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Activated Oxygen: Activated oxygen
is another name for ozone.
Airpot: An airpot has a flip-open
top that allows you to brew directly into the pot itself.
Air Roasting: The hot-air roaster,
also known as a fluid-bed roaster, roasts the coffee beans
as they tumble on a current of hot air.
Anion: A negatively charged ion
(chloride Cl- or bicarbonate HCO3-)
Arabica Coffee:
Seventy-five to 80 percent of the world's coffee is Arabica,
the better tasting bean with less caffeine than Robusta.
There is a wide range of quality among the Arabicas, mostly
due to difference in altitude, soil, weather and processing.
The finest Arabicas are grown at elevations of 4,000-6,000
feet in rich, volcanic soil and are then harvested with
selective picking protocols.
Artesian Wells/Water:
Artesian wells tap the groundwater confined below impermeable
strata below the Earth's surface (such as clay or silt-sized
sediments or tightly cemented rock). This confining
layer inhibits the vertical movement of water, either into
or out of the aquifer.
Automatic Brewer: An automatic coffee
brewer requires a water supply line, which is usually hooked
up to the back of the machine.
Bottled Water Cooler: A refrigeration
unit with a 5-gallon PET bottle attached. For use
in the home or at the office.
Bottleless Water Cooler:
A Point-Of-Use (POU) bottleless water purification system
converts ordinary tap water into absolutely pure, great
tasting water.
POU water coolers remove all of the common contaminants
found in the bottled spring water, plus there is no chance
of bacteria growing in the system.
Carafe: A container for beverages.
Carbonated Water: Water that has
been saturated with carbon dioxide. Under pressure,
the gas in the water becomes carbonic acid.
Carbon Filtration: The most effective
filtration process for removing organic contaminants found
in water. It works by attracting and holding certain
chemicals as water passes through it. Because organic
chemicals are usually responsible for taste, odor and color
problems, carbon filtration can be used to improve "aesthetically
objectionable" water. Carbon filtration is recognized
by the WQA as an acceptable method to maintain certain drinking
water contaminants within EPA limits.
Cation: A positively charged ion
(calcium Ca++ or sodium Na+)
Chlorine: A gaseous, greenish-yellow
element (Cl) that occurs widely in nature in combination
with metals. It is extremely reactive and is used
as a disinfecting, bleaching and oxidizing agent.
Coffee: A drink made by infusion
or decoction from the roasted and ground coffee beans.
Coffee Bean: The seed of the coffee
plant.
Coffee Brewer: A machine to decoct
(to prepare a substance by boiling) ground coffee into a
drinkable state.
Coffee Grinder: A machine that transforms
whole coffee beans to tiny pieces by friction.
Coffee Roaster: A machine that roasts
coffee beans, either via drum roasting or air roasting.
Optimal roasting conditions include temperature, airflow
and time.
Contaminant:
Usually pesticides or other toxins. Contaminants enter
the environment via the disposal of municipal wastes, factory
discharges or oil/chemical spills.
Cook and Cold Water Cooler: This
type of water cooler dispenses water that is room temperature
and cold.
Cryptosporidium: A protozoan (single-celled
organism) or parasite that lives in the intestines of animals
and humans.
Decaffeinated Coffee: Coffee whereby
the naturally occurring caffeine (stimulant) has been removed,
either via water process or direct contact. The water
process uses warm water under pressure to extract the caffeine,
while the direct contact process uses water, pressure and
methylene chloride. Both processes remove 96-98 percent
of the original caffeine content.
Decaffeinated Tea: Tea whereby the
naturally occurring caffeine (stimulant) has been removed,
either via water process or direct contact. Herbal
"teas" (not actually tea, but the leaves of the
camelia sinensis shrub) contain no caffeine.
Deionized Water: Water from which
both anions and cations have been removed by the ion exchange
process. Only substances that ionize in water are
removed in this process. Deionized water is generally
considered to be higher quality than distilled.
Desalination: Basically, there are
six different processes to remove the saline from water.
Brackish Water Reverse Osmosis (BWRO), Electro dialysis
Reversal (EDR) and Seawater Reverse Osmosis (SRO) are all
membrane separation processes. Multiple Effect Distillation
(MED), Multiple Stage Flash (MSF) and Mechanical Vapor Compression
(MVC) are all thermal processes, which produce distilled
water. In thermal desalting, the process involves
some form of boiling or evaporation. In a simple still,
seawater can be boiled to the point of releasing steam,
which, when condensed, forms pure water. For membrane
separation desalination, semi-permeable and ion-specific
membranes can be used. Membrane processes are based
on separation rather than distillation. Reverse osmosis
membranes let water pass through them, but then reject the
passage of salt ions.
Distillation: A process of evaporation
and condensation for purification.
Distilled Water: Water that has
been purified via an evaporation-condensation cycle.
After passing through the cycle, it contains small amounts
of dissolved solids.
Drinking Water: There
are two major sources of drinking water: surface water and
groundwater. Surface water comes from lakes, reservoirs
and rivers, while groundwater comes from wells that the
water supplier drills into aquifers. An aquifer is an underground
geologic formation through which water flows slowly. Most
large cities in the United States use surface water, and
most small towns use groundwater.
Drum Roasting: Drum-type roasting
machines roast the coffee beans as they tumble in a rotating
drum that is usually heated by gas or wood. When the
desired roast is then achieved, the beans are poured into
a cooling hopper. Most green coffee is roasted at
approximately 400 degrees. The process itself causes
the beans to swell by more than 50 percent, while simultaneously
greatly reducing their weight.
E. coli: Escherichia coli 0157:H7
is a bacterium that infects the intestinal tract and may
produce a toxin that affects other parts of the body as
well. E. coli infections can occur as isolated cases
or as part of an outbreak. E. coli can be acquired
by eating contaminated food or water and by contact with
fecal material from infected persons or animals.
Enhanced Water: Water that has added
essential vitamins, minerals electrolytes. It is a
new concept within the bottled water segment.
Environmental Protection Agency:
The EPA's mission is to protect human health and to safeguard
the natural environment - air, water and land - upon which
life depends. For 30 years, the EPA has been working
for a cleaner, healthier environment for the American people.
Espresso: A strong coffee prepared
by forcing steam through very finely ground coffee beans.
Fecal Coliform Bacteria: Total coliform
bacteria are a collection of relatively harmless microorganisms
that live in large numbers in the intestines of man and
warm- and cold-blooded animals. A specific subgroup
of this collection is the fecal coliform bacteria, with
the most common member being Escherichia coli. These
organisms may be separated from the total coliform group
by their ability to grow at elevated temperatures and are
associated only with the fecal material of warm-blooded
animals.
Filtered Water: Water that has passed
through filters -- whether naturally occurring or artificial
- and is depleted of various minerals.
Flavored Coffee: Coffee that has
been artificially flavored, with hints of chocolate, hazelnut,
vanilla, etc. The flavors do not occur naturally in
the coffee bean itself.
Flavored Water: Water made with
natural fruit essence to add taste without calories.
Fluoridation: The addition of fluorides
to drinking water.
Fluoride: A binary compound of fluorine,
which is a yellowish gas that is highly reactive and most
powerful as an oxidizing agent.
Food and Drug Administration: The
FDA is one of the nation's oldest public health agencies
and is a scientific, regulatory and public health agency
that oversees items accounting for 25 cents of every dollar
spent by consumers. Its jurisdiction encompasses most food
products (other than meat and poultry), human and animal
drugs, therapeutic agents of biological origin, medical
devices, radiation-emitting products for consumer, medical,
and occupational use, cosmetics, and animal feed. The agency
grew from a single chemist in the U.S. Department of Agriculture
in 1862 to a staff of approximately 9,100 employees and
a budget of $1.294 billion in 2001.
Giardia: Giardia is a protozoan
parasite affecting the gastrointestinal tract of humans
and animals. They are shed in feces in the form of
a cyst. They can remain dormant for long periods in
the cyst form; they then become active upon entering a host.
Ground Coffee: Whole coffee beans
that have been crushed to powder by friction.
H2O: The scientific equation
for water (two hydrogen molecules and one oxygen molecule
form water).
Hard Water: Water rich in magnesium
and calcium salts, which causes soap to form curds.
Hard water is water that contains dissolved chalk,
lime and other minerals. Rainwater is naturally soft, but
as it percolates through chalk and limestone, it dissolves
and collects these minerals. The "hardness" of
the water to your home is dependant on where you live and
the source (river or ground water) of your main water supply.
Heterotrophic Plate Count Bacteria:
HPC Bacteria is used as the general measure of the bacterial
population present in a drinking water system. A heterotrophic
organism is one that can build itself of simple chemicals
and ingredients from other simple organisms.
Hot and Cold Water Cooler: As the
name suggests, hot and cold water coolers dispense water
in two temperature ranges.
Hydrogen Sulfide: Hydrogen sulfide
(HS) is a colorless gas that reeks of rotten eggs.
HS poisoning is a rarity, mainly observed in industrial
settings.
Inorganic Contaminants:
Non-living contaminants such as asbestos, barium, cadmium,
chromium, mercury, nitrates/nitrites, selenium, lead, copper,
antimony, beryllium, cyanide, nickel and thallium.
International Bottled Water Association:
The IBWA is the trade association representing the bottled
water industry. Founded in 1958, IBWA's membership
includes U.S. and international bottlers, distributors and
suppliers. IBWA plays an active role at all levels
of state and federal government, assisting in the development
of stringent regulations for bottled water to ensure the
greatest safety possible and high quality of bottled water
products.
Ion: A particle with either a positive
or negative charge.
Ion Exchange Water Softener: A device
used to soften water by exchanging hardness ions (calcium,
magnesium) for another type of ion, usually sodium.
The softened water still contains dissolved minerals, but
no calcium or magnesium ions. Also called mechanical
water softeners, cation exchange or "zeolite"
water softeners.
Microbiological Contamination: Contamination
of water by microorganisms such as bacteria or parasites.
Micron: A millionth of a meter.
Mineral Water: Water with large
amounts of minerals, collected naturally by passing through
layers of rock and earth to the spring or well.
Municipal Water: Water supplied
by a city for public consumption, usually stored in a reservoir.
Tap water.
Nanofiltration: A filtration process that
uses membranes to preferentially separate different fluids
or ions. Although nanofiltration is not as fine a
filtration process as reverse osmosis, it requires the same
energy to perform the separation.
Organic Contaminants:
There are two types of organic contaminants, including volatile
and synthetic. The volatile organic chemicals include
acrylamide, benzene, carbon tetrachloride, chlorobenzene,
o-dichlorobenzene, p-dichlorobenzene, 1.2-dichloroethane,
1.1-dichloroethylene, cis- and trans-1.2 dichloroethylene,
dichloromethane, 1.2-dichloropropane, xylenes, epichlorohydrin,
ethylbenzene, styrene, tetrachloroethylene, toluene, 1.2.4-tricholorobenzene,
1.1.1-tricholorethane, 1.1.2-trichloroethane, trichloroethylene,
and vinyl chloride. The synthetic organic chemicals
include adipate, alachlor, aldicarb/aldicarb metabolites,
atrazine, benzo(a)pyrene, carbofuran, chlordane, 2.4-D,
dalapon, dibromochloropropane, dinoseb, dioxin (2.3.7.8-TCDD),
diquat, endothall, endrin, ethylene dibromide, glyphosate,
heptachlor/heptachlor epoxide, hexachlorobenzene, hexachlorocyclopentadiene,
lindane, methoxychior, oxamyl, pentachlorophenol, phthalate,
di(2-ethylhexyl), picloram, polychlorinated biphenyls, simazine,
toxaphene, 2.4.5-TP.
Ozone: A triatomic allotrope of
oxygen (O3). It is a form of oxygen where
the molecule contains three atoms instead of two.
Ozone is always present in trace quantities in the earth's
atmosphere. It is produced when O2 molecules
are split into two oxygen atoms (O1), while in
the presence of other oxygen molecules. O1
then combines with O2 to form O3.
Ozone is the fresh, sweet smell in the air after a storm.
Ozone Injection: Ozone gas is injected
into H2O through a pump, dispersing the ozone
in very small bubbles. It increases the mass transfer
rate from the gas to liquid phase. In this case, injection
means finely disperse. (Unlike chlorine, ozone does
not add chemicals to H2O.)
Ozone Sanitized: If water is sanitized
(disinfected) by ozone, the ozone kills microorganisms with
a process known as "cellular lysis." In
the oxidation process, ozone actually ruptures the cellular
membrane of the microorganism and distributes the bacterial
cytoplasm into solution.
Particulates: Tiny particles in
the air such as soot, dirt, dust, fumes and smoke coming
from industry, cars and wood burning.
Pathogen: An agent that produces
disease such as a bacterium or virus.
PET: Polyethylene Terephthalate
is the popular, high-quality plastic bottled usually produced
for 2 liters and smaller.
Point-Of-Use/Entry Water
Purification System (POU): The POU system
purifies the water at the source, such as a municipal tap
in a home or office. POU systems are beneficial because
there are contaminants in the municipal system and in the
home/office plumbing that can be harmful.
Polycarbonate: Any group of hard
thermoplastics with great resistance to impact and softening.
Pour Over Brewer: A pour over brewer
is one where you manually "pour in" the water
into the top of the machine. The coffee then begins
to brew immediately. No water line hookup is required.
Purified Drinking Water: Water that is free of inorganic minerals,
chemicals, as well as deadly microorganisms. After
a reverse osmosis filtration process, the water is pure
hydrogen and oxygen only.
Resin: Any of a large class of synthetic
products usually with some physical properties similar to
natural resins but which are different chemically.
Synthetic resins are prepared by polymerization and are
used as plastics, varnishes, in adhesives and in ion exchange.
Reverse Osmosis Filtration:
Normal osmosis is, according to Merriam-Webster's Collegiate
Dictionary, the "movement
of a solvent through a semi permeable membrane (as of a
living cell) into a solution of higher solute concentration
that tends to equalize the concentrates of solute on the
two sides of the membrane." In other words, it
is the passage of a solvent, but not its solute, through
a semi permeable membrane into a more concentrated solution,
tending to equalize the concentrations on the other side
of the membrane. Reverse osmosis is the pumping of
a solvent through a semi permeable membrane to counter osmosis.
Robusta Coffee: The coffee bean
that produces an inferior tasting beverage with higher caffeine
content.
Room Temperature Water Cooler: As
the name suggests, a room temperature cooler dispenses water
that is equal or close to the temperature of the room itself.
Sediment Filtration: The flow of
water through a porous filtration medium whereby solid particles
and/or materials are held back on the surface or the inside
of the filter. Drinking water contains rather large
amounts of extremely fine sediments such as sand, rust or
sludge and/or extremely small organisms like bacteria and
algae. Although these impurities cannot be detected
with the naked eye, the filter holds them back.
Semi permeable membrane: A membrane
that will pass some atoms or molecules but not others (lining
of your intestines or a cell wall).
Soft Water: Water that is sufficiently
free of calcium and magnesium salts so that no curd (oily
matter) will form when soap is used. Generally, soft
water is a relative term.
Solvent: A substance, usually a
liquid, capable of dissolving other substances.
Solute: A substance that is dissolved.
Spring Water: Water that flows naturally
from an underground spring. No drilling or pumps are
involved.
Tap Water: Municipal water supplied
by a city for public consumption and held in a reservoir.
Tea: A beverage made from the infusion
of certain tea leaves and boiling water.
Thermal Server: To serve coffee,
a thermal server uses a simple "gravity flow"
system. Basically, place the coffee cup on the counter
and under the thermal server. Then, you must hold
down the serving knob and coffee pours into your cup by
way of gravity.
Total Coliform Rule: The TCR's purpose
is to improve public health protection by reducing fecal
pathogens to minimal levels through control of total coliform
bacteria, including fecal coliforms and Escherichia coli
(E. coli). It establishes a maximum contaminant level
(MCL) based on the presence or absence of total coliforms,
modifies monitoring requirements including testing for fecal
coliforms, requires use of a sample siting plan and also
requires sanitary surveys for system collecting fewer than
five samples per month. The TCR applies to all public
water systems.
Total Dissolved Solids: TDS is the
sum of all solids dissolved in water. The components
that make up TDS vary, but usually include minerals, metals
and salts.
Total Solids: The TS content measures
the amount of naturally remaining minerals and organic material
in wastewater after all of the water has evaporated.
Tri-Temp Water Cooler: A tri-temp
cooler dispenses water at three temperature ranges:
hot, room temperature and cold.
Ultrafiltration: A membrane separation
technology that separates components from process streams
by retaining target compounds and allowing the passage of
the remaining process solution through membrane pores of
a specific submicron size.
Ultra Violet Light Sterilization:
Ultra violet sterilization is a highly effective, economical
and safe way to remove harmful microorganisms from water
supplies without the need for chemicals and without affecting
taste. Ultra violet light is a natural component of
sunlight, falling just below the visible light region of
the electromagnetic spectrum. Higher energy wavelengths
of UV light have the ability to destroy microorganisms in
water or air.
Water Hardness: The
U.S. Department of the Interior classifies hardness based
on the grains per gallon (gpg) concentration of the hardness
minerals. To put this in perspective, a typical aspirin
equals about five grains of material. If the aspirin were
dissolved in a gallon of water it would add 5 gpg of "aspirin"
to the water. Where hardness is concerned, water containing
1-3.5 gpg of the hardness minerals calcium and/or magnesium
is classified as slightly hard; water in the 3.5-7.0 gpg
range is considered to be moderately hard; at 7.0-10.5 gpg
water is considered to be hard; and very hard water is classified
as water with concentrations greater than 10.5 gpg.
(Conversely, Soft water has a hardness of less than 1 gpg.)
Water Quality Association: The Water
Quality Association is a not-for-profit international trade
association representing the household, commercial, industrial
and small community water treatment industry. WQA
is a resource and information source, a voice for the industry,
an educator for professionals, a laboratory for product
testing and a communicator to the public.
Water Softening: To
soften water fully, the minerals (calcium and magnesium)
that cause hardness must be removed. These minerals are
removed by ion-exchange.
World Health Organization: The WHO
is a United Nations specialized agency for health, established
in 1948. The WHO's objective is the attainment by
all peoples of the highest possible level of health.
The organization is governed by 192 member states through
the World Health Assembly.
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Lets Be Clear 
