Decode your daily brew: must-know coffee terms for coffee lovers
Whether you’re ordering a pour-over at your local third-wave café, scrolling through coffee shop Instagram profiles or reading equipment reviews online, there is a good chance that you’ve encountered coffee jargon which can often sound quite foreign and intimidating for the novice enthusiast.
If you love coffee but feel slightly lost in the lingo, you’re not alone. This timeless morning ritual, which has invigorated countless days with its energising embrace, continues to captivate with the subtle magic of caffeine’s allure. While many of us have our preferred brews and trusted orders at local cafés, truly mastering the language of coffee opens the door to richer experiences. While we may know what kinds of coffee we like and have specific go-to orders at our neighbourhood watering holes, being well-versed on the topic is a different story entirely.
Sip with confidence and enjoy your favourite cup of joe with a new set of eyes by gaining a better understanding of essential coffee terms. To help you sharpen your coffee IQ and deepen your appreciation of what’s in your cup, we have listed out and explained must-know coffee jargon, below:
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Roasting and processing coffee beans (Photo: Unsplash / Gregory Hayes)
Single-origin vs blend
When you’re browsing coffee selections, you’ll often encounter the terms “single-origin” and “blend.” If you’ve ever heard a barista mention “single-origin Ethiopia” or “Guatemala Huehuetenango,” they’re not just name-dropping exotic locales—they’re talking about traceability. Single-origin coffee refers to beans that come from one specific geographic location, whether it’s a single farm, a particular region within a country or a cooperative. Much like wine, coffee expresses the habitat that they are farmed in. Single-origin coffee is prized for its ability to showcase the unique characteristics of its native terroir—the combination of climate, soil and altitude that influences the flavour of the coffee.
On the other hand, blended coffee is made from a melange of beans from different sources. Roasters often blend coffees to achieve a balanced and consistent flavour profile for their brand that remains relatively stable throughout the year, despite certain seasonal variations in single-origin beans. Blending coffee also allows brands to create distinct flavours to their liking.
What to pick? Choosing between a single-origin and a blend often comes down to your personal preference. Single-origin coffee offers drinkers a chance to experience the distinct flavours of a specific place, while blends aim for a reliable and harmonious flavour profile.
Extraction
This is the magic (or science) behind how ground coffee evolves into the delicious drink you adore. Extraction refers to the process of dissolving flavour compounds from coffee grounds into water. The goal? To extract the right balance of oils, acids and solubles from the beverage. When you pour hot water over ground coffee (in a method like brewing, espresso or pour-over), the water pulls out various substances from the grounds—this is extraction. Extraction is necessary because coffee beans on their own don’t taste like brewed coffee. The flavours, aromas, oils, acids and other solubles that make up the coffee taste are locked inside the ground beans. Water is used as a solvent to pull these elements out, creating the drink we recognise as coffee. The goal of coffee extraction is to capture the best flavours from the coffee grounds. If done well, extraction gives you a balanced cup: aromatic, flavorful and pleasant.
Why it matters: Under-extraction (too little contact with water) can lead to sour, weak coffee. Over-extraction (too much contact) often tastes bitter or astringent. Mastering brew time, grind size and water temperature helps hit the sweet spot.
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A cold iced latte (Photo: Unsplash / Nathan Dumlao)
Bloom
If you’ve ever poured hot water over fresh grounds and watched them puff up and bubble, you’ve seen the bloom. When coffee beans are roasted, gases—especially CO₂—get trapped inside. These gases slowly escape over time, but freshly roasted beans still contain a lot. When you add hot water, the heat causes a rapid release of CO₂, which forms bubbles and lifts the coffee bed (that’s the bloom). This happens when CO₂ gas trapped in freshly roasted coffee is released upon contact with water. Blooming is essential in producing great coffee because it helps release trapped gases that can interfere with a balanced extraction process. It’s an even more crucial step for manual brewing methods like a pour-over and French press. If you skip blooming, the trapped gas can create air pockets and prevent water from evenly saturating the grounds. This leads to uneven extraction, where some grounds are under-extracted (sour) and others over-extracted (bitter). A healthy bloom (when coffee grounds rise or puff up noticeably when hot water first hits them) is also a sign of fresh beans.
Measuring coffee (Photo: Unsplash / Zarak Khan)
Body
When baristas or coffee aficionados refer to the word body when describing the beverage, they are talking about the tactile sensation of liquid in your mouth—think texture and weight, not flavour. When describing coffee, body refers to the weight, texture or mouthfeel of the coffee on your palate. A coffee with a full body might feel creamy or syrupy, while a light-bodied coffee might feel more tea-like. Several factors influence a coffee’s body, including the natural oils, the roast level, its origin and even the processing of the beans, or brewing method.
Why it matters: Understanding the body helps you pick coffees that suit your preference. Love a rich, bold mouthfeel? Look for something more full-bodied with origins in Indonesia (Sumatran), a Brazilian roast or a blend with Robusta. Prefer something light and clean? Go for something Ethiopian, Kenyan or the Panamanian Geisha variety.
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Roast levels (light, medium, dark)
The process of roasting green coffee beans is crucial in developing their characteristic flavours and aromas. The duration and temperature of the roast significantly impact the final flavour profile, generally categorised into light, medium and dark roasts.
Light roasts are typically roasted for the shortest amount of time, retaining more of the bean’s original flavours and often exhibiting higher acidity, sometimes with fruity or floral notes and a milder overall flavour.
Medium roasts strike a balance, offering a more developed flavour with some sweetness from caramelisation, along with medium levels of acidity and body.
Dark roasts are roasted the longest, resulting in a bold, robust taste, often with notes of chocolate or smokiness. They tend to have lower acidity and a more pronounced bitterness, and the beans themselves will appear dark brown, sometimes with an oily sheen.
A to-go up of coffee with a dash of milk (Photo: Unsplash / Andrew Valdivia)
First, second and third wave coffee
First wave coffee
When: Early to mid-20th century
What it was: Coffee became a mass-produced, convenient commodity
Focus: Making coffee widely available and affordable for the average consumer
Typical products: Instant coffee, pre-ground coffee, canned coffee
Brands: Maxwell House, Folgers, Nescafé
Flavour and quality: Quality wasn’t the priority; convenience and consistency were. Coffee was often dark roasted and bitter, masking poor bean quality
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Second wave coffee
When: Late 20th century (1970s–1990s)
What it was: Coffee became a social experience and there was more focus on branding and flavour
Focus: Speciality drinks like espresso, cappuccino, and lattes became popular; more attention to origin and roast profiles.
Typical products: Espresso-based drinks, flavoured coffee, café chains
Brands: Starbucks, Peet’s Coffee, Dunkin’ Donuts
Flavour and quality: Better beans, darker roasts and starting to highlight distinct flavours. Coffee shops became spaces to socialise
Third wave
When: Early 2000s to present
What it is: Third-wave coffee is treated as an artisanal craft and fine product, similar to wine or craft beer
Focus: Transparency about bean origin, farmer, and processing, more unique flavour profiles and more finessed brewing methods
Typical products: Single-origin beans, pour-over, Chemex, siphon, cold brew, and high-quality espresso
Brands: Blue Bottle, Stumptown, Intelligentsia, Counter Culture
Flavour and quality: Emphasises clarity, complexity, and nuance; coffee is appreciated for its unique terroir and subtle flavour notes.
Arabica vs Robusta
An espresso (Photo: Unsplash / Jeremy Yap)
The foundation of every great cup of coffee lies in the beans themselves. The two dominant species of coffee plants are Arabica and Robusta.
Arabica accounts for approximately 60 to 70 per cent of global production, and is often the darling of the speciality coffee world. Coffee made from Arabica beans is generally known for its smoother, sweeter and more complex flavour profile, often exhibiting floral or fruity notes. It also often has higher acidity levels, which contribute to a bright and lively taste.
On the other side of the spectrum is Robusta. As its name suggests, this species is hardier and more resilient. Robusta coffee is characterised by a stronger, bolder and often more bitter taste, sometimes with earthy, nutty or woody undertones. A significant differentiator is its caffeine content, which is almost double that of Arabica.
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Acidity
The term “acidity” in coffee often carries a negative connotation for newcomers, perhaps conjuring thoughts of sourness. However, in the world of coffee, acidity is generally considered a desirable attribute, referring to the bright, lively or tangy sensation you experience with each sip. It’s a characteristic that can give a coffee a vibrant and complex flavour profile, often described using terms like fruity (think citrus, apple or berries), floral or even wine-like.
A cup of coffee beans (Photo: Unsplash / Alin Luna)
Your coffee order cheat sheet
Espresso
A small, concentrated shot of coffee made by forcing hot water through finely-ground coffee under high pressure. It’s strong, bold and the base for many other coffee drinks. Typically served in 30ml (1 oz) shots.
Americano
Made by adding hot water to an espresso shot, diluting it for a milder flavour but keeping the espresso’s aroma. Similar in strength to drip coffee but with a different taste.
Long black
Popular in Australia and New Zealand, it’s similar to an Americano but made by pouring espresso over hot water instead of the other way around. This preserves the crema (the golden layer on top) and results in a richer, more aromatic cup.
Latte
An espresso shot with more steamed milk than a flat white and topped with a layer of foam. Smooth and mild, often customised with syrups (e.g. vanilla, caramel).
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Cappucino
Equal parts espresso, steamed milk and foam. Has a strong coffee flavour with a light, airy texture from the foam.
Macchiato
Espresso with just a dash of milk or milk foam. A bolder, smaller drink than a latte. (Note: Starbucks-style “caramel macchiato” is more of a flavoured latte and quite different.)
Flat white
An Australian/New Zealand invention: a single or double espresso with steamed milk, topped with a thin layer of microfoam. It’s smoother and creamier than a cappuccino, with more coffee flavour and less foam.
Pour over
A manual brewing method where hot water is poured slowly over ground coffee in a filter. It results in a clean, nuanced cup, often used to highlight high-quality, single-origin beans. Common pour-over tools: Chemex, Hario V60.
Cold brew
Made by steeping coffee grounds in cold water for 12–24 hours. Served cold, it’s smooth, low in acidity and often stronger than iced coffee.
Coffee, at its best, is both deeply personal and communal. We hope that this breakdown will help you understand the language behind the craft and give you the tools to explore and forge a deeper connection to this beloved beverage.
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