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Table of Contents
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Table of Contents
Contents
By
Ru Chen
Key Takeaways
Barista lingo makes communicating about coffee faster – but only if you know what each word means. From cortado to doppio, shot in the dark to affogato, baristas use so much jargon that it sounds like a whole coffee dialect.
It’s time to decode coffee shorthand. This guide will explain popular barista lingo, the history behind coffee jargon, and insider terms to elevate your understanding of coffee.
Espresso-based drinks are some of the most popular coffee beverages in the world.
Espresso: A concentrated shot of black coffee, no extra water. Intense and rich, espresso serves as the base for many other drinks.
Latte: 1-2 shots of espresso, topped with steamed milk and foam. Creamy and smooth, latte is perfect for a splash of syrup and flavor.
Cappuccino: Espresso, milk, and thick foam make for a cup of cappuccino.
So what’s the difference between espresso-based drinks and other brews? Coffee can be brewed in many ways, each one resulting in a different texture, brew time, and taste.
Espresso usually comes in the following shot sizes:
Single: 1 fluid ounce (fl oz) of espresso is a single shot. One shot typically = 7 grams of coffee.
Double: Two shots of espresso = 14 grams of coffee.
Ristretto: A restricted, short shot of espresso. Only half as much water is used to extract the ground coffee, making the ristretto taste sweeter and more intense.
Popular espresso-based drinks include:
Macchiato: Espresso + splash of milk
Americano: Espresso + hot water = Americano
Cortado: Half espresso, half steamed milk
Mocha: Espresso + chocolate + steamed milk + whipped cream = Mocha
You can also get specialty espresso drinks. These may incorporate a few features of traditional espresso, or go far out with wild flavors and designs.
Getting the right microfoam for lattes is key to both drinking regular lattes and creating latte art.
Steaming refers to using a steam wand to froth milk.
Frothing is the process of creating milk foam.
Microfoam is the milk that has been frothed.
Dry vs Wet foam: Dry foam is thicker, with larger bubbles. Wet foam is thinner, and better for latte art.
Stretching is a crucial initial phase of frothing milk. The coffee brewer introduces air to the milk using the steam wand, creating bubbles.
Latte art was invented in the 1980s as baristas incorporated designs on the surface of milk foam. This art form has sparked the creativity of countless baristas. Today, popular latte art designs include the heart, flora designs (e.g. tulip and rosetta), and complex designs (e.g. phoenix and swan).
Here are some techniques used for milk frothing and latte art. The more one practices, the more natural and effortless the latte art will appear.
Ripple: Rippling is a technique for pouring latte art designs.
Free pour: When the design is poured without using a specialized tool. Many simple, fluid designs are better when free poured, such as the tulip and heart.
Etching: Some complex latte art designs require tools, such as a skewer or stick. These fine tools can etch intricate patterns and shapes on the microfoam.
Layering: Layered lattes are popular since they make for aesthetic, photogenic drinks. The different layers of the latte are clearly visible.
Angle control: This refers to the angle at which you’re pouring the milk. Better angle control makes for better latte art.
The method of brewing impacts the taste, body, and price of the coffee. Some methods are faster and cheaper, making them better suited for a fast cup of joe in the morning. Others require more time and effort, but can result in higher quality beverages. Here are some popular brewing methods.
Drip: Automatic drip coffee makers pour hot water over coffee grounds in a filter. Results in smooth coffee popular in cafés.
AeroPress: A popular, fast coffeemaker that steeps coffee in hot water and presses it through a filter.
French Press: Coarse coffee grounds are steeped in hot water, then filtered by pressing on a metal plunger.
Pourover: Similar to drip, water is added to the coffee grounds, which then pass through a filter.
Cold brew: Cold water extraction steeps coffee grounds in cold water for 12 to 24 hours.
Siphon: A vacuum-based brewing method where glass pots are used. Creates clean, light coffee.
If you’re just learning how to brew coffee at home, you might encounter puzzling terms in recipes and guides. Let’s go over confusing terms used for brewing a cup of joe.
Bloom: The bloom occurs when hot water touches the coffee grounds, causing a release of carbon dioxide. This is meant to create a more balanced flavor.
Grind size: Coarse, medium, fine, and everything in between. The grind size of your coffee grounds can vary greatly, affecting the overall taste and texture of the coffee.
Brew ratio: This is the coffee to water ratio. Usually, baristas use 1 tablespoon of coffee for 4 ounces of water. Being precise about the brew ratio helps you brew more consistent coffee.
Extraction: Pouring water over coffee grounds ‘extracts’ soluble, desirable compounds out of the beans. This includes the caffeine, lipids, and acids of the coffee.
Trying out specialty coffee – coffee that is roasted with great detail and care, the highest grade of coffee available – is like setting off on a coffee-filled adventure. It can also be complex if you’ve never sourced specialty beans before. Here are must-know terms for specialty coffee.
Single-origin: Has a single source of bean that can be reliably traced. Often exalted by coffee enthusiasts as better than beans with diverse origins.
Direct trade: A more ethical approach to sourcing coffee by coffee roasters. Direct trade means buying directly from coffee farmers to ensure fair prices and better relationships with the coffee farming community.
Fair trade: The coffee industry has faced ethical concerns both historically and now, with unfair wages and unsustainable packaging. Coffee companies that are fair trade certified pay their producers and farmers fair wages.
Organic: Organic coffee aims to grow coffee using eco-friendly practices.
Third Wave: The Third Wave movement focuses on coffee as an artisanal product. You get some of the best coffee craftsmanship with Third Wave Coffee.
Shade grown: A special type of coffee cultivation, in which the coffee is grown under a tall canopy of trees. This can create more complex tastes in the specialty roasts.
Coffee tasting is an art. It also makes buying coffee beans easier to understand, since special vocab is used to describe particular tastes, textures, and bean types.
Acidity: How bright, citric, and tangy the coffee tastes. Low-acidity coffees will be smoother and more mellow.
Body: The thickness of the coffee on your palate. It can be light, medium, or full. A full-bodied coffee will taste creamier, whereas a light-bodied coffee will feel delicate.
Aroma: The smell of coffee can vary greatly. The aroma of a coffee can contribute greatly to the brew’s actual taste. Popular aromas include floral, fruity, and nutty.
A coffee flavor wheel will show you the vast range of flavor profiles. From fruity to nutty, ashen to herbaceous, there are so many flavor profiles that exist. A great way to explore new flavor profiles or find your preferred one is to try out coffee clubs for their special roasts and deliveries.
Here are common coffee tasting notes used to describe nuanced coffee flavors.
Zesty: Citric flavors, such as lemon and orange. Often found in Ethiopian beans.
Berry: Natural-processed coffees often have sweet, berry-like notes.
Stone fruit: Flavors like plum, peach, and apricot. Often found in Central and South American coffees.
Jasmine: Ethiopian coffees often have a floral, fragrant note of Jasmine.
Rose: High-altitude coffees and specialty coffees can have the delicate sweetness of rose.
Clove: Indonesian coffees often have this sweet, warming spice of clove.
Herbal: Thyme and basil notes may be found in coffees from around the world.
Vanilla: Soft and sweet, a comforting flavor often found in medium roasts.
Tobacco: Woody, smoky coffee may be described as having tobacco notes, usually found in dark roasts.
Green beans: Before coffee beans are roasted, they are green in color and raw. They don’t have the flavor and aroma we typically associate with coffee.
The First Crack: Coffee beans make a cracking, popping sound during roasting. This is crucial for developing the flavor profile of the beans.
The Second Crack: If beans are roasted to the second crack, the roast will be darker and smokier.
Maillard Reaction: Refers to the special chemical reaction that forms the coffee flavors and aroma. Sugars and amino acids react during the coffee roasting process, contributing to the browning of the coffee.
Caramelization: When sugars break down, caramelizing at high temperatures. This adds flavor to the coffee.
You can also learn more about the science of coffee roasting.
Many coffee clubs and coffeehouses will host coffee tastings. These allow individuals to sample different coffees, teaching them how to compare and identify diverse flavor profiles.
Coffee tastings may focus on comparing three main elements of coffee:
Origin: Coffee comes from around the world. Different coffee origins have their own unique cultures and relationship with coffee.
Roast level: How dark or light the roast is will affect the flavor, body, and acidity of the coffee.
Processing method: Coffee can be washed, natural, honey-processed, or processed using other methods. Processing can affect the taste and flavor profile of a bean.
A coffee cupping is a formal method to evaluate coffee quality. Unlike a tasting, cuppings are typically used by baristas and roasters. They use a standardized process to taste and compare the coffee. Cupping aims to control the quality of different bean batches, explore new tastes, and inform purchasing decisions.
Ever walk into a café and find yourself flabbergasted by the terms thrown around between baristas? We’ve all been there. Here are some useful coffee slang to know, especially if you’re interested in pursuing coffee as a craft.
Doppio: Doppio is Italian for double. Doppio usually means a double shot of espresso, the standard in many traditional coffeehouses.
Mud: Some types of coffee have a thick, even sludgy texture during the final few sips, since the coffee grounds have settled at the bottom. More coffee drinkers have begun brewing mud coffee on purpose to follow the trend.
Spro: Baristas may use spro as a shortform of espresso. Imagine if Sabrina Carpenter sang ‘Spro’ instead of Espresso!
Dialing in: Baristas will ‘dial in’ the coffeemaker to ensure high-quality, consistent brews. Adjustments to the espresso machine are often needed due to shifting humidity and bean freshness.
Channeling: If water finds an easy, narrow channel (path) through coffee grounds, it results in uneven extraction and disappointing flavor.
Slayer: A high-level coffee machine that truly slays, with fantastic control over coffee parameters.
God shot: The perfect shot of coffee. The god shot needs no explanation.
Special lingo is used everywhere by coffee enthusiasts and baristas. Regional differences will affect barista slang, but knowing certain terms like single-origin beans and the Third Wave Movement can help you dive deeper into coffee culture.
Whether you’re chatting about coffee with a barista or learning how to brew on your own, barista lingo is a great way to help you embrace and connect with the coffee world. Just remember to not throw too much coffee jargon out at once, it can be confusing or frustrating for those who aren’t familiar with the lingo.
And don’t forget – even if you don’t share the same language as a coffee enthusiast, you can share love for coffee and its community. Coffee is not just the #1 universal beverage – it also brings people together, transcending language and borders.
Ru Chen
Content Writer
Ru Chen is a content writer with several years of experience in creating engaging and well-researched articles. She mostly writes about coffee, business, digital marketing, and law. In her free time, she can be found watching horror movies and playing board games with her partner in Brooklyn.
Ru Chen is a content writer with several years of experience in creating engaging and well-researched articles. She mostly writes about coffee, business, digital marketing, and law. In her free time, she can be found watching horror movies and playing board games with her partner in Brooklyn.
