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| Glossary |
Aroma: The sensation or smell released from brewed coffee (while the smell of coffee grounds is the Bouquet).
Automatic Filter-Drip Coffee Makers: Coffee brewers that automatically heat and measure water into a filter and filter receptacle containing the ground coffee.
BAR: Pressure rating used on most pump driven espresso machines. 9 BAR, the typical accepted pressure for brewing espresso is 8.8 atmospheres of pressure or 130 pounds per square inch. Almost every consumer espresso machine with a vibratory or rotary pump is capable of producing this pressure consistently.
Barista: Italian term for a skillful and experienced espresso bar operator.
Boiler: In most espresso brewing machines, the tank in which water is heated for brewing and steam production.
Brew Group: the area of the machine that contains the grouphead and portafilter and filter baskets. Some brew groups are actively heated, some are passively heated by the boiler through metal on metal contact. The entire brew group should be sufficiently heated in order to brew a proper espresso. The term brew group also refers to the removable assembly found inside super automatic espresso machines.
Brew Head: The fixture protruding from the front of most espresso machines into which the portafilter and filter clamp.
Brew Temperature: is often referred to in espresso machines. Opinions do vary, but the general concensus is that espresso should be brewed with water that is between 190 and 205F (at sea level) in order to obtain optimal extraction.
Brew Time: is used as one of the indicators of a good espresso shot. Brew time is calculated from the moment the pump switch is activated, until the pump switch is turned off. The guideline for a proper brewed espresso is between 25 and 30 seconds.
Café au Lait: A coffee drink combining one-third drip coffee with two-thirds hot, frothed milk.
Caffe Americano: An espresso that is cut with very hot water to fill an American size cup.
Caffe Latte: A serving of espresso combined with three times the amount of hot milk and then topped with froth.
Caffe Mocha: A chocolate cafe latte often prepared with whipped cream on top.
Cafe Noir: Coffee served without cream or milk. Cafe is French for coffee and noir is French for black.
Cappuccino: An espresso drink comprised of one serving of espresso topped with hot milk and froth. Cappuccino gets its name from the Italian order of Catholic Capuchin monks, whose hooded robes resemble the drink’s cap of foam in shape and color.
Cold-Water Method: A brewing method in which ground coffee is soaked in a small amount of cold water for approximately fifteen minutes. The grounds are then strained out and the resulting coffee is stored and mixed with hot water as needed. This method produces a low-acid, light-bodied cup of coffee that some find delectable and others find tasteless.
Commercial: when used to describe an espresso machine, commercial refers to a machine that can be used in a commercial environment such as a cafè or restaurant where high volume output is required and durability of parts is important. Commercial grade machines can brew shot after shot of espresso, all day long.
Control Panel: s the area of the espresso machine where you control most or all of the machine’s functions. There is usually a power switch, a brewing control switch, and a steam control. On some machines there is also a hot water dispensing control. There are different variants as well: some control panels use rocker type switches and control knobs; some use push button switches; and other types use pressure sensitive switches.
Crema: is one of the sure signs of a properly brewed shot of espresso (in non crema-enhancing machines) and is created by the dispersion of gases – air and carbon dioxide – in liquid at a high pressure. The liquid contains emulsified oils, and forms a dark golden brown layer resembling foam on top of an espresso shot.
Cup Warmer: the part of an espresso machine that warms espresso cups. It is usually the top of the machine, sitting over the boiler itself (inside the machine). Not all espresso machines have cup warmers. Some have actively heated cup warmers. Cup warmers are beneficial because a small 1.5 ounce drink can lose its heat very fast if it is poured into a cold receptacle.
Degassing: A natural process in which recently roasted coffee releases carbon dioxide gas, temporarily protecting the coffee from the staling impact of oxygen.
Demitasse: the cup that holds a traditional shot of espresso is called a demitasse – the fancy word for the small 3 ounce (or smaller) cup.
Drip Method: A brewing method that allows hot water to settle through a bed of ground coffee.
Espresso: Used to describe both a roast of coffee and a method of brewing in which hot water is forced under pressure through a compressed bed of finely ground coffee. Comes from the Latin word “Expresere” which means, “to press out.”
Espresso Breve: Espresso with half and half.
Espresso Lungo: A shot that is pulled long for a bit of extra espresso. While many believe this maximizes the caffeine, in most shops this merely produces a bitter cup.
Espresso Macchiato: Espresso with a minimal amount (or “mark”) of steamed milk on top.
Espresso Ristretto: Literally “restricted” espresso. A shorter draw. The goal being a thicker and more flavorful espresso.
Extraction: is the act of forcing hot water from the boiler though ground coffee, which in turn “extracts” flavors, oils, colloids, lipids and other elements that turn water into brewed coffee or espresso.
Filter Basket: is a metal, flat bottomed “bowl” shaped insert that fits inside a portafilter. The filter basket holds your bed of ground coffee and has a multitude of tiny holes in the bottom to allow the extracted beverage to seep through and pour into a demitasse cup or other receptacle. Most espresso machines include two filter baskets, a single basket and a double basket, though some machines feature convertible baskets that allow either a single or double shot of espresso to be produced from the same basket.
Filter Method: Any brewing method in which water filters through a bed of ground coffee. Also describes drip method brewers utilizing a paper filter to separate grounds from brewed coffee.
French Press: Brewing method that separates spent grounds from brewed coffee by pressing them to the bottom of the brewing receptacle with a mesh plunger. French Roast: Dark roasted coffee that tastes bittersweet. Frothed Milk: Milk that is heated and frothed with a steam wand as an element in the espresso cuisine.
Froth: is produced when milk is steamed with an espresso machine’s steaming wand. Air must be introduced into this act to properly froth milk, and this is done by hoving the steam tip right near the surface of the milk: the steam agitates and heats the milk but also draws air at high velocity into the milk, thus creating the foam, or froth.
Grouphead: is the part of the brew group that contains the locking connector for the portafilter and the dispersion screen. These are usually made out of brass, but sometimes other materials such as stainless steel or aluminum are used. The grouphead is an integral part of the espresso machine and is also part of maintaining temperature stability in the machine, essential for producing a perfect shot of espresso.
Housing: this is the main body and shell of an espresso machine. The “housing” holds all the internal components, and supports the main exterior parts. Usually made of plastic or metals such as iron, brass, steel or aluminum.
Knockbox: a bin or box with a rubber or wooden bar across a wide opening. Used to dispense of the spent puck after brewing an espresso shot. The portafilter is rapped (or knocked) against the bar, and the spent puck of coffee grinds is “knocked” out into the bin.
Lever: refers either to a specific type of espresso machine or a part on an espresso machine. Lever espresso
machines are manual brewing devices that use a lever to push down a piston, which provides the proper pressure needed to brew espresso. These machines use a “lever” and piston instead of a pump to produce that pressure. You control the lever, thus you are the “pump”.
Mocha: A single-origin coffee from Yemen; also a drink combining chocolate and usually espresso coffee. It is the world’s oldest commercially cultivated coffee.
Neapolitan Macchinetta: A style of drip method brewer in which the ground coffee is secured in a two-sided strainer at the waist of the pot between two closed compartments. The brewing water is heated in one compartment, then the pot is flipped over, and the hot water drips through the coffee into the opposite compartment.
Open Pot Method: A brewing method in which the ground coffee is steeped (not boiled) in an open pot, and separated from the brewed coffee by settling or straining.
Percolation: A method of coffee brewing in which hot water filters down through a bed of ground coffee.
Piston Machine: An espresso machine that uses a piston operated by a lever to force brewing water at high pressure through the compacted bed of ground coffee.
Pod: a self-contained, pre ground, pre pressed puck of ground coffee. They are usually inside a perforated paper filter, and in many cases are sold individually wrapped to maintain freshness. Illy helped to create this system, and many pods are based on E.S.E. specifications (Easy Serving Espresso).
Portafilter: In espresso brewing, a metal object with a plastic handle that holds the coffee filter, and clamps onto the group.
Pump: two primary ways to deliver water at pressures required for proper espresso brewing (135 PSI) are through the use of a rotary pump, or a vibratory pump. Most modern day semi automatic, automatic, and super automatic espresso machines use one of these two pump technologies. See also Rotary Pump and Vibratory Pump.
Ristretto: This is the strongest and most concentrated espresso drink. It is made with half the amount of water but the same amount of coffee as a regular espresso. It is pure, intense, and wonderful in taste. Ristretto in Italian means “restricted.”
Solo: A single shot of espresso.
Tamper: In espresso brewing, the small, pestle-like device with a round, flat end used to distribute and compress the ground coffee inside the filter basket.
Thermal Block: A system for heating water in espresso brewers that uses coils of pipe enclosed inside a heating element or hot water tank.
Turkish Coffee: Coffee ground to a powder, sweetened, brought to a boil, and served with the grounds.
Vacuum-Filter Method: A brewing method that differs from other filter methods in that the brewing water is drawn through the ground coffee by means of a partial vacuum.
Viennese Coffee: Coffee brewed by the drip or filter method from a blend of coffee brought to a degree or darkness of roast called Viennese Roast; also refers to brewed coffee of any roast or origin topped with whipped cream.
