New barista lost in espresso terminology!

[trebor]

Hi guys!

I have given up trying to find decent coffee in the UK so have been learning to make my own. Have just found this site and it is great to find others who seem to get as excited as I do when i pull a great shot. My Fiancee thinks I am nuts!

There are lots of tips here from 'true coffee geeks' (oh how I aspire!) but I do get a little lost sometime, is there a glossary somewhere?

Also, sometimes i get a dark rich brown crema and sometimes a light brown creamy coloured crema with the same coffee. What is the difference?

Rob

[HB]

The Getting Started section of the Resources links my recommended reading and references, including Mark Prince's espresso glossary and Ken Davids' Coffee Glossary. As for the crema color variation, I assume that you are witnessing the effects of channeling. You can see other dramatic examples of espresso gone bad in Perfecting the Naked Extraction.

[trebor]

thanks for the links Dan.

Rob