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Coffee quiz

How well do you know coffee?

Ten questions about beans, brewing and what changes the taste in your cup. Choose the best answer and we’ll explain each one at the end.

10 questions

Choose one answer.

This is a general coffee quiz, not a test about Bluebird or Coffee Craft. You do not need to be a barista to take it.

01What is commonly called a coffee “bean”?

Answer: A coffee bean is a seed found inside the fruit commonly called a coffee cherry.

02What does a barista normally measure when following an espresso recipe?

Answer: Baristas weigh the ground coffee and the espresso produced, and time the shot. They then taste it to check whether the recipe is working.

03What does the roast level—light, medium or dark—mainly describe?

Answer: Roast level describes how far the beans have been roasted. It influences flavour, but it does not by itself tell you how strong the finished drink will be.

04An espresso runs much too quickly and tastes thin and sour. What would the barista usually try first?

Answer: A finer grind usually slows the water down and allows more flavour to be extracted. The barista then tastes and measures the next shot.

05An espresso runs much too slowly and tastes dry and very bitter. What would the barista usually try first?

Answer: A coarser grind usually lets the water flow faster. The barista would then make another shot, measure it and taste it again.

06Why is coffee usually ground just before it is brewed?

Answer: Grinding exposes much more of the coffee to air, so aromas and flavours fade more quickly.

07Which description best fits a traditional V60 brew?

Answer: A traditional V60 is a conical pour-over brewer. The pouring pattern, grind, water, dose and total brew time all affect the result.

08Why might a barista adjust the grinder during the day?

Answer: Coffee changes as it ages, and temperature and humidity can affect how the beans and grinder behave. Baristas adjust the grind to keep the espresso on recipe.

09If not enough flavour has been extracted from the coffee, how might it taste?

Answer: Coffee that has not extracted enough often tastes sharp or sour and lacks sweetness. The barista uses taste as well as the recipe to judge it.

10Why does the water used for brewing matter?

Answer: Brewed coffee is mostly water. The water’s taste and mineral content affect how coffee extracts and how the final drink tastes.

This is a short general-knowledge quiz. Making consistently good coffee also requires practical skill and tasting experience.