Cup & RatioCup & Ratio glossary
These definitions explain how terms are used in our guides. A short definition does not replace a product instruction, a measurement method or the conditions attached to a numerical value.
- Dose
- The mass of dry ground coffee used for a brew. State grams rather than an imprecise scoop count.
- Beverage yield
- The mass of liquid coffee collected. It is different from the amount of water poured into a brewer.
- Brew ratio
- A comparison of coffee and water or beverage mass. State which masses the ratio uses.
- TDS
- Total dissolved solids. In coffee, the reading estimates beverage concentration using an instrument and its calibration.
- Extraction yield
- The estimated fraction of the dry coffee dose transferred into solution. The model and treatment of retained liquid matter.
- Bypass
- Water added without extracting through the coffee bed. It can reduce final strength without extracting additional coffee.
- Immersion
- Brewing with coffee and water in contact in a shared liquid body, as in a French press. Retained liquid matters to the mass balance.
- Percolation
- Brewing in which water flows through a bed of coffee. Flow and extraction can vary across the bed.
- General hardness
- A water property associated primarily with calcium and magnesium, often reported as ppm or mg/L as calcium carbonate.
- Alkalinity
- Water’s capacity to neutralize acid under the measurement method. It is related to buffering and is distinct from pH.
- Fines
- Small coffee particles within a grind distribution. A single median particle size does not describe their abundance.
- Channeling
- Uneven flow through the coffee bed that can produce different extraction conditions in different regions.
- Astringency
- A drying or rough mouthfeel. It is distinct from the taste of bitterness, even when both occur together.
- Triangle test
- A comparison with three coded samples, two alike and one different. Detecting a difference is separate from stating a preference.
Put the terms in context with the guide library or return to the frequently asked questions.