Your Cart is Empty
Remember when you were just a bright-eyed newbie to the world of coffee? From varietal names to equipment to brewing techniques, keeping all of your coffee-related terms straight can be quite a challenge — especially when you’re under-caffeinated. Here are some common terms you’re likely to run into whether you’re fresh on the coffee scene or just dabbling in a new area of interest.
Agtron: A device that scans coffee with an infrared light to determine its degree of roast.
Arabica: The most common type of coffee plant, originally indigenous to Ethiopia.
Bird-Friendly:ASmithsonian Migratory Bird Center environmental certification for shade-grown, organic coffee.
Bloom:The sudden expansion of ground coffee when exposed to hot water, releasing CO2.
Chemex:A glass hourglass-shaped pour-over brewer.
Cherry:The fruit to which coffee beans are the seed.
Clover:A one-cup brewing machine using an internal vacuum and piston.
Cold Brew: Whereas iced coffee is just regular coffee cooled down, cold brew refers to the method of steeping grounds in cold water over a longer period.
Crema:The dark, delicate foam found on top of a well-pulled shot of espresso.
Degassing:The process of CO2leaving fresh-roasted beans, which is why roasters generally allow a day or two before selling their batches.
Estate-Grown:A type of single-origin sourcing when an entire bag of coffee comes from a single estate.
Flannel Drip:A Japanese brewing process also called “nel drip” using a cloth filter attached to a simple handle.
French Press:A brewing method wherein a mesh plunger encased in a glass or metal chamber steeps and separates ground coffee.
Hopper:The compartment in a coffee grinder or espresso machine where whole beans are stored. This term is also used for the top part of a siphon brewer.
Kona:A coffee varietal fromthe North and South Kona Districts of the Big Island of Hawaii.
Moka Pot: Also known as a stovetop espresso maker, these small, metal vessels use steam and pressure to push water from the bottom chamber through grounds contained at the center, resulting in a concentrated brew in the top chamber.
Monsooning:Exposing coffee plants to monsoon rains for a period of time to produce an especially low-acid bean.
Peaberry:Roughly 5 percent of coffee beans are peaberries. They have a slight mutation that makes them rounder than ordinary beans, and are often separated out for specialty roasts.
Percolator:Similar to a moka pot, percolators are steam and pressure-activated stovetop coffee makers. These have a grounds chamber on top rather than in the middle.
Pour-Over Kettle:An electric kettle with a thin, curved spout optimal for pour-over brewing.
Red Eye:A red eye, or “shot in the dark” is a cup of coffee with an added shot of espresso.
Silverskin: The parchment-like outer layer of green coffee beans, which becomes chaff and falls away in the roasting process.
Siphon Brewing:For those who want to channel a mad scientist for their morning coffee, this glass vacuum brewer made up of a lower “bulb” and upper “hopper” is the equipment of choice.
Turkish Coffee:A stovetop brewing method using extra-fine grinds that settle to the bottom of the serving cup.
Yirgacheffe:Coffee from a particular micro-region of Ethiopia.
Now that you have a handle on a few more coffee terms than before, head over to Coffee Kind’sequipment storefront and set out on a new brewing adventure. For more helpful reads, stay in touch with us onFacebook.
Comments will be approved before showing up.
Our exclusive cold brew blend, medium roast decaf, or a brew with extra kick. Whole bean or ground.
Let us know how many bags you want, and how often. We’ll make sure you never run out.
Be prepared for amazing premium roasted coffee that lets you stay on your grind, without the hassle of having to re-order.
