ACIDITY: The measurement of bright flavors in a coffee.

AGED COFFEE: Coffee beans held in their green form for an extended period of time.

AMERICANO: Espresso diluted with hot water.

ARABICA: The main species of coffee bean used in specialty coffees.

BARISTA: The skilled artisan who prepares all coffee drinks at a coffee bar.

BLEND: A specific mixture of beans from different origins for the purpose of creating a flavor profile.

BODY: The feel of the weight of brewed coffee in the mouth.

BURR GRINDER OR MILL: An electric coffee grinder with two shredding burrs (or disks) that is the most precise method of grinding coffee beans.

CAFÉ AU LAIT: Traditionally a French breakfast coffee drink made of coffee and hot milk.

CAFESOLO: A single immersion coffee brewer (see page 113).

CAPPUCCINO: Espresso combined with steamed milk to total a five- to seven-ounce drink.

CARAMELIZATION: The sweet flavors brought out during roasting of the coffee bean.

CHEMEX: An hourglass-shaped glass filter drip coffee pot (see page 110).

CHERRY: The name used to describe the fruit in which the coffee bean is a seed.

CLEAN CUP: Cupper’s term for a coffee that appears to be defect-free.

CLEVER COFFEE DRIPPER: A filter cone with a stopper that allows coffee to steep before dripping.

CLOVER: A single-cup brewing machine that, some say, brews exceptionally flavorful coffee. The Coffee Equipment Company invented the Clover in Seattle in 2003. The company is now owned by Starbucks, and the machines will be exclusively used in Starbucks stores. Some machines are still in operation in small coffee bars across the United States.

COLD BREW COFFEE: Coffee prepared by allowing the grounds to steep for twelve to twenty-four hours in cold water, with the resultant strong brew diluted with milk or used to make iced coffee. The devices used to make cold brew coffee range from steeping in buckets to elaborate multi-chambered commercially manufactured glass towers. Also known as cold drip.

CORTADO: From the Spanish word for cut, espresso combined with steamed milk in a drink yielding about five ounces. Also called a Gibraltar.

CREMA: The rich, oily, foam-like topping on espresso, consisting of the tiny bubbles created by the pressure of the espresso machine.

CUP OF EXCELLENCE: An annual international competition to name the best coffee grown by specific regions (see page 10).

CUPPING: Professional means of tasting and evaluating coffee (see pages 30 and 38).

DIRECT METHOD: A method of removing caffeine from green coffee beans not used in the world of specialty coffee.

DIRECT TRADE: The method by which green coffee is purchased directly from the farmer (see page 13).

DOPPIO: A double shot of espresso; a term rarely used in the United States.

DOSE: The specific amount of coffee ratio to water used to brew coffee or espresso.

DRIP COFFEE: Coffee brewed through a filter, whereby hot water is poured over ground coffee.

DRY PROCESS: Natural process of drying coffee cherries in the sun before removing the bean.

ESPRESSO: A one- to two-ounce strong, rich, flavorful coffee made under pressure by forcing hot water through finely ground coffee.

EXTRACTION: The method by which flavor is distilled from ground coffee.

FAIR TRADE: A method of coffee buying whereby the grower is guaranteed a specified price for the beans. For more information, visit www.transfairusa.org.

FILTER: A triangular-shaped paper or a plastic, glass, gold-colored, or ceramic cone-shaped device used to hold coffee grounds when making drip coffee. The latter may or may not be lined with a paper filter.

FILTER COFFEE: Coffee made through hot water being poured over coffee grounds placed in a filter.

FILTER HOLDER: See portafilter.

FLANNEL DRIP: Coffee made in a woodneck Japanese brewer that uses flannel filters, which must be hand-washed and refrigerated between uses. Also known as a nel-drip.

FRENCH PRESS: A glass or metal container with a plunger and mesh filter in which coffee is produced by steeping the grounds in hot water and then plunging them to the bottom of the pot. Also known as a press pot (see page 116).

GREEN BEANS: Unroasted coffee beans.

HARIO KETTLE: A stainless steel kettle imported from Japan with a long, thin, swan-like spout used to pour a thin, steady stream of hot water over coffee grounds. Also known as a Buono kettle.

INDIRECT METHOD: Method of removing caffeine from specialty coffee beans (see page 20).

LATTE: Espresso blended with steamed milk to total eight- to twelve-ounce drink.

LATTE ART: The design seen on the top of a latte, created by a skilled barista. It is created by folding perfectly steamed milk into the crema of espresso.

MACCHIATO: Espresso “marked” with steamed milk to total a two- to three-ounce drink; technically called an espresso macchiato.

MICRO-LOT: Coffee beans from a single origin or from a specific section of a particular farm or plantation.

MOCHA: Espresso combined with chocolate syrup and hot steamed milk.

MONSOONING: A method of processing coffee in which the beans are subjected to the harsh, unpredictable monsoon season in Indonesia.

PORTAFILTER: The filter and handle on an espresso machine that is packed with coffee.

POUR-OVER: Coffee made by slowly pouring water in a gentle stream over a filter cone.

PROPELLER GRINDER: Small, inexpensive electric grinder with blades used to grind coffee beans.

PUCK: The tight cylinder of espresso in a portafilter.

PULL: The term used to describe making an espresso, relating back to when espresso was made by manually pulling on a lever.

REDEYE: Brewed coffee with espresso, also called Black Eye or Shot in the Dark.

RESERVOIR: The water-holding chamber on an espresso machine.

RISTRETTO: A short, concentrated espresso; it means “restricted pour.”

ROAST: The process of taking green beans to a specific degree of heat to develop the inherent flavors.

ROAST DATE: The date printed on a bag of specialty coffee beans designating when roasting occurred and signifying the length of time that the coffee should be held before use.

ROASTER: The machine or the person that roasts green coffee beans.

SEASONALITY: The designated period of time that a specific coffee should be in the market based on when it was harvested.

SILVERSKIN: The paper-like coating on a green coffee bean.

SINGLE ORIGIN: Coffee from a specific place—either a farm or a particular area of a farm or, sometimes, even a country, depending upon how a country separates its lots.

SIPHON: A complicated, multi-device, vacuum pressure coffeemaker that produces coffee with pure flavor and exceptional clarity. Used only in a few select coffee bars.

SLOW-DRIPPER: A Japanese cold-water coffeemaker consisting of a glass globe and a number of valves and tubes that takes about twelve to eighteen hours to brew a dense coffee often used for iced drinks.

STEAM WAND: The narrow steam pipe on the side of an espresso machine that is used to steam milk.

TAMPER: The flat-bottomed or convex tool used to press ground coffee into the portafilter of an espresso machine or to tamp, the action used to press ground coffee into the metal filter of an espresso machine.

THROWDOWN: A fun-filled gathering where baristas compete for the best presentation of latte art.

WOODNECK: Japanese glass coffee-maker with a flannel filter (see flannel drip).