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.

Natural rubber

Natural rubber, also called India rubber or caoutchouc, as initially produced, consists of suitable polymers of the organic compound isoprene with minor impurities of other organic compounds plus water. Forms of polyisoprene that are useful as natural rubbers are classified …

Bisphenol A

Bisphenol A (BPA) is an organic compound with the chemical formula (CH3)2C(C6H4OH)2. BPA is used to make certain plastics and epoxy resins; it has been in commercial use since 1957 and around 3.6 million tons (8 billion pounds) of BPA are used by manufacturers yearly.

Filtration

Filtration is commonly the mechanical or physical operation which is used for the separation of solids from fluids (liquids or gases) by interposing a medium through which only the fluid can pass. Oversize solids in the fluid are retained, but the separation is not complete; solids will be contaminated with some fluid and filtrate will contain fine particles (depending on the pore size and filter thickness).

Melitta is a German-based company selling coffee, paper coffee filters, and coffee makers as part of the Melitta Group, which also has Melitta branches in other countries world-wide. The company is headquartered in Minden, North Rhine-Westphalia.

Aromatic oils are used in perfumery, cosmetics, flavoring of food, and in aromatherapy. Coffee contains many aromatic oils, which we refer to as coffee oils. These oils give coffee the specific flavor and aroma, and they are extracted into the …

In coffee brewing, concentration is an important factor, determining the coffee strength, taste and flavor. In specialty coffee, Total Dissolved Solids concentration is an important factor. Many people are particularly interested in caffeine concentration.

Europeans like concentrated coffee, whereas North American coffee lovers like coffee with a lower TDS concentration. Turkish coffee is the brewing method with the highest TDS concentration.

Dementia

Dementia (taken from Latin, originally meaning “madness”, from de- “without” + ment, the root of mens “mind”) is a serious loss of global cognitive ability in a previously unimpaired person, beyond what might be expected from normal ageing.

Osteoporosis is a disease of bones that leads to an increased risk of fracture. In osteoporosis, the bone mineral density (BMD) is reduced, bone microarchitecture deteriorates, and the amount and variety of proteins in bone are altered.

Myocardial infarction (MI) or acute myocardial infarction (AMI), commonly known as a heart attack, results from the partial interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die.

Cancer, known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a broad group of various diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also …

Hypertension (HTN) or high blood pressure, sometimes called arterial hypertension, is a chronic medical condition in which the blood pressure in the arteries is elevated. This requires the heart to work harder than normal to circulate blood through the blood …

Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD), also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease, is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death. It was first described by …

Diabetes mellitus

Diabetes mellitus, or simply diabetes, is a group of metabolic diseases in which a person has high blood sugar, either because the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, or because cells do not respond to the insulin that is produced. …

A coffee filter is a utensil used during coffee brewing, for filtering coffee grounds from the brewed liquid. It is usually made of disposable paper with filaments approximately 20 micrometres wide. The fine paper screen only allows to pass through particles less than approximately 15 micrometres. This enables it to trap the coffee grounds that are bigger. The small water particles and the fines can flow through, resulting in clear coffee.

In the coffee maker industry there are many devices that are equipped with a valve. The use of a valve is different though from a coffee brewing method to another. Immersion coffee makers such as coffee drippers, use a valve to control the steeping time. A simple valve is often found on automatic drip coffee machines as a way to temporarily stop the dripping for pouring a cup.

Generally, plastic is to be avoided in coffee making devices, especially in parts that come in contact with hot water. Although BPA is more commonly known to pose a health risk if ingested in large quantities, other compounds used for plastic manufacturing can pose higher risks, though not as known by consumers.

Ceramic is a great material to use in coffee industry. Ceramics, depending on the composition, can range from a low thermal conductivity to a high thermal conductivity. Depending on the specific thermal conductivity ceramics can be used for a wide area of applications in the coffee industry.

Porcelain is used for coffee cups and mugs and for coffee drippers. It is also used for kettles and coffee pots. Porcelain is a ceramic with a special manufacturing formula and process, and therefore it is interchangeable and even better than ceramics.

In chemistry and physics, volatility is the tendency of a substance to vaporize. Volatility is directly related to a substance’s vapor pressure. At a given temperature, a substance with higher vapor pressure vaporizes more readily than a substance with a …

Taste

Taste, gustatory perception, or gustation is one of the five traditional senses. Taste is the sensation produced when a substance in the mouth reacts chemically with receptors of taste buds. Taste, along with smell and trigeminal nerve stimulation (which also handles touch for texture, also pain, and temperature), determines flavors, the sensory impressions of food or other substances.

Low-density lipoprotein

Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is one of the five major groups of lipoproteins, which in order of size, largest to smallest, are chylomicrons, VLDL, IDL, LDL, and HDL, that enable transport of multiple different fat molecules, including cholesterol, within the water …

Stomach

The stomach is a muscular, hollow, dilated part of the digestion system which functions as an important organ of the digestive tract in some animals, including vertebrates, echinoderms, insects (mid-gut), and molluscs. It is involved in the second phase of …

Caffeine

Caffeine is a bitter, white crystalline xanthine alkaloid that acts as a stimulant drug. Caffeine is found in varying quantities in the seeds, leaves, and fruit of some plants, where it acts as a natural pesticide that paralyzes and kills certain insects feeding on the plants, as well as enhancing the reward memory of pollinators.

Arabic coffee is a general name that refers to the two main ways coffee is prepared in many Arab countries: Turkish-style, and Saudi Coffee. The Turkish coffee brewing method is common in the Levant, but brewed without the addition of sugar. Cardamom is often added, or it is served plain قهوة سادة qahwah sādah (lit. “plain coffee”).

A decanter is a vessel that is used to hold the decantation of a liquid which may contain sediment. Decanters are normally used as serving vessels for wine. Decanters vary in shape and design. They are usually made of an …

+ More

Natural rubber

Bisphenol A

Filtration

Melitta

Coffee oil

Concentration

Dementia

Osteoporosis

Myocardial infarction

Cancer

Hypertension

Alzheimer’s disease

Diabetes mellitus

Coffee filter

Valve

Plastic

Ceramic

Porcelain

Volatility (chemistry)

Taste

Low-density lipoprotein

Stomach

Caffeine

Arabic coffee

Decanter