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Glossary
Aerobie Aeropress
A relatively new brewing method that is similar to the press pot, or the moka pot. The coffee steeps like it would in a small press pot, but then is pressed out under pressure. The resulting coffee is quite strong in flavor and body, accentuates the subtle flavors of the coffee and can be drank straight for an espresso-like experience or with hot water added for a more traditional drip or press coffee consistency.
Americano
An americano is an espresso based drink that is simply one shot of espresso mixed with about 8 ounces of hot water. You get the strength of drip or press pot coffee with the flavor of an espresso.
I'm elaborating on this point because I really like americanos and they're so easy to make properly, yet so easy to make improperly. I've found that for best results when making an Americano, you should pull the shot directly into the cup of water. The water temperature should be around 180F.
The most common mistake made in cafes regarding the americano is the use of water that is FAR too hot. If you've been to a cafeteria or worked in a restaurant, you've probably seen or used those big Bunn drip coffee makers. Those big machines and the many like them have a hot water tap, usually with a red handle, that dispenses hot water at about the boiling point. This hot water tap is usually what lazy people in cafes use to make an americano. That water is far too hot and it destroys all the work that the barista (hopefully) put in to making that espresso with water at a much lower temp (195-202 degrees F).
But Fred, pretty much every espresso machine has a hot water tap, why not just use that? Here's why: Most of those machines simply take water from the steam boiler which is at or just above boiling, so those are usually even worse...unless...Unless your machine is of the very high quality variety (some La Marzocco and Synesso machines come to mind) that has a mixing valve on the hot water tap. A valve like this mixes cold water with the hot water coming from the steam boiler to a temperature that the barista can select. Ingenious!
Other than using a kettle and a thermometer (this totally works, by the way), how else can we easily make a good americano? Remember that water that we used to brew the espresso shot? That water that came out of the espresso machine's grouphead? Why not use that? It's at the correct temperature already -- we worked hard to make that happen. Before you prepare the shot, flush a little water from the group right into the cup you're going to use for the americano. It may cool off a little bit while you get that espresso ready, but that's actually a good thing, since the espresso that you brew from a machine is actually cooled down a little bit as it passes through the coffee. I think you'll find the temperature is just right. yum!
Barista
A coffee professional who makes espresso.
Barrister
A term used to describe a legal professional in the UK.
Basket or Filter Basket
Part of an espresso machine. The puck shaped metal cup that the coffee sits in. It is part of the portafilter assembly. There are fine holes in the bottom of the basket that allow the coffee to pass through into your coffee cup.
Cappuccino
An espresso-based drink made in thirds. A traditional cappuccino has one shot of espresso, about 2 ounces of steamed milk and about 2 ounces of frothed, microfoamed milk. Often to mask the bitterness of their espresso, large chain coffee places will make the cappuccino much larger than the 6 ounces it should be by adding large quantities of milk. The foam on top of a cappuccino should be smooth and silky. It should not resemble dish soap suds.
Channeling
Channeling occurs sometimes when making espresso. It is a defect, usually in the espresso making process, but can also be caused by coffee that is past its useful shelf life for espresso preparation. You need to think of the coffee puck sort of like a sponge. If you were to put a sponge in some sort of contraption like an espresso machine, imagine the pressurized water passing through the sponge to come out the other side into your cup. The sponge would absorb some water, but most of it would pass through. A very fine, consistent sponge would have consistent flow. This is what you want. A sponge with some large voids and some small voids will allow the water to pass through unevenly. Because the water is under pressure, it will seek the path of least resistance. Passing through the large voids is much easier than the smaller ones. That's channeling. Even worse channeling would occur if your coffee puck actually has a crack in it. Think of the sponge being ripped. That's even less resistance. You can most easily tell that you have channeling when you're using a naked portafilter (see below). Channeling will often make the coffee squirt out of the naked portafilter all over the espresso machine and the counter. Ways to keep your espresso from channeling are by proper distribution, maybe the WDT (below) or by switching to fresher coffee. Stale coffee dries out and isn't able to hold together as well as fresher coffee and is much more likely to channel.
Distribution
When making espresso, distribution is the process of adjusting the ground coffee to get a consistent density of coffee throughout the filter basket. You want to eliminate any voids and not have more coffee on one side than the other. An even distribution is essential in getting an even flow rate once the pressurized hot water starts to penetrate the coffee puck. If your distribution is good, the water will press into the puck evenly and emerge from the bottom evenly. This is highly desirable because over-extracted coffee tends to be bitter. If some grains of coffee in the puck brew more slowly than other grains (due to uneven distribution, grind or tamp) those slower grains have a much higher chance of over-extraction which will lead to bitter espresso.
Dose
Dose (or dosing) is the act of grinding coffee into the portafilter basket. Your goal is to dose evenly from shot to shot. Though it is possible to dose the coffee based on weight, most baristas dose based on volume. A common technique is to dose the coffee into the basket until it is just barely heaping over the top of the filter basket. Then the distribution is done prior to tamping. There are many different dosing techniques out there, as the dosing is dependent on the design of the espresso machine and grinder.
Espresso
Coffee extracted under pressure, usually about 9 bars (130 psi). Extraction time is around 25 to 30 seconds. A single shot of espresso is made using approximately 6 to 8 grams of coffee and yields about 0.75 ounces of espresso. A double espresso (the most common size in the US) is made using 14 to 20 grams of coffee and yields 1.5 to 2.0 ounces of drink.
Expresso
Expresso is a term commonly used by those who don't understand espresso. Those who do understand espresso sometimes use the word expresso to describe an exceptionally bad attempt at espresso. An expresso machine is a steam powered machine that cannot produce the proper pressure to make espresso (usually steam machines can produce about 1.5 bar - approximately 21 psi). Expresso machines cost around $40, are available at most major retailers and are almost always improperly labeled as espresso machines.
GDD
Not a curse word. GDD is "Grind, Dose, Distribution". These are the steps you take prior to tamping your coffee, locking the portafilter into the machine and pulling your espresso shot.
Latte
An espresso-based drink made with espresso and steamed milk. A latte usually contains one shot of espresso with steamed, smooth microfoamed milk added to bring the size up to 6 to 10 ounces depending on taste. Add a little chocolate to the shot before adding the milk and you have a mocha. Syrup flavors are often added to a latte, but the true latte is simply espresso and steamed milk.
Latte Art
The practice of creating a design on the top of a latte by pouring the steamed milk in a pattern. Though latte art does not enhance the flavor of a latte, one must properly prepare the milk for the latte art to be successful. Therefore, if you are served a latte and it has art, you know that the barista has properly prepared the drink and should expect it to be delicious.
Microfoam
The result of proper steaming of milk. When milk is steamed using an espresso machine, air is introduced into the milk. By introducing the proper amount of air this air creates tiny bubbles that mix in with the milk making it sweeter (by breaking down the proteins in the milk) and causing the milk to actually expand or "stretch". Proper stretching occurs by surfing the steam wand just on the surface of the milk until the milk is at a temperature of about 100 degrees Fahrenheit. After the milk has been stretched, the barista should sink the wand near the bottom of the steam pitcher and continue to swirl the milk in the pitcher to create a homogeneous mixture until it reaches a temperature of about 140 - 150 degrees Fahrenheit (just barely too hot to hold onto with your bare hand). Temperatures above about 160 degrees will scorch the milk.
Naked Portafilter
Some portafilters do not have spouts and are called "naked" or "pantsless" or "chopped" portafilters. A naked portafilter gives the barista the ability to see if the distribution was done properly. If the coffee was distributed correctly, it will form a cone in the center of the filter basket as it exits the basket headed to the cup. Improper distribution leads to uneven extraction which is very evident with a pantsless portafilter.
Pod Coffee
Pods are often shunned by coffee snobs, and with good reason, but there's more to the story. A pod is simply a little bag of coffee, like a teabag, made out of coffee filter material that is used to make a single serving of coffee in a special pod-coffee-making machine. There are a couple different types of pods, but the only ones I really have experience with are ESE (that's Easy Serving Espresso) pods. ESE pods are only for espresso and they generally do a pretty poor job because of The Big Two. The coffee was ground who-knows-when and the grind setting is who-knows-what. So, you've got probably-really-stale coffee with some random "espresso" grind. This is a recipe for espresso disaster.
So, don't use pods...unless...
Unless you're using a Handpresso Wild espresso maker because you're away from home and good coffee shops and you need a convenient way to make a reasonable americano. The coffee that the Handpresso Wild makes isn't going to win any competitions, but it's really quite palatable. The straight espresso is pretty flat and flavorless, but if you make an americano, using just a microwave and a mug, it's WAY better than most hotel coffee. If you happen to have a job where you may end up in the Middle East, say, on a C-130 flying around all day and night, all you need is a thermos of hot water, your Handpresso Wild and a few ESE pods and you're in business.
Portafilter
Portafilter simply means "filter holder". The handle on the espresso machine that holds the filter is the portafilter. The filter basket (usually) clips into the portafilter and stays there until time for disassembly and cleaning. Most portafilters have spouts that direct the coffee as it leaves the basket. You can see that this particular portafilter in the photo is holding the filter basket pictured above under "basket".
Press Pot (or French Press)
A press pot is a traditional Italian brewing method. The ground coffee and hot water are added to the pot, stirred and allowed to steep for 3 to 4 minutes. After the steeping, the plunger is depressed to press the grounds to the bottom of the pot so the coffee may be poured from the top.
Puck or Coffee Puck or Espresso Puck
The puck is the puck-shaped (go figure) coffee in the portafilter. After you grind, distribute and tamp the coffee into the filter basket, the coffee is now in the shape of a puck. After you're done pulling your espresso shot, the puck is left over and discarded (trash, compost, garden food, whatever you like). The picture is of a couple of pucks on a plate. They look like yummy brownies, but you probably wouldn't want to eat them.
"Pulling a Shot"
Because espresso machines were originally designed using a lever and piston to build the required pressure, a barista used to literally "pull" a lever to make an espresso. Though lever espresso machines are still made today and are very sought after in some circles, the vast majority of modern espresso machines use an electric pump to build pressure for the shot. The term "pulling a shot" is still used, regardless of the type of machine.
Tamper
A barista tool used to tamp or pack the coffee into the filter basket. These can be made out of metal, wood, even plastic and come in all sizes to fit any kind of espresso machine. Most are solid one or two piece tools, but some like the Espro tamper have a mechanical device that gently gives to let you know when you've reached a target of 30 pounds. Three different types of tampers are pictured. The tamper on the left with the black handle is an Espro tamper with a built in spring pre-loaded to 30 pounds. When 30 pounds of force is reached, the Espro tamper "gives" to let you know you've reached your target pressure. The other two tampers are solid pieces; one made of wood, one made of stainless steel. There are hundreds of varieties of tampers available for all different types of espresso machines.
Shawn-Jawn (formerly the Kristin)
This is a milk based drink with espresso in it. It is a good choice to serve to guests who don't really like coffee, but like lots of milk and chocolate. It's made with one shot of espresso, 2 ounces of Hershey's chocolate and 12 - 16 ounces of steamed milk.
Weiss Distribution Technique (WDT)
This is a distribution technique where you use a tool like a long needle or a straightened out paper clip to stir up the ground coffee in the portafilter. The idea behind the WDT is to get the ground coffee distributed as evenly as possible. The process is pretty simple, but takes a couple extra seconds making it useful only in the home environment (in a cafe environment, the WDT would slow down production). By stirring the grounds, you eliminate any voids that you may not be able to see below the surface and even out the distribution throughout the basket. Your goal is for the coffee to have equal resistance across the entire puck so that the water passes through evenly. Feel free to stir vigorously and get that stirrer down all the way to the basket (I make a slight scraping noise when I stir). It should take about 5 to 10 seconds to do the WDT. After stirring, level as you usually would, using a finger or a straight edge. Now you're ready to tamp, lock and brew.