Coffee Flashcards
Cappuccino
A beverage made with a shot of espresso and equal parts steamed and foamed milk. The steamed milk is mixed with the espresso, but the foamed milk is sitting on top. Overall ratio is 1/3 espresso, 1/3 steamed milk, 1/3 foamed milk. Cappuccino’s name was derived from the Italian order of Catholic Capuchin monks, whose hooded robes resemble the drink’s cap of foam in shape and color.
Americano
A shot or two of espresso that has been poured into an American-sized cup filled with very hot water.
Doppio
A double shot of espresso.
Drip
Brewing coffee by pouring water over grounds directly with a filter or device like a French press.
Cold brew
Coffee brewed in cold water for an extended period of time. Easy to make, and much better than watered-down coffee in ice.
Crema
The top layer of freshly made espresso, made of emulsified oils. Especially important for good latte art.
The lighter brown foam that appears on the top of espresso. Or should, anyway—crema’s presence (or rather a lack there of) is the quickest way to tell whether a shot of espresso sucks. Which is not to say that espresso with good crema can’t still suck
Frothed
Milk with air drawn in, giving it a thicker consistency.
Latte
Frothed milk poured over fresh espresso. With a bit of skill, it’s possible to create designs in the crema.
Redeye
Coffee with espresso added.
Acidity
A measure of the acid content of the liquid; in fine coffees, acidity results in a pleasant sharpness. Acidity points out a coffee’s flavor and provides liveliness, sparkle or snap to the drink. It is tasted mainly on the tip of the tongue. The acidity of a coffee may be assessed as lively, moderate, flat or dull. Not to be associated with the genuinely sour taste.
similar to biting into a tart green apple.
Batch Brewing
Once called “making coffee” in a coffee shop, this process involves brewing a large amount of coffee—whether in a machine or a large French press—to be poured to order, as opposed to brewing individual cups to order. If you go into most coffee shops and simply ask for “coffee,” this is still what you will likely be served.
Bloom
Pouring a small amount of hot water onto coffee to release the gases trapped inside before brewing. Basically, making the coffee fart. This makes extraction easier.
Extraction
The process by which water steals all of the delicious flavors from the coffee grounds. If coffee is under-extracted (often because it is ground too coarsely, the water is too cold, or the brewing time is too short), it will taste weak and watery. If it is over-extracted (ground too fine, water too hot, or brewed too long), it will also pick up too many of the not-so-delicious flavors from the beans or taste burnt.
Pull
In coffee lingo, an espresso shot is “pulled.” This dates back to when espresso machines had actual levers on them. Now they have buttons, but “switching on an espresso shot” doesn’t have quite the same ring to it.
Sourness
Instead of acidity, which is a positive feature, its ugly cousin sourness is an unwelcome presence in coffee. Unlike apple or grapefruit, this is more like vinegar or medicine.
