Aged Coffee Green coffee that has been stored for three to five years to further develop flavor.
Aging high quality Indonesian arabica beans results in flavors like spice, peat moss and toasted
marshmallow.
Arrival Sample The final step in the green coffee quality process before blending and roasting.
When coffee arrives from origin, a sample is taken by the Global Coffee Quality team in Seattle to
ensure that the quality did not suffer during transit and matches expectations set by the
preshipment sample.
Blend A coffee offering consisting of beans from different coffee-growing countries. Blends make
up a significant percentage of Starbucks® whole bean coffee sales.
Decaffeination Decaffeination is the process by which caffeine is removed from the green coffee
bean. Starbucks uses three different decaffeination methods.
Direct Contact The most common decaffeinating method. It uses a solvent called methylene
chloride, which is highly selective in removing caffeine, so a greater amount of the coffee’s
inherent flavor and quality is maintained during the process.
First Pop (Crack) A stage in coffee roasting between 6 and 9 minutes when the beans double in
size and make a crackling sound as they expand. This stage is also referred to in the industry as
“Cinnamon Roast.”
Green Coffee Processor A green coffee processor is a large machine at a roasting facility that
filters out physical debris that may have gotten into arriving bags of green coffee beans.
Green Coffee Silos Cleaned green coffee is stored in green coffee silos as it waits to be roasted.
Green Coffee Warehouse Roasting locations have a dedicated green coffee warehouse nearby.
After the shipping containers arrive at port, they will be sent first to the appropriate warehouse,
where inspections and quality checks are performed and containers are unloaded onto pallets.
Methylene Chloride A solvent used in decaffeination. Caffeine molecules bond with the
methylene chloride, leaving the bulk of the coffee flavor intact.
Post-Roast Blend A blend that involves different coffees being roasted separately first, using
different roast curves, and then blended together. These blends result in multiple roast
expressions.
Pre-Roast Blend A blend that involves different coffees being combined first as green beans and
then roasted all together. The goal is to emphasize one roast expression.
Roasted Coffee Silos Roasted coffee is stored in silos for an average of 24 hours until it is
packaged. Freshness is maintained by introducing nitrogen into the silos, creating oxygen-free
environments for the beans.
Second Pop (Crack) A stage in coffee roasting between 9 and 13 minutes when the beans pop
again, the cracking caused by exiting gases. This stage is also referred to in the industry as “Full
City Roast.”
Shipping Container Bags of green coffee beans are shipped from origin in large containers, each
holding 40,000–45,000 pounds (18,145–20,415 kilograms) of green coffee. Each container equals
one “lot” of coffee.
Single-Origin A geographical term that describes coffee from one origin country.
SWISS WATER® Process A decaffeinating method that removes caffeine from green beans by
soaking them in warm water to create “flavor-charged water” that is then run through an
activated charcoal filter to capture the caffeine molecules. The beans are then soaked again in
this water to reintroduce the flavors.
Wet Blending A preliminary step in the creation of a coffee blend. The Development team mixes
different percentages of brewed coffee from various origins until they reach the desired outcome
in the cup. Before actual beans are blended, “wet blending” helps the team understand how the
different coffees will interact.
