Deciphering those Important Coffee Terms

There are many terms in the world of coffee drinkers and it can be tough to determine what they all mean.

In fact, there is somewhat of a vocabulary to decipher coffee’s degrees of taste, consistency and acuity. Even if you are only a some time’s coffee drinker, knowing the various coffee terminologies can be helpful.

Acidity for example, is a term used to describe the sharpness or clarity of the taste of the coffee on your tongue. A great balance of acidity in the coffee is considered to be a desirable trait.

When speaking about coffee, the acidity is somewhat of a sensation that is cleansing of your palate. This sensation is typically described as bright, snappy, or clear.

A coffee that is thought to be smooth, will not encompass the astringency of its acidic counterpart. It will give off a taste that is softer and at times somewhat sweet. 

Acidity does not mean that a coffee should taste bitter. If a cup of coffee is bitter, it means that the beans were either over roasted or the coffee was not brewed in an ideal manner.

The awareness of weight on the tongue, as well as viscosity is known as the body of the coffee. A coffee that has a full body such as Sumatran will have more weight and be more syrupy than a coffee that has a lighter body such as Kenyan or Costa Rican. Often, coffee’s that have a heaver body also have a lower amount of acidity.

The blend of taste, smell and body of the coffee is what is referred to as the flavor of the coffee.  In sweeping terms, coffee can be describes as smooth (mellow) or acidic (sharp).

However, if you wish to be a little more detailed, you can find coffee flavors being described as fruity, nutty, spicy, or even chocolaty.

Experts in coffee can often spot slight distinctions in taste and notice flavors such as blueberries or lemon.

Blend is referred to as the combining of two or more varieties of roasted coffee or the mixing of different roasts (light or dark). The blend produces a balanced, delicious taste. There are a large number of coffee shops that create their own house blend for purchase.

The term cafe au lait is a French style coffee. Cafe au lait is created by pouring boiled milk and coffee into a cup at the same time. Many people love a good cup of Cafe au lait.

When coffee is referred to as strong, this is a term used to specify the strength of either flaws or merits. This could be used to say a coffee has a strong acidic taste or a strong aroma. When a coffee is called strong it does not mean that it is good, depending on how the term strong is being used.

A sweet coffee is one that is smooth, easy on the palate and does not contain taints. A sweet coffee is not harsh but rather soft and mellow.

If you are into grinding your own coffee and you hear the term burr mill, you may be wondering what this means. A burr mill is the choice tool for grinding coffee in many people’s eyes. A grinder's burrs are two corrugated steel cylindrical plates that have cutting edges. These edges are adjustable, and they slice or shave the beans to a consistent grind. Which is of course what people grinding their own beans want to have happen.

An Espresso is a method of extracting the heart of coffee flavor, under pressure; from specially roasted, finely ground Arabica beans very quickly. 1-1/2 ounces of Espresso is called a shot and is served as the base of a large number of coffee beverages.