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Coffee Terms and Definitions
Specialty coffee is defined as a coffee that has no defects and has a distinctive flavor in the cup. Is specialty coffee too expensive to drink daily? Specialty coffee, a term that refers to the highest-quality green beans roasted by true craftspeople, is surprisingly affordable. One cup costs about 24 cents (based on 50 cups/lb @ $12/lb) ---making it cheaper than bottled water. Which method of coffee preparation produces the most caffeine, drip or espresso? Surprisingly, a 1 oz. espresso contains less caffeine (approx. 40 mg) than a regular 8 oz. serving of drip coffee (approx. 85 mg). In fact, in the espresso brewing method, water is in contact with the grounds for only 20 to 25 seconds and extracts less caffeine than methods that put water in contact with the grounds for several minutes. Caffeine contributes no taste to coffee. Strong-tasting coffee has no more caffeine than its weak-tasting counterpart. Strong or bitter taste to coffee is a product of the type of bean, water-to-coffee ratio, and brewing method. Should I use a darker roast coffee to get more caffeine? The darker the roast, the less caffeine the bean contains. The caffeine burns off during the roasting process. More caffeine is present in your lighter roasts. When should ground coffee be brewed? To be considered truly fresh, coffee should be ground right before brewing. How popular is coffee in the USA? Everyday, Americans drink more than 300 million cups of coffee; 75% of those cups are home-brewed. Is specialty coffee popular in the USA? In 2005, 15% of the adult American population enjoyed a daily cup of specialty coffee. What contributes to the unique taste and flavor of specialty coffee? Like wine and honey, specialty coffee has a unique flavor thanks to the micro-climates that produce it. What is the most popular type of bean Arabica or Robusto? Seventy percent (70%) of the world's coffee production is the Arabica species. Where is the original home of coffee? Thanks to some popular commercials, most of us believe that coffee originated in Colombia or Brazil. Not so; it originated in Ethiopia as the Arabica species. How valuable to the global economy is coffee? The global coffee industry employs more than 20 million people. Was coffee ever used as currency in the USA? In 1683, one pound of coffee in New York was worth as much as four acres of land. Standard References: International Coffee Organization www.ico.org; National Coffee Association Drinking Trends Study www.ncausa.org
Coffee Terms and Definitions
Barista: A person who is a master of the Espresso machine and makes coffee as a profession.
Caffeine: A natural stimulant found in coffee. The darker the roast, the less caffeine. The caffeine burns off during the roasting process.
Cappuccino: A classic blend of coffee and steamed milk named after the brown robes of the Capuchin monks.
Cupping: The process used by coffee tasting specialists to judge and evaluate coffee beans.
Espresso: A dark, rich, full-bodied coffee made when finely ground coffeeis processed with a special machine that forces a small amount of water at high pressure through a special filter. Contact time between coffee and water is only about 25 seconds.
Green Coffee: Unroasted coffee
Organic Coffee: Certified by independent agencies as organically grown, processed, stored and roasted. This means that no synthetic chemical pesticides, fertilizers, cleaners, etc. have come into contact with the coffee trees or beans. |
