Coffee Defects

A coffee defect is an unpleasant (negative), irregular coffee flavor characteristics/taste sensations due to careless processing of the coffee beans, improper harvesting, improper moisture content during storing, or any other bean property including physical defects that causes a flavor and/or aroma defect/fault/taint.

A Compendium of Potential Coffee Bean Defects

Some flavor/aroma defects/faults/taints include acerbic, acrid, baked, baggy, brackish, bready, caustic, earthiness, fermented, foreign, gaminess, grassy, harshness, hidey, hospital, insipid, medicinal, moldy, musty, new crop, oniony, past crop, peasy, potato, quakery, rancid, rioy, rotten, rubbery, scorched, sour, stale, strawy, tarry, tipped, unbalanced, vapid, and wild.

Effects of Coffee Bean Defects

Flavor and aroma defects/faults/taints may be irritating, sharp, extremely bitter, or otherwise foul tasting. Some of these tastes may be desirable to some degree by some people, since coffee taste preferences are extremely subjective.

Physical Coffee Bean Defects

Coffee bean physical defects include imperfections such as hollow, deformed, chipped, nicked beans, underripe beans, or overripe beans as well as black beans, moldy beans, or quakers.

Coffee and Espresso Brewing Tips

For step-by-step instructions see Pulling A Perfect Espresso Shot as well as Barista Guide to Perfect Lattes and Cappuccinos.

For detailed definitions of coffee terminology see the Coffee and Espresso Glossary.  Also check out the World’s Best History of Coffee.