Ascending series of solutions of NaCl and LiCl were tasted and while detection and recognition thresholds were noted, subjects were required to determine the number of taste sensations that occurred, as well as their sequence. It was found that subjects varied in their reports of the number of taste changes and hence criteria used for thresholds. Even among those subjects who reported the same number of criteria, no consistency was found as to which were chosen for ‘detection’ and ‘recognition’. This demonstrates the potential of the criterion as a variable for threshold measures, and because of this, criterion free measures are recommended. Taste quality descriptions were also studied and they yielded a large proportion of novel terms, due probably to instructional modifications.