Separate method from bean
A coffee menu mixes four kinds of language: drink recipes, water-contact methods, bean and provenance details, and post-harvest processing. Identify the category first; none of those labels guarantees flavor or quality.
Pattaya coffee guide
Coffee Brewing Glossary: Menu Terms
Plain-language differences between espresso, filter, pour-over, immersion, cold brew and common bean language before you order.
A better coffee stop
How to read coffee menu terms
Start with the decisions that matter for your visit.
Compare water-contact methods
Filter is the broad family in which brewed liquid is separated through a filter. Pour-over is a manual percolation method, while immersion keeps coffee and water together before separation. Cold brew uses cool or room-temperature extraction; ordinary iced coffee may instead be brewed hot and chilled.
Ask what the drink contains
Natural, honey, mechanically demucilaged, fully washed and wet-hulled are post-harvest process families covered in CQI processing education, not café brewing methods. Processing language can vary among origins and operators, so ask what the producer or roaster means.
Espresso family
Espresso is a concentrated coffee and the base for many menu recipes. Drink size, milk, water, ice and sweetness remain café-specific. “Espresso” does not identify a bean species or roast level.
Filter and percolation
Water passes through a bed of coffee and a filter. Pour-over is manual; batch brew is prepared in a larger brewer. Neither term establishes the bean, freshness or quality.
Immersion, cold brew and iced coffee
Immersion keeps coffee and water together before separation. Cold brew describes its extraction; hot-brewed iced coffee describes cooling and service. Neither label guarantees sweetness, acidity or strength.
Bean, origin and process language
Species, variety, country, region, producer, blend, post-harvest process and roast are separate facts. Ask which ones apply to the coffee being served today.
Primary references
Sources checked 29 August 2026. These references explain mechanics and terminology; they do not establish a preferred recipe or quality result.