The Saltbush Brew Coffee Glossary

Your complete guide to coffee terms, techniques, and tools

Coffee has its own language. From crema to extraction, from Arabica beans to tampers… every term tells part of the story behind the cup.

The Saltbush Brew Coffee Glossary was created to make that language simple, approachable, and inspiring. Whether you’re a curious home brewer, a barista in training, or someone who just loves a good cup, you’ll find clear, concise explanations of the terms that matter most in the world of coffee.

Each entry is written in plain language… no jargon, no fluff…  so you can learn how coffee really works, one concept at a time.

How to Use This Glossary

Start with the basics, explore the tools, and then dive into the techniques. Every glossary page links to related terms and blog posts, helping you build a deeper understanding of your brew.

We’ll keep adding new terms each week, so check back often… your daily coffee ritual might just come with a new word to learn.

Explore the First Entries

Espresso: The concentrated heart of coffee and the base for most café drinks

Crema: The golden foam that crowns a perfect espresso shot.

Tamper: The barista’s tool for packing espresso grounds evenly

Arabica: The world’s most popular coffee species… smooth, aromatic, and refined.

Extraction: The science of drawing flavor from coffee into water

Robusta:. It’s commonly used in espresso blends and offers a bold, earthy profile that pairs well with milk-based drinks.

Single Origin: Single origin coffee comes from one farm, region, or country.

Blend: A blend combines two or more coffee beans to create a balanced flavour.

Grind Size: Grind size refers to how coarse or fine coffee beans are ground.

Burr Grinder: A burr grinder uses two abrasive surfaces to crush beans evenly, creating a consistent grind for better flavour.

Portafilter: A portafilter is the handheld tool that locks into an espresso machine and holds your coffee grounds during brewing.

Tamping Pressure: Tamping pressure refers to how firmly you compress the coffee grounds into the portafilter basket before brewing.

 Bloom: Bloom refers to the initial release of carbon dioxide gas when hot water first hits freshly ground coffee.

Coffee ratio: Coffee ratio, or brew ratio, refers to how much coffee you use compared to water.

TDS: TDS, or Total Dissolved Solids, measures how much of the coffee’s dissolved particles make it into your cup. 

Cupping: Cupping is the official way coffee professionals taste and evaluate beans.

Degassing: Degassing refers to the process of freshly roasted coffee releasing carbon dioxide.

Channeling: Channeling happens when water finds weak spots in the coffee puck and flows unevenly during extraction. 

Third Wave Coffee: Third Wave Coffee refers to a movement that treats coffee like wine, valuing origin, flavor, and craft over mass production. 

 Q Grader:  A Q Grader is a certified coffee professional trained to evaluate coffee quality using international standards.

Fair Trade: Fair Trade coffee focuses on ethical sourcing, farmer protection, and sustainable growing practices.

Organic Coffee: Organic coffee is grown without synthetic chemicals, prioritising soil health and natural ecosystems.

Specialty Coffee: Specialty coffee represents the highest quality beans, carefully grown, roasted, and brewed.

Coffee Terroir: Coffee terroir describes how environment and geography shape a coffee’s unique flavour.

Coffee Cherry: The coffee cherry is the fruit that contains the coffee bean at its core.

Light Roast: Light roast coffee highlights origin flavours with bright acidity and subtle sweetness.

Medium Roast: Medium roast coffee balances origin flavour with sweetness and body.

Dark Roast: Dark roast coffee delivers bold flavours with smoky, chocolatey intensity.

Washed Process: Washed processing produces clean, crisp coffee flavours by removing fruit before drying.

Natural Process: Natural processed coffee is dried with the fruit intact for bold, fruity flavours.

More Coming Soon

Each week we’ll add new entries… from brewing methods to bean origins and barista techniques.
Follow along as the Saltbush Brew Coffee Glossary grows into a living library of coffee knowledge.