A quick reference to the coffee and beverage terms used across these calculators and guides, from acidity to TDS.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Acidity | The bright, tangy quality in coffee. A positive trait, distinct from sourness. |
| Arabica | The more refined coffee species, sweeter and more complex, used in most specialty coffee. |
| Bloom | The initial wetting of grounds that releases trapped carbon dioxide before the main pour. |
| Body | The weight or mouthfeel of a drink, from light and tea-like to full and syrupy. |
| Burr grinder | A grinder with two abrasive surfaces that produces an even, consistent grind. |
| Caffeine | The natural stimulant in coffee and tea. About 95 mg in a cup of brewed coffee. |
| Cold brew | Coffee steeped in cold water for 12 to 24 hours, yielding a smooth, low-acid concentrate. |
| Crema | The reddish-brown foam on top of a fresh espresso shot. |
| Cupping | A standardized method of tasting and scoring coffee. |
| Decaf | Coffee with about 97% of its caffeine removed before roasting. |
| Dose | The weight of dry coffee used for a brew, measured in grams. |
| Espresso | Concentrated coffee made by forcing hot water through fine grounds under pressure. |
| Extraction | The process of dissolving flavor compounds from coffee grounds into water. |
| Extraction yield | The percentage of the coffee grounds that dissolved into the cup. Ideal is 18 to 22%. |
| French press | A full-immersion brewer that steeps coarse grounds and separates them with a plunger. |
| Green beans | Unroasted coffee beans. |
| Grind size | How coarse or fine the coffee is ground, matched to the brew method. |
| Oxidation | The reaction that defines tea type, from unoxidized green to fully oxidized black. |
| Pour over | A manual method of brewing by pouring hot water over grounds in a filter. |
| Robusta | A hardy coffee species with bold flavor and nearly double the caffeine of Arabica. |
| Roast level | How far coffee is roasted, from light to dark, shaping flavor and color. |
| Single origin | Coffee from one country, region, or farm rather than a blend. |
| Steeping | Soaking tea leaves or grounds in water to extract flavor. |
| Tannins | Compounds in tea and coffee that add astringency and can taste bitter when oversteeped. |
| TDS | Total dissolved solids, the measure of a drinks strength as a percentage. |
Two terms worth knowing. Extraction yield is how much coffee dissolved; TDS is how strong the result tastes. Together they describe a brew.
See the Coffee Ratio Calculator and the Coffee Brewing Methods Chart.