Coffee Dictionary

You are unsure what one of the terms discussed on our blog means? This is the place to visit. You can also read this if you are looking for a fresh perspective on the terms in our articles.

This coffee glossary defines around two hundreds of words in the coffee lexicon, and it’s growing up. Most of our articles link to specific terms in this dictionary, so it’s easy to find the reference immediately. You can also search for a specific term, if this is easier for you. The glossary is split in a few sections for easier browsing:

If you want to contribute to this dictionary, or you have a suggestion, or you think one of the terms needs corrections, drop us a line.

Coffee grinding

Coffee grinding is a critical step in the process of brewing coffee. Without grinding, the extraction of soluble solids, caffeine, and oils would be impossible even at high brewing temperatures. During grinding, the whole coffee beans are turned into small …

Coffee brewing requires following strict recipes. This includes brewing temperature, coffee grind size, brewing time and the coffee dose. Coffee dose refers to the amount of ground coffee used for brewing coffee. This, like yield is measured in grams rather …

A portafilter (or group handle) attaches to the grouphead of semi-automatic and piston-driven espresso machines, and carries a tamped puck of coffee grounds within its basket. It is usually made of brass for better heat retention, but often is made …

Coffea charrieriana (or Charrier coffee) is a species of flowering plant in the Rubiaceae family. It is a caffeine-free coffee found in Cameroon. This plant is the only known caffeine-free coffee plant from Central Africa. C. charrieriana was selected as …

Coffea liberica (or Liberian coffee) is a species of flowering plant in the Rubiaceae family. It is a coffee that is found in Liberia, West Africa. Liberian coffee is grown in many tropical countries but is not produced on a …

High-density lipoprotein

High-density lipoprotein (HDL) is one of the five major groups of lipoproteins, which, in order of sizes, largest to smallest, are chylomicrons, VLDL, IDL, LDL, and HDL, which enable lipids like cholesterol and triglycerides to be transported within the water-based …

FrancisFrancis! is an espresso machine manufacturer owned by illy. Founded in 1994 by Francesco Illy, FrancisFrancis produces espresso machines for the home market. Italian architect Luca Trazzi was responsible for the aesthetics. In 2004 the company was purchased by illy. …

A coffee percolator is a type of pot used to brew coffee. The name stems from the word “percolate” which means to cause (a solvent) to pass through a permeable substance especially for extracting a soluble constituent. In the case …

Solvent

A solvent (from the Latin solvō, “I loosen, untie, I solve”) is a substance that dissolves a solute (a chemically different liquid, solid or gas), resulting in a solution. A solvent is usually a liquid but can also be a …

Dissolution is the process by which a solute forms a solution in a solvent. The solute, in the case of solids, has its crystalline structure disintegrated as separate ions, atoms, and molecules form. For liquids and gases, the molecules must …

Frappuccino is a trademarked line of blended coffee beverages sold by Starbucks. It consists of coffee, blended with ice and other various ingredients, usually topped with whipped cream. Frappuccinos are also sold as bottled coffee beverages in stores and from …

Brain damage

“Brain damage” or “Brain Injury” (BI) is the destruction or degeneration of brain cells. Brain injuries occur due to a wide range of internal and external factors. A common category with the greatest number of injuries is traumatic brain injury …

Ageing (British English) or aging (American English) is the accumulation of changes in a person over time. Ageing in humans refers to a multidimensional process of physical, psychological, and social change. Some dimensions of ageing grow and expand over time, …

Cholesterol

Cholesterol, from the Greek chole- and stereos (solid) followed by the chemical suffix -ol for an alcohol, is an organic molecule. It is a sterol, It is an essential structural component of animal cell membranes that is required to establish …

Cafestol

Cafestol is a diterpene molecule present in coffee. A typical bean of Coffea arabica contains about 0.6% cafestol by weight. Cafestol is present in its highest quantity in unfiltered coffee drinks such as French press coffee or Turkish coffee/Greek coffee. …

Handpresso SARL is a French manufacturer of portable espresso machines. Founded in Fontainebleau in 2006 by Henrik Nielsen as a spin-off from Nielsen Innovation SARL. Handpresso is inspired by Danish Design and has created and patented the world’s first handheld …

Terroir is the set of special characteristics that the geography, geology and climate of a certain place, interacting with the plant’s genetics, express in agricultural products such as wine, coffee, chocolate, tomatoes, heritage wheat, cannabis, and tea. The concept has …

Dorian Bodnariuc is the founder of Coffee-Brewing-Methods.com. He started his coffee career as a barista, then moved in the IT, but he kept the contact with the coffee industry. Dorian started his coffee career as a barista, in the 1990s. …

Dunkin’ Donuts

Dunkin’ Donuts is an American global doughnut company and coffeehouse chain based in Canton, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1950 by William Rosenberg in Quincy, Massachusetts. Its logo is two D’s side by side in orange and hot pink. The …

Kahweol

Kahweol is a diterpene molecule found in the beans of Coffea arabica. It is structurally related to cafestol. Recent research suggests that kahweol may have beneficial effects on bone by inhibiting osteoclast differentiation. Another recent study confirmed that kahweol has …

A dallah is a metal pot with a long spout designed specifically for making Arabic coffee. In particular, it is used in Saudi coffee tradition. Examples of coffee brewed with a Dallah would be Qahwa, a typical Arabic coffee, as …

A demitasse is a small cup used to serve Turkish coffee or espresso. In some languages it is called fincan, fildžan, filxhan or φλιτζάνι (flidzáni). In Spanish, it is called a pocillo. It typically has about 60–90 ml capacity — half the size of a full coffee cup (a tasse à café is about 120 ml).

The heart is a hollow muscle that pumps blood throughout the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions. It is found in all animals with a circulatory system. The term cardiac means “related to the heart” and comes from the Greek καρδιά, kardia, for “heart”.

Many coffee machines use pressure to enhance brewing parameters. Some of the devices that use pressure are single serve coffee machines, such as Keurig, or Tassimo, and espresso machines. Other devices are the Moka pot, or steam espresso makers. Pressure is measured in bar.

An electric stove or electric range is a stove that converts electrical energy into heat to cook and bake. Stoves are used for coffee preparation in order to heat up water. There are many manual brewing methods that require hot water, but they don’t involve an automated way to do it.

+ More

Coffee grinding

dosing

portafilter

Coffea charrieriana

Coffea liberica

High-density lipoprotein

Francis Francis!

Coffee percolator

Solvent

Dissolution (chemistry)

Frappuccino

Brain damage

Ageing

Cholesterol

Cafestol

Handpresso

Terroir

Dorian Bodnariuc

Dunkin’ Donuts

Kahweol

Dallah (coffee pot)

Demitasse

Heart

Bar (unit)

Stove