with a brighter more acidic point. Also
known as 'perla' and 'perle, Caracol, Caracoli or Caracolillo.
Pedrocchi: (History - Coffeehouse) A
famous neo-classical Italian café in Padua
that was started by Franceso Pedrochin in
1760.
Pedrochin Franceso: (History –
Coffeehouse) See - Pedrocchi
Penny Universities: (History -
Coffeehouse) The 17th century
coffeehouses were dubbed as such
because a penny was the price of a cup of
coffee. These places became popular
forums for the learned and the not-so-
learned to discuss all manner of topics including politics and current affairs.
Percolation: (Coffee Making) Technically, any method of coffee brewing in which hot
water percolates, or filters down through, a bed of ground coffee. The pumping
percolator utilizes the power of boiling water to force water up a tube and then to allow
gravity to draw the water through the bed of ground coffee.
© Peter Baskerville 2009 Page 62 of 89
Pergamino Coffee: (Export - Trade) (Spanish for parchment) It is coffee that has been
dried with the parchment still attached. It reaches this stage after the pulping and
fermenting process in the wet extraction method. See - Parchment.
Peroxides: (Chemistry) These elements are formed when oxygen connects with the
lipid (fat) molecule in the coffee bean which then create breakdown products that are
undesirable substances. These new substances then attack the unoxidized lipid molecule
to re-form peroxide. Peroxide acts as a catalyst so that the more peroxides present the
faster the oxidation. Stale flavor in roasted coffee beans are significant after only 2
weeks of storage in the presence of oxygen and the process will accelerate until all
possible paths are exhausted and the coffee is dead stale.
Phenols: (Chemistry) These aromatic compounds are present to a greater degree in
darker roasted coffees. They give us the spicy/clove-like, astringent aromas however
the spicy phenols tend to evaporate quickly in the brewing process.
Philippe Sylvestre Dufour: (History – Writing) See - Dufour, Philippe Sylvestre
Pieter Van dan Broecke: (History) First person to bring coffee from Mocha to Holland
in 1616.
Pino Riservato: (History - Coffeehouse) Beleieved to have opened a coffee house in
1953 known as “The Moka” coffee bar on 29 Frith Street, London. It was reputedly the
first Soho Espresso Bar in London and used one of Gaggia’s early coffee machines.
Pipe: (Espresso Machine – Component) See - Steam Wand
Pipil: (Brand) The market name for a brand of Fair Traded and Certified Organic
coffee from the San Mauricio District of El Salvador. This bourbon variety is only wet
processed.
Piquant: (Cupping) A secondary coffee taste sensation characterized by a
predominantly sweet and prickling sensation on the tip of the tongue. It is usually
caused by a higher-than-normal percentage of acids in the brew, which is actually sweet
to the taste instead of the expected sourness. Typical of Kenyian AA coffee.
Piston Machine: (History - Invention) This is an early development of the espresso
machine. A piston in the machine is operated by a barista pulling a lever or spring that
forces the brewing water at high pressure through the compacted bed of ground coffee
beans and so the coffee oil is extracted.
Plantation Bukoba: (Estate) A notable plantation in Tanzania noted for its well
balanced flavours.
Plantation coffee: (Green Bean Processing) A term used to describe the wet processed
green coffee bean from India: Also known as washed coffee and in French as (Café
lavé), in Portuguese as (Café despolpado) and in Spanish as (Café lavado). Also known
in some countries as parchment coffee.
Plantations: (Framing) A term to describe monoculture coffee farms ranging from 5 to
5,000 ha. The average size of coffee plantations in Brazil is about 1,000ha. All together,
plantations contribute about 30% of worlds green bean supply.
Plots: (Farming) A term used to describe small coffee farms ranging from back yards to
5ha area farms. The total of these plot farms contribute about 70% of the worlds green
bean coffee supply.
Plunger Pot: (Coffee Making) See - Bodum.
Q
Qahveh Khaneh: (History - Coffeehouse) The name of the 16th century public coffee
houses in the Ottoman/Persian Empire known as ‘schools of wisdom’ because they
were the meeting places of men of arts and literature.
Qahwa/Al-Qahwa: (History - Names) A
Yemen term used in the 14th century and
commonly applied to the beverage that was
made by boiling the fruit of coffea arabica.
Prior to coffee consumption the word was in
common use and denoted the idea of making
something repugnant or lessening one’s desire
for something. Some medieval Arab
lexicographers gave qahwa the meaning of
wine or dark stuff.
QAI: (Export - Trade) Acronym for (Quality
Assurance International) which is an organic certification agency.
Qat: (History – Drink) See - Khat/Kat/Qat
Quad: (Drink) An espresso drink made with four shots of coffee.
Quaker/Quakers: (Grading) This term is applied to any defective coffee bean (unripe,
immature, blighted or underdeveloped) in the batch and tends to have a lower density
than the safe beans. Quaker beans are unripe, immature, coffee beans, often with a
wrinkled surface. (Roasting) A name also given to those coffee beans that fail to roast
properly. Quakers do not darken well when roasted.
Quakery: (Cupping) A taste taint that gives the coffee brew a pronounced peanuty
flavor. It is caused by the presence of light colored, underdeveloped roasted coffee
beans. It can also be caused by picking unripe, green, coffee cherries during the
harvesting process.
Quenching: (Roasting) The process of adding water (flushing) to the beans at the end
of the roasting process to halt roasting.
Quintal: (Export - Trade) A traditional unit of weight in France, Portugal, and Spain.
The Spanish quintal is 100 libras (about 46 kilograms or 101 pounds). In Mexico/Costa
Rica it is the equivalent of 100 pounds (46 kilos) of green coffee. A quintal of
parchment coffee is equal to 57.5 kilos, being the quantity of parchment coffee that,
once processed would be equal to the 46 kilos of green coffee. A quintal of coffee
R
Rabaut, Louis Bernard: (History - Inventor) A Frenchman, who in 1822, invented a
machine which forced hot water through the coffee grounds using steam instead of a
gravity drip. A larger commercial machine, based on Rabaut's idea, was exhibited at the
Paris Exhibition of 1855 by Edward Loysel de Santais.
Racemosa: (Botany) Coffea Racemosa – A coffee bean cultivar that looses its leaves
during the dry season and re-grows them at the start of the rainy season. It is generally
rated as poor tasting and not suitable for commercial cultivation.
Ragged: (Grading) Coffee with a ragged appearance. Harvesting both mature and
immature cherries, or drought-affected cherries, can result in beans with a ragged
appearance.
Rainforest Alliances: (Farming) See - ECO-O.K. Certification
Raisins: (Grading) These are the coffee beans that are removed during the grading
process. The rippled nature of the bean is caused by it being left to dry on the tree for
too long before being picked. See - Floaters
Rambaldi, Angelo: (History - Writing) He published the works - “Ambrosia Arabica
overa della Salutare Bevanda Café” in Bologna in 1691. This work concerned the
coffee’s origins, cultivation, roasting, and preparation.
Rancid/Rotten: (Cupping) A coffee aroma that has a strong and highly displeasing
sour flavor and odour often caused by the deterioration and oxidation of the coffee fats.
Professional coffee cuppers are careful to not describe a strong and unpleasant aroma as
"rancid", if there are no other signs of deterioration.
Rauwolf, Leohard: (History - Writing) A physician, botanist and traveller from
Augsburg Germany who published his travelogue “Aigentliche beschreibung der Raiß
... inn die Morgenländer in Lauingen” in 1582 after voyages in 1573-1576 through
Jerusalem, Libya and Tripoli. Rauwolf's account of his journeys represented the earliest
printed reference to coffee in Europe.
Razi: (History – Writing) See - Bunchum
Recovery Time: (Coffee Making) This is know as the time it takes for an espresso
machine to be ready to extract a new shot after the completion of a previous one.
Machines with larger boilers, more powerful heating elements, or with heat exchanger
systems often feature quicker recovery times than machines with small boilers.
Red E Coffee: (History – Drink) See - Washington, George Constant
Reduced or specialized shade Farming: (Farming) This method of farming uses a
single, pruned canopy species to provide shade (usually Inga, Erythrina, Gliricidia, or
Grevillea). Under this system, farmers plant coffee shrubs more densely, giving farms a
manicured look. However, since the over-story consists of only one or two species,
there is less species diversity.
Regio's Bar: (History - Coffeehouse) This is the name of the café in Greenwich Village
New York noted for being, in 1927, the location of the first espresso machine installed
in the United States. The original "La Pavoni" machine remains on display there even
today.
© Peter Baskerville 2009 Page 68 of 89
Relationship Coffee: (Export - Trade) A type of Fair Traded coffee that is not certified
by a third party. Relationship coffee refers to an acceptable level of trust and
understanding between the farmer and the buyer.
Re-passed Coffee: (Green Bean Processing) These are coffee cherries that float and are
separated out from the production and processed separately. Some experts believe that
these coffees posses a sweeter profile that the bulk of the harvest.
Réunion: (History – Plant) See – Bourbon.
Rich/Richness: (Cupping) A taste term used to describe an interesting satisfying
fullness in flavor, body or acidity. Also described as a coffee that has luxurious aroma
with intense and complex flavors in highly pronounced strengths. (i.e. Sumatran coffees
are the richest in body with Yemen Mocha richest in acidity. Mexican coffee would
rarely be described rich)
Rio/Rioy: (Cupping) A class of dry-processed coffees from the Rio district of Brazil
which possess a very pungent medicinal character and an iodine-like flavor. It is said to
be caused by the continued enzyme activity when the coffee beans remain in the fruit
too long and is invaded by a micro-organism during drying process. The term Rioy or
Rio-y has since come to be applied to any coffee with similar taste characteristics.
Generally considered a taste fault but it is still sought after by consumers from the
Balkan and Middle-Eastern countries
Ristretto: (Drink) (Ristretto in Italian means "restricted, shrunk or short”) It is the
richest and most concentrated espresso drink where less water but the same amount of
coffee is used to make the beverage and creates a less bitter espresso. The extraction
time is shortened producing as little as 3 oz of liquid per serving. Pure and intense
espresso served in a demitasse cup.
Roast Master: (Roasting) Individual in charge of coffee selection, blending, and
roasting operations.
Roast Taste/Roasty: (Cupping) This term describes the characteristic of the collective
complex flavors of the darker roasts. The acidity overtones are replaced by pungent
notes combined with a subtle bittersweet smoky or carbony/caramel flavor. Some
people call this often-unnamed group of sensations "roast taste" or the "taste of the
roast."
Robert Napier: (History – Inventor) See - Napier Robert
Robusta: (Botany) Coffea canephora Pierre ex A. Froehner 'Robusta'. A coffee species,
discovered by a Dutch botanist and found to be native to the Belgian Congo (Zaire or
Republic of Congo). It is high in caffeine but is generally regarded as an inferior cup
quality to Coffea Arabica. It grows best at lower altitudes (sea level to 2,000 feet,
610m), is a higher-yielding tree and is more resistant to disease than Arabica. It is
produced primarily in Indonesia, West Africa, Brazil, and Vietnam. It is the second
most widely cultivated coffee plant currently producing about 30% of the world's
coffee. Robusta is cheaper than Arabica to process and is used by many commercial
coffee companies as a basis for instant coffee. Is can be used in the specialty coffee
trade as a taste-enhancing component in some Italian-style espresso coffee blends.
Robusta is the upright plant form of this species. Also known by botanists as Coffea
bukobensis A. Zimm., Coffea canephora Pierre ex Froehner var. kouilouensis Pierre ex
De Wild., Coffea canephora Pierre ex Froehner var. sankuruensis De Wild., Coffea
robusta L. Linden (GRIN), Coffea robusta L. (Smit). Is commonly known in the trade
as Congo coffee or Congo coffee tree (USA).
S
salt/Saltiness: (Cupping) A basic taste that is characterized by solutions of chlorides,
bromides, iodides, nitrates, and sulfates of potassium and lithium or other salts.
Samuel Carpenter: See Ye coffee house
San Miguel: (Estate) A respected coffee growing estate in Costa Rica. Classified as
SHB and is 100% washed Arabica. All production is European Processed.
San Ramon: (Botany) Coffea arabica L. 'San Ramon'. It is a dwarf variety of Arabica
var typica. A small stature tree that is wind tolerant, high yield and drought resistant.
Sanani: (Brand) A market name incorporating several growing regions located west of
Sana'a, the capital city of Yemen. It tends to be a lower-toned, somewhat less acidic
version of the Yemen style. It is noted for its full body and chocolate undertones.
Sanka: (Decaffination) (a contraction of the French name "sans caffeine" or no-
caffeine). This decaffeinated coffee brand was introduced into the US in 1923 with the
marketing tag line “Lets You Sleep”. It was first sold in Germany in 1909 and was
marketed there as Kaffee Hag and as Café Sanka in France. It was a patent of Dr.
Ludwig Roselius that was granted in 1906.
Sans Caffeine: (Decaffination) See - Sanka
Santa Ana: (Estate) See – Yauco Selecto.
Santa Cruz: (Estate) See - Estrictamente Altura
Santo Domingo: (Brand) The former name of the Dominican Republic. Coffee from
this republic is often marketed under the old country name because of its more romantic
sound.
Santos: (Brand) See - Bourbon Santos.
São Paulo: (Region) See - Bourbon Santos
Sara Lee: (Export - Trade) See - Manufacturers
Sator: (Grinding) See - Burr Grinder
Satori Kato: (History - Drink) A Japanese-American chemist from Chicago who is
credited with inventing the first soluble "instant" coffee. He presented his discovery in
1881 at the Pan-American World Fair and obtained a patent for it in 1903.
SC: (Grading) Acronym for (Standard Central).
SCAA: (Grading) Acronym for Specialty Coffee Association of America. The SCAA is
a trade association for the specialty coffee industry, one of the fastest-growing food
industries in the world. Specialty coffee — sometimes called "gourmet" or "premium"
coffee — is grown in the world's most ideal coffee-producing climates and prepared
according to exacting standards. One of the SCAA's primary functions is to set the
industry's standards for growing, roasting and brewing. Members of the SCAA include
coffee retailers, roasters, producers, exporters and importers, as well as manufacturers
of coffee equipment and related products.
© Peter Baskerville 2009 Page 71 of 89
Scheha Beddin: (History - Writing) See - Beddin, Scheha
Scorched: (Roasting) An odor taint that gives the coffee brew a slight aftertaste of
phenolic and pyridine character. It is the result of applying too much heat too quickly
during the roasting process causing a charring to the surface of the bean and an
underdevelopment of the caramelized compounds. Scorched Roasted coffee with burn
marks caused by inadequate tumbling or by roasting too hot. Also called "tipped" or
"charred".
Second Crack: (Roasting) The second of two distinctly different periods of cracking
sounds during roasting when the coffee beans are giving off their own heat and
expanding suddenly. Second crack begins around 440 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit, as
measured by roaster bean probe.
Secondary coffee taste sensations: (Cupping) Includes descriptions like: Piquant to
nippy, mild to delicate, tangy to tart, soft to neutral, rough to astringent, hard to acrid.
Secondary Crop: (Farming) Those countries like Colombia and Kenya where the
division between wet and dry seasons is not so clearly defined, may have two
flowerings a year, creating a main and a secondary crop (sometimes called a fly crop).
See - Demucilage
See - En Pergamino
See - Government Estate
See - Spermoderm
Selective Picking: (Farming) This is a harvesting process that involves making three to
four passes of the coffee tree at intervals of between eight to 10 days so that only
cherries which are at their peak of ripeness are taken.
Semi Hard Bean: (Grading) (S.H.B.) The forth highest grade of Guatemala’s green
coffee beans that are traded on the Tokyo Grain Exchange.
Semi-Dry-Processed Coffee: (Green Bean Processing) This method of bean processing
takes some of the steps from both the wet and dry methods of preparation. The outer
skin of the coffee fruit is removed first in a process called pulping followed by the sun
drying (no fermentation) of coffee bean complete with the parchment and silverskin
still attached. After drying, the coffee beans are dehusked (dehulled, separated from the
parchment), sorted, and placed in burlap sacks for export. It is a practice followed
extensively in Brazil and to a lesser extent in Sumatra and Sulawesi in Indonesia.
Seminaries of Sedition: (History - Coffeehouse) This was the name given to the coffee
houses in England by the authorities who eventually ordered them closed in 1675. From
1663 all coffee houses in England had to be licensed.
Semi-Wet-Processed Coffee: (Green Bean Processing) See - Semi-Dry-Processed
Coffee
Semperflorens: (Botany) A cultivar noted for its continual flowering and production.
Sensory Evaluation: (Cupping) The method for tasting coffee to evaluate its quality
using the three forms of: Aroma (Olfaction); Taste (Gestation); and Body (Mouthfeel).
Shade Grown: (Farming) A heavy marketed concept by the SMBC of growing coffee
under a forest canopy and thereby giving a beneficial effect to the migratory birds.
Other environments benefits of this method include farm diversification, local species
T
Tachira: (Brand) A full bodied, sweet delicate coffee with rich acidity. It is grown in
the west of the Venezuela state near the Colombian boarder. Coffees grown in this area
© Peter Baskerville 2009 Page 79 of 89
are grouped together under the marketing name of Maraciabos which they take from the
port from where they are shipped.
Taint/Tainted: (Cupping) A unwanted slightly defective flavor caused by chemical
changes in the coffee that happens during the growing, processing, or roasting stages.
Too much pulp in fermenting parchment, for example, will produce tainted coffee.
Takengon: (Region) A region of Sumatra (Indonesia) that provides an excellent
organic coffee.
Tall: (Drink) (AKA Double or Grande): A larger portion (not necessarily twice the
size), as in a Tall latte.
Tamilnadu: (Region) (formerly Madras) A respected coffee growing region in the
south of India.
Tamp/tamping: (Coffee Making) The act of pressing and compacting a bed of loose,
finely ground coffee into a portafilter in preparation for brewing espresso coffee to
prevent channeling by the brewing water.
Tamper: (Coffee Making) Is the small pestle-like device with a round flat end used for
compressing and distributing the ground coffee inside the filter basket in preparation for
the coffee extraction process. This action ensures that there are no air pockets in the
coffee so that the pressurized water cannot find the path of least resistance (channeling)
at the edges of the coffee. Most commercial, prosumer, and high end consumer espresso
machines use a 58mm tamper; other common sizes are 49mm, 53mm, and 57mm. Some
tampers are attached permanently to the from of espresso grinders enabling you to
handle the tamping operation with one hand.
Tangy: (Cupping) A taste sensation characterized by a predominantly darting, sour
almost fruit like sensation along the sides of the tongue that is caused by a high-than-
normal percentage of sugars. It is typical of unwashed Indian Arabica and high-grown
Costa Rican coffees.
Tapachula, Chiapas: (Region) A coffee-growing area in the state of Chiapas in
southern Mexico. The most noted beans are grown in the southeast corner of the state
near the border with Guatemala. Tapachula coffees (named after the town) often display
the brisk acidity, delicate flavor, and light to medium body of the better known
Mexican coffees of Oaxaca and Vera Cruz States. It has been gaining a reputation
recently for its above average organic coffees. See - Chiapas
Tare: (Export - Trade) The net weight of the contents of the bag of coffee.
Tarrazu: (Brand) Coffee named after the town of San Marcos de Tarrazu. It is the
market name for one of the Costa Rica’s and in fact the world’s better coffees. It is
grown in rich volcanic soil in the south of the state at elevations of between 1,200 –
1,700m.
Tarry: (Cupping) A taste fault giving the coffee brew an unpleasant burnt character. It
is said to be caused by excessive heat in the extraction process that has scorched the
coffee proteins.
Tart: (Cupping) A taste sensation characterized by a predominantly puckering, sour
sensation along the sides of the tongue. It is caused by a higher-than-normal percentage
of sour acids.
Taste of the roast: (Cupping) See - Roast Taste/Roasty
Temperature Stability: (Coffee Making) The stability of critical temperature refers to
the ability of the heating mechanisms in the espresso machine to maintain the water
© Peter Baskerville 2009 Page 80 of 89
temperature at the optimal level throughout the brewing process from the boiler to the
grouphead. It is generally considered that the Electronic control maintains this
temperature stability at a more precise level than the Electro-mechanical system.
TGE: (Export - Trade) Acronym for (Tokyo Grain Exchange) where coffee futures are
traded.
The Basics of Cupping Coffee: (Research) A book by Ted Lingle.
The Blue Bottle: (History –
Coffeehouse) See - Kolschitzky,
Franz Georg
The Illistrated Orinoco: (Histroy
– Plant) See - Gumilla, Jose
The King's Arms: (Coffee House)
In 1696 was the first coffee house
opened in New York.
The Moka: (History -
Coffeehouse) See - Pino Riservato
The New and Curious Coffee House: (History) is issued at Leipzig by Theophilo
Georgi, as a kind of organ of the first kaffee-klatsch. W1707—The first coffee
periodical,
The Tea and Coffee Trade Journal Company: (Research) See – All About Coffee
The Ultimate Coffee: (Research) A book by Kenneth Davids
Theatrum Botanicum: (History - Writing) This book contained the first botanical
description of the coffee tree in English and was published by Parkinson in 1640.
Theophila, Georgi: (History - Writing) In 1707 he was the first to publish a gossip
Coffee magazine titled “The New and Curious Coffee House”.
Thermoblock: (Espresso Machine - Component) A pressure casting metal aluminium
block containing a large number of narrow channels inside that is built inside the boiler.
Cold water passing through the block will reach the required temperature for brewing
by the time it passes out and into the shower of the group head. The block is heated by
an external element and the thermal stability provided by a thermoblock is generally
better than that provided by just the espresso machine boiler on its own.
Thermostats: (Espresso Machine Component) A temperature measuring device that is
electrically, mechanically, or electronically controlled, and which activates and
deactivates a heating element to maintain a preset level.
Thin: (Cupping) The description of a coffee beverage that lacks flavor, body, acidity or
substance.
Tico: (Botany) A cultivar of Coffea Arabica grown in Central America.
Timor Hybrid: (Botany) A variety of coffee tree that was found in Timor in 1940s and
is a natural occurring cross between the Arabica and Robusta species. Cultivars
developed from this variety include, Catimor (cross of Timor hybrid & Caturra),
Sarchimor (cross of Timor hybrid & Vila Sarchi), Costa Rica 95, IHCafe 90, Colombia
(Timor hybrid 1343 derivative), Ruiru 11 (Kenya; cross of TH 1343 & SL28), Tupi,
Obata (Brazil; Sarchimor), Ababuna (Ethiopia), Cauvery (India)
Tipo Gigante: (History - Inventor) See - Bezzera, Luigi
U
UGQ: (Export - Trade) Acronym for (Usually Good Quality)
Ukers, William H.: (Research) See – All About Coffee
ULKA: (Espresso Machine - Manufacturer) See - Vibration Pump
Unclean: (Cupping) Description of an off-flavor slightly similar to fermenting but
without the pungent, rotting taste. Generally depends on the geographic origin of the
beans and how they have been treated.
Unclean: (Grade) Also used to describe green beans depending on their geographic
origin and how they have been treated.
V
Vaccum Pot Brewer: (Coffee Making) A coffee brewing container consisting of two
glass globs fitted and sealed together with ground coffee sitting as a plug in the bottom
of the top bowl. Water is heated in the bottom bowl creating pressurized steam which
forces the hot water up into the upper bowl. This process then creates a vacuum in the
lower chamber. Once cooled the vacuum then draws the water back into the bottom
bowl and through the ground coffee. It was a coffee brewing method that was all the
rage in the 1930’s and 1940’s.
Vacuum-Filter Method: (Coffee Making) See - Vaccum Pot Brewer
Valdez Juan: (Marketing) See - Juan Valdez
Valente, Ernesto: (History - Inventor) He is credited with having the idea in the 1950’s
of replacing the compression spring of the lever machine with a rotating pump driven
by a small electric motor. This reversed the previous order of heating the water then
compressing it with the spring. Known as the father of the Faema brand of espresso
machines.
Valve Bag: (Roasting) Valve bags are air tight coffee bags with small one-way valves
that let gas escape, but will not allow air into the bag. The valve bag was a significant
development for the specialty coffee industry since it allows coffee roasters to package
freshly roasted coffee without having to first degas the coffee beans. Shortly after
roasting, coffee beans give off a tremendous amount of gas, which may explode a
completely sealed package not equipped with a one-way valve. If packaged
immediately in valve bag, freshly roasted coffee will produce enough gas to expel much
of the available oxygen from the bag, thereby allowing the beans to stay fresh much
longer.
© Peter Baskerville 2009 Page 84 of 89
Vapid: (Cupping) A term to describe coffee that is lacking taste, zest, or flavour. Could
also be described as flat marked by a loss of organic material that would normally be in
a gaseous state in both the aroma and nose of the brew. Occurs during the staling
process after the roasting or the holding process after brewing.
Varietal Distinction or character: ( Grading) When the coffee has characteristics that
both set it off from other coffees, yet identify it as what it is. For example; The rich,
winey acidity of the Yemen Mocha immediately suggests that it is either a Yemen
coffee or a good Ethiopian; the heavy body and rich finish of the Sumatran identifies it
as a good Indonesian coffee.
Varietal/Varietal distinction/Varietal character: (Grading) These terms refer to
coffee beans that have a single geographical origin, single cultivar of coffee tree and are
not a blend. It is a tasting or cupping term describing the positive characteristics that
distinguish a given regions/farm’s coffee from coffee grown in other area. An example
is the varietal distinction of a winey or berry-like acidity of Kenyan coffees compared
to the varietal distinction of the full, smooth, resonant character of the best Sumatran.
Vassieux, Madam: (History – Inventor) See - French Balloon
Vector: (Botany) An insect that is the means of caring a disease from one plant to
another
Vibration/Vibratory Pump: (Espresso Machine - Component) A pump found in most
domestic espresso machines and some of the lower end small commercial machines.
Vibratory pumps use a diaphragm that expands and contracts at great rates, creating a
rapid pulse of high pressure water. Most of them are produced by ULKA in Italy. See -
Pulsing pumps
Viennese Coffee: (Coffee Making) coffee brewed by the drip or filter method
Viennese Coffee: (Drink) brewed black coffee of any roast or origin topped and served
with whipped cream.
Villalobos: (Botany) A cultivar of Coffea Arabica that originated from the cultivar 'San
Ramon' and has been successfully planted in Costa Rica.
Vinegary: (Cupping) Description of a tart, biting flavor similar to that of vinegar.
Vintage Coffee: (Grading) See - Aged/Vintage Coffee
Visible supply: (Export - Trade) The known coffee stocks housed in public warehouses
or afloat or at ports of shipment.
Viton: (Espresso Machine – Component) See - Gaskets
Volatile Molecular Species: (Chemistry) The components that give a substance its
taste and aroma. There are about 250 identified components in the green bean and over
800 after the bean has been roasted. As a comparison there are only 150 identified
components in wine.
Volatilization: (Roasting) The process of changing one substance into another by way
of the application of heat. See – Pyrolsis.
Volcafe: (Export – Trade) See - Green Bean Traders
Volumetric Portion Control: (Espresso Machine - Component) A small rotating
device implanted in the water supply line to the group head that measures the
predetermined amount of water portion and triggers the shut off once the full measure is
reached.
Volumetric Pump: (Espresso Machine Component) See Rotary Pump.
© Peter Baskerville 2009 Page 85 of 89
Voyage de L'Arabie heureuse: (History – Writing) See - Jean de la Roque's
Coffee - The grateful liquor
W
Wahgi Valley: (Region) See - Sigri
Wallenford Estate: (Estate) This is the rarest and most expensive coffee bean in the
world. It is grown high in the mountains on the isle of Jamaica. At one time it was the
most celebrated and the best of Jamaica’s Blue Mountain coffee that was only ever
grown on the Wallenford Estate. Now it is applied to any Jamaica Blue Mountain
coffee that is processed through the Wallensford mill. This coffee is noted for the
utmost care that is taken in the growing/processing stages and is prized for its perfect
balance.
Wallenford: (Brand) See - Blue Mountain
Warm Water Demucilage: (Green Bean Processing) A process in the wet processing
system where a machine is used to strip the mucilage off the green bean that is left after
the pulping stage. This is done by vigorously agitating the beans in luke warm water
(110-120°F). The demucilaging machine is sometimes called the Fukunaga-type.
Washed Coffee: (Green Bean Processing) A descriptor of green coffee beans that have
been produced (under the “wet processed method”) by utilising a process of pulping,
fermenting and washing. This method is also known as Plantation coffee (India) – in
French (Café lavé), in Portuguese (Café despolpado), in Spanish (Café lavado). See -
Wet Processed
Washed Sidamo: (Brand) See - Sidamo
Washington, George Constant: (History - Drink) He was an English chemist that
lived in Guatemala in 1906, who noticed a powdery condensation forming on the spout
of his silver coffee carafe. After experimentation, he creates the first mass-produced
instant coffee and marketed it as “Red E Coffee” in 1909.
Water Filter/Purification: (Espresso Machine Component) Some coffee and espresso
machines feature a built in water filtration system. Most commercial machines have an
external filter prior to entering the boiler. They are designed to remove contaminates
impurities, excess chlorine, and particulate matter from the water. Good filtering
systems are inexpensive and readily available; most on the market range from a single,
butted type cartridge, to a three-cartridge set-up, usually mounted on a wall under or
near the brewer or espresso machine. The placement of a filtering system should be
strategic, making sure that (1) water is filtered before its introduction to the brewer or
espresso machine, and (2) water filters are easily accessible for routine changing (the
frequency of which is determined bye the particular system and volume of machine use.
Water Hardness: (Coffee Making) This describes the amount of dissolved minerals
found in ordinary water. It ranges from 50 ppm (parts per million) up to 800 ppm. Most
municipal water supplies range around 600 ppm.
Water Quality: (Coffee Making) This describes the desired amount of mineral
hardness, oxygen and contaminants found in the water.
Water Reservoir: (Espresso Machine Component) A built in tank or container that
holds water that is used by the machine to brew coffee or espresso especially if it has a
separate steam ability. Generally found in consumer and many prosumer espresso
machines and a feature of most other coffee brewers.
Y
Yauco Selecto: (Brand) This is an Arabica (var. Bourbon) coffee bean from a region of
Puerto Rico and is grown high in the mountains above 3,000 feet. It is one of the finest
coffees of the Caribbean but it can be subject to some commercial inconsistency. Often
likened to the balanced perfection of the Jamaica Blue Mountain because of its deep,
vibrant, yet restrained acidity and gently rich flavor. Two famous estates in the region
include Hecienda San Pedro and Santa Ana.
Ye coffee house: (Coffee House) The first coffee house in Philadelphia built by Samuel
Carpenter in 1700
Yemen Coffee Plants: (Botany) These populations showed characteristically lower
genetic polymorphism than other varieties from the wild coffee plants of Ethiopia.
Yemen cultivars were grouped with the Typica-derived accessions, confirming the
Yemen origin of the coffee plant cultivated in Amsterdam and Paris at the beginning of
the 18th century.