Glossary of Specialty Coffee Terms

Coffee Term Definitions

barista: A person who is a master of the Espresso machine and makes coffee as a profession.

caffeine: A natural stimulant found in coffee. The darker the roast, the less caffeine. The caffeine burns off during the roasting process.

cappuccino: A classic blend of coffee and steamed milk named after the brown robes of the Capuchin monks cupping: The process used by coffee tasting specialists to judge and evaluate coffee beans.

espresso: A dark, rich, full-bodied coffee made when finely ground Italian or dark-roasted coffee is processed with a special machine that forces a small amount of water at high pressure through a special filter. Contact time between coffee and water is only about 25 seconds.

green coffee: Unroasted coffee organic coffee: Certified by independent agencies as organically grown, processed, stored and roasted. This means that no synthetic chemical pesticides, fertilizers, cleaners, etc. have come into contact with the coffee trees or beans.

specialty coffee: Specialty coffee is defined as a coffee that has no defects and has a distinctive flavor in the cup.

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