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Coffee Glossary

78 specialty coffee terms explained in plain English — sourcing, processing, roasting, brewing, tasting, certifications, and coffee culture — each linked to real coffees you can browse.

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Sourcing & Origin Processing Roasting Brewing & Extraction Tasting & Cupping Sustainability & Certification Coffee Culture & History
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Sourcing & Origin

Single Origin
Coffee sourced from one country, region, or farm rather than mixed with beans from elsewhere, prized for showcasing a distinct terroir.
Browse single-origin coffees →
Blend
Two or more coffees (often different origins or processes) combined to balance flavor, body, or price — common in espresso where consistency matters more than single-origin character.
Browse blends →
Micro-lot
A small, separately harvested and processed batch from a specific plot, kept apart from a farm’s main crop for its standout quality or unique flavor profile.
See limited & seasonal releases →
Terroir
The combination of soil, climate, elevation, and local growing conditions that gives coffee from a specific place its distinctive character — the same concept used in wine.
Direct Trade
A sourcing model where a roaster buys directly from a farm or cooperative, skipping traditional intermediaries to pay higher, negotiated prices and build a long-term relationship.
Browse direct trade coffees →
Fair Trade
A certification guaranteeing farmers a minimum price and additional community-development premiums, administered by third-party organizations like Fairtrade International.
Browse Fair Trade coffees →
Cooperative (Co-op)
A collective of smallholder farmers who pool resources for processing, milling, and selling their coffee together, giving individual growers more negotiating power.
Green Coffee
Unroasted coffee beans in their raw, shelf-stable state — the form in which coffee is traded, shipped, and stored before a roaster applies heat.
Q Grader
A cupper certified by the Coffee Quality Institute to score green and roasted coffee against the SCA’s standardized 100-point scale, used to grade lots for the specialty market.
Read: What Is a Coffee Cupping Score? →
High-Grown / Elevation
Coffee grown at higher altitude ripens more slowly, which is generally associated with denser beans and more complex acidity and flavor.
Browse high-altitude coffees →
Arabica vs. Robusta
The two commercially grown coffee species: Coffea arabica is lower-yielding but prized for nuanced, sweeter flavor and is what nearly all specialty coffee is; Coffea robusta (canephora) is hardier, higher-caffeine, and more bitter, mostly used in commodity blends and instant coffee.
Read: Arabica vs Robusta: The Real Difference →

Processing

Washed (Wet) Process
The cherry’s skin and fruit are mechanically removed and the beans are fermented in water to strip the remaining mucilage before drying, producing a cleaner, brighter cup.
Browse washed process coffees →
Natural (Dry) Process
Whole coffee cherries are dried in the sun with the fruit still intact, letting sugars ferment into the bean for a heavier body and fruit-forward, sometimes winey flavor.
Browse natural process coffees →
Honey Process
A middle ground between washed and natural: the skin is removed but some or all of the sticky mucilage (the "honey") is left on during drying, adding sweetness and body.
Browse honey process coffees →
Anaerobic Fermentation
Cherries or de-pulped beans ferment in a sealed, oxygen-free tank before drying, often producing bold, funky, or exotic flavor notes not found in traditional processing.
Browse anaerobic coffees →
Wet-Hulled (Giling Basah)
A processing method common in Indonesia where parchment is removed from the bean while it’s still wet, yielding the low-acid, heavy-bodied, earthy cup typical of Sumatran coffee.
Decaffeination
A process (Swiss Water, Mountain Water, or EA/Sugarcane methods being common specialty-grade options) that removes 97%+ of caffeine from green coffee before roasting, without using harsh chemical solvents.
Browse specialty decaf coffees →
Parchment
The thin, papery endocarp layer still surrounding the bean after pulping and drying, removed by hulling just before export.
Quaker
An underdeveloped or defective bean that fails to brown properly during roasting, staying pale — a visual sign of a lower-quality lot that’s typically sorted out before sale.
Mucilage
The sticky, sugar-rich fruit layer between a coffee cherry’s skin and its parchment — how much of it is left on the bean during drying is what separates washed, honey, and natural processing.
Peaberry
A naturally occurring mutation where a cherry develops just one small, round seed instead of the usual two flat-sided beans — some roasters sort and sell these separately, claiming a denser, more concentrated cup.

Roasting

Light Roast
Roasted only to just after first crack, preserving the bean’s origin character, brighter acidity, and delicate floral or fruity notes.
Browse light roast coffees →
Medium Roast
A balanced roast level between first and second crack that mutes some origin character in exchange for more body and classic "coffee" sweetness.
Browse medium roast coffees →
Dark Roast
Roasted into or past second crack, developing bold, smoky, bittersweet roast flavors that dominate the bean’s original origin character.
Browse dark roast coffees →
First Crack / Second Crack
Audible cracking sounds during roasting caused by internal steam pressure — first crack marks the start of drinkable coffee; second crack signals a dark roast is approaching.
Roast Profile
The planned time-and-temperature curve a roaster follows from charging the drum to dropping the beans — the recipe that decides whether the same green coffee ends up bright and floral or round and chocolatey.
Browse specialty roasters →
Agtron Score
A number from the Agtron/SCA color scale that measures how dark roasted beans or grounds are by reflected light — lower numbers mean darker roasts, with light roasts typically reading in the 70s–80s and above.
Browse medium roast coffees →
Development Time
The stretch between the start of first crack and the end of the roast, often expressed as a percentage of total roast time — too short tastes sour and grassy, too long flattens sweetness and acidity.
Browse light roast coffees →
Rate of Rise (RoR)
How quickly bean temperature climbs, measured in degrees per minute — roasters aim for a steadily declining RoR, since a sudden stall or spike can leave baked or scorched flavors.
Espresso Roast
A roaster’s label for beans developed to pull well as espresso — usually medium to medium-dark for sweetness and body — though the term is a style choice, not a standard, and plenty of light roasts are sold for espresso too.
Browse espresso coffees →
Roast Date
The day beans were roasted, printed on most specialty bags — the single best predictor of freshness, since coffee is generally best 4–21 days after roasting.
Check your coffee’s freshness →

Brewing & Extraction

Bloom
The initial short pour or pause at the start of brewing that lets trapped CO₂ escape from fresh grounds, ensuring more even extraction during the main pour.
See the pour over brew guide →
Extraction
The process of dissolving flavor compounds out of ground coffee into water — "under-extracted" tastes sour and thin, "over-extracted" tastes bitter and harsh.
Open the extraction calculator →
TDS (Total Dissolved Solids)
The percentage of a brewed cup that is dissolved coffee solids, measured with a refractometer — the core input for calculating extraction yield.
Open the extraction calculator →
Brew Ratio
The proportion of coffee to water by weight, typically written like 1:16 — the primary lever for adjusting strength independent of extraction.
Open the brew ratio calculator →
Crema
The reddish-brown foam layer on top of a fresh espresso shot, created by CO₂ and emulsified oils forced out under pressure — a rough (not definitive) freshness indicator.
See the espresso brew guide →
Channeling
Water finding a low-resistance path through the coffee bed instead of flowing evenly, causing patchy extraction — usually from uneven grounds distribution or tamping.
See the espresso brew guide →
Grind Size
How fine or coarse coffee is ground, which controls how fast water flows through it and therefore extraction — finer for espresso, coarser for French press or cold brew.
See the grind size guide →
Water Chemistry
The mineral content of brewing water (measured as TDS, hardness, and alkalinity), which affects both extraction and flavor — the SCA publishes target ranges for brewing water.
Check your water quality →
Degassing
The release of CO₂ trapped in beans during roasting; coffee needs a few days (espresso) to a couple of weeks to settle, which is why very fresh beans bloom aggressively and can taste sharp or uneven.
Check how fresh your coffee is →
Dialing In
Adjusting grind size, dose, and yield over a few test brews until a coffee tastes balanced — the routine first step with any new bag, especially for espresso.
See the grind size guide →
Ristretto / Lungo
Espresso variations defined by yield: a ristretto is a shorter, more concentrated shot (about 1:1 to 1:1.5), while a lungo runs longer (about 1:3 or more) and tastes thinner and more bitter.
Open the espresso calculator →
Pre-infusion
A low-pressure soak at the start of an espresso shot that wets the puck evenly before full pressure, reducing channeling and improving extraction consistency.
See the espresso brew guide →
Immersion vs. Percolation
Two ways of extracting coffee: immersion steeps grounds in water for the whole brew (French press, cold brew), while percolation passes water through the bed (pour-over, drip, espresso). Immersion is more forgiving; percolation gives clearer flavor.
See the French press brew guide →
Water Temperature
Hotter water extracts faster: most methods target roughly 90–96°C (195–205°F), with lighter roasts brewed hotter and darker roasts cooler to avoid bitterness.
See the water temperature guide →
Espresso
A concentrated shot brewed by forcing hot water through finely-ground, tightly-packed coffee under high pressure — the base for every milk drink, and its own distinct format of roast and grind.
Browse espresso coffees →
Burr Grinder
A grinder that crushes beans between two abrasive surfaces (burrs) set a fixed distance apart, producing a far more uniform particle size than a blade grinder — the single biggest equipment upgrade for better-tasting coffee.
Compare coffee grinders →
Blade Grinder
A grinder that chops beans with a spinning blade, giving an uneven mix of fine dust and coarse chunks that extracts inconsistently — cheap, but a poor fit for espresso or pour-over.
Compare coffee grinders →
Gooseneck Kettle
A kettle with a long, narrow, curved spout that gives precise control over pour speed and placement, which matters most for pour-over methods like V60, Kalita Wave, and Chemex.
Browse coffee kettles →
Refractometer
A handheld instrument that measures the TDS of a brewed coffee by how much light bends through it, letting you calculate extraction yield instead of guessing from taste.
Use the extraction calculator →
Portafilter
The handled basket that holds ground coffee and locks into an espresso machine’s group head; its basket size sets the dose, and a bottomless version helps reveal channeling.
Browse espresso machines →

Tasting & Cupping

Cupping
The standardized method professionals use to evaluate coffee: grounds are steeped in hot water, the crust is broken and skimmed, then slurped loudly from a spoon to aerate and assess flavor.
See our highest-rated coffees →
SCA Score
A 0–100 point rating from the Specialty Coffee Association’s cupping protocol; scores of 80+ qualify as "specialty grade," with 85+ generally considered excellent.
See the highest SCA-scored coffees →
Acidity
The bright, tangy, sometimes fruity sensation on the tongue that professional tasters treat as a desirable quality trait — distinct from sourness, which signals a brewing flaw.
Browse Bright coffees →
Body
The weight and texture of coffee in the mouth, ranging from light and tea-like to thick and syrupy — influenced by brew method, processing, and roast level.
Browse Full-Bodied coffees →
Flavor Notes
Descriptors (like "stone fruit," "dark chocolate," or "jasmine") tasters use to describe a coffee’s aroma and taste, usually printed on the bag by the roaster.
Explore the flavor wheel →
Varietal (Cultivar)
The specific genetic variety of coffee plant, like Bourbon, Typica, or Gesha — a major factor in a coffee’s inherent flavor potential, similar to a grape varietal in wine.
Browse Gesha coffees →
Bourbon
One of the two foundational Arabica cultivars (alongside Typica), descended from plants carried to Bourbon Island in the 18th century — lower-yielding but prized for cup quality across Latin America and East Africa.
Browse Bourbon coffees →
Heirloom Varietal
A catch-all label for Ethiopia’s vast, uncatalogued pool of indigenous landrace coffee plants — not one cultivar but thousands of genetically distinct trees never formally classified, which is why Ethiopian lots are labeled "Heirloom" instead of a specific varietal name.
Browse Heirloom coffees →
Pacamara
A large-beaned hybrid of Pacas and Maragogype developed in El Salvador, known for producing an outsized cup with pronounced sweetness and body relative to most other cultivars.
Browse Pacamara coffees →
Pink Bourbon
A naturally occurring Bourbon mutation, first documented in Colombia, whose cherries ripen pink rather than red or yellow — prized for bright, complex, often tropical-fruit cup character.
Browse Pink Bourbon coffees →
Parainema
A leaf-rust-resistant hybrid cultivar bred in Central America, valued by farmers for its disease resistance without sacrificing the cup quality specialty buyers expect.
Browse Parainema coffees →
Typica
The oldest and most widely dispersed Arabica cultivar, the genetic ancestor of countless modern varieties — graceful, low-yielding and disease-prone, but prized for a clean, sweet, balanced cup.
Compare with Bourbon coffees →
Caturra
A naturally occurring dwarf mutation of Bourbon found in Brazil in the 1930s — compact and productive, with a bright, citrusy cup, and a common parent of many Latin American hybrids.
Browse Colombian coffees →
Catuaí
A high-yielding Brazilian cross of Mundo Novo and Caturra, available in red and yellow forms — hardy and widely planted, with a sweet, mellow, chocolate-leaning profile.
Browse Brazilian coffees →
SL28 / SL34
Kenyan cultivars selected by Scott Laboratories in the 1930s — SL28 is famed for intense blackcurrant-like acidity and juicy complexity, and with SL34 defines the classic Kenyan cup.
Browse Kenyan coffees →
Castillo
A leaf-rust-resistant Colombian cultivar released in 2005 by Cenicafé, now planted across much of the country — bred to protect harvests while keeping a balanced, sweet cup.
Browse Colombian coffees →

Sustainability & Certification

Organic Certified
Coffee grown without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, verified by an accredited certifying body under standards like USDA Organic.
Browse organic coffees →
B Corporation
A certification for companies meeting verified standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency, administered by the nonprofit B Lab.
Browse B Corp roasters →
Living Wage Certified
A certification confirming that everyone in a coffee’s supply chain, including farm workers, is paid at least a regionally calculated living wage.
Browse Living Wage certified coffees →
Rainforest Alliance
A certification (merged with UTZ in 2018) verifying farms meet standards for environmental protection, worker welfare, and sustainable land use.
Browse Rainforest Alliance coffees →
Women-Owned
A designation for roasters that are majority owned, founded, or led by women — used by buyers who want to prioritize gender-equitable supply chains.
Browse women-owned roasters →
Veteran-Owned
A designation for roasters that are majority owned or founded by military veterans.
Browse veteran-owned roasters →
Kosher Certified
Coffee roasted, processed, and packaged under rabbinical supervision to meet Jewish dietary law — verifying the supply chain and shared equipment rather than the farm or beans themselves. Demand spikes around Passover and for holiday gifting.
Browse Kosher certified coffees →

Coffee Culture & History

First Wave Coffee
The mass-market commodification of coffee through most of the 20th century — instant coffee and pre-ground supermarket cans, sold on convenience and price rather than origin or quality.
Read: What Is Third Wave Coffee? →
Second Wave Coffee
The Starbucks-era shift (roughly the 1970s–1990s) that popularized espresso and milk drinks, café culture, and darker roast profiles, moving coffee upmarket without yet emphasizing single-origin traceability.
Read: What Is Third Wave Coffee? →
Third Wave Coffee
A shift dated from the mid-1990s onward that treats coffee as a differentiated, terroir-driven product like wine — emphasizing single-origin transparency, direct producer relationships, lighter roasting that preserves origin flavor, and precision brewing. Coined by roaster Trish Rothgeb in a 2002 essay.
See which of our 100 roasters are third-wave era →
Fourth Wave Coffee
An informal, still-debated term for the current era beyond third wave — defined less by a single trend and more by fragmentation: data-driven sourcing, radical processing experimentation (anaerobic, co-ferments), and coffee culture spreading through social media rather than café counters.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does "specialty grade" coffee mean?
Specialty grade is a Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) cupping-score threshold — coffee that scores 80 or above out of 100 on the SCA’s standardized tasting protocol, meaning it’s free of significant defects and shows distinctive positive flavor characteristics.
What’s the difference between washed and natural process coffee?
Washed coffee has its fruit and mucilage removed before drying, producing a cleaner, brighter cup that shows origin character clearly. Natural coffee dries with the whole cherry intact, letting fruit sugars ferment into the bean for a heavier body and more fruit-forward, sometimes fermented flavor.
What is TDS in coffee?
TDS stands for Total Dissolved Solids — the percentage of a brewed cup, by weight, that is dissolved coffee rather than water. It’s measured with a refractometer and used together with brew ratio to calculate extraction yield.
What is a coffee varietal?
A varietal (or cultivar) is the specific genetic variety of the coffee plant a bean comes from, such as Bourbon, Typica, or Gesha. Varietal is a major factor in a coffee’s inherent flavor potential, similar to how grape varietal shapes wine.
Why does roast level change the flavor so much?
Roasting drives chemical reactions (caramelization and the Maillard reaction) that develop new flavor compounds while breaking down the bean’s original acids and sugars. Light roasts stop earlier, preserving more origin character; dark roasts push further, replacing origin character with bold roast flavors.
What does "direct trade" mean versus Fair Trade?
Fair Trade is a formal third-party certification with an audited minimum price. Direct trade is an informal model where a roaster buys straight from a farm or cooperative, usually negotiating a price above commodity or Fair Trade minimums — but there’s no standard body certifying it, so terms vary by roaster.

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