Flavor and History: A Selection of the Best Books on Coffee
Coffee is a popular beverage obtained by steeping roasted and ground coffee beans in hot water. It is a powerful stimulant due to its high levels of caffeine, a psychoactive substance. Despite this, it is one of the most widely sold products and one of the three most consumed beverages in the world, along with water and tea.
It is usually taken during or after breakfast, although this is not a definitive statement, as many people drink it mid-morning, at lunch, as a snack, or at dinner. Its preparation can also vary, the most popular being coffee with sugar, with milk, with honey or iced.If you'd like to learn more about its history, here's a selection of the best books on coffee.
Best books about coffee
The best coffee at home (2023), by James Hoffmann
James Hoffmann, renowned coffee expert, teaches his readers how to prepare a version of this drink that rivals those made by the best baristas, without leaving home. This book is ideal for both beginners and experts., as its pages are filled with replicable instructions and recipes. If you want to perfect your skills, it will be very useful.
Some of the topics proposed by Hoffmann to help you perfect your coffee experience They are: water quality, coffee extraction level, Basic percolation, tutorials for beginners, types of coffee makers, how to get the most out of your grinder, buying tips coffee suitable according to your needs, how to achieve a express perfect at home, among others.
Quotes by James Hoffmann
- In Indonesia, the term "kopi luwak" refers to coffee produced by collecting the droppings of civet cats that have eaten coffee cherries. This semi-digested coffee is separated from the fecal matter and then processed and dried. In the last decade, it has become a fun novelty, with anonymous claims of its excellent flavors, and it sells for sky-high prices.
- "Excellent coffee should have its own sweetness, and instead of suppressing bitterness, milk will obscure the coffee's flavor characteristics, hiding the producer's work and the coffee's expression of terroir."
From farm to cup: discover the journey of specialty coffee (2024), by Yassir Raïs
When we consume specialty coffee, we are changing the business environment toward policies that are friendlier to the planet and local communities around the world. But, you might ask,What is specialty coffee?? Okay, It is a high quality grain, carefully selected and processed, which is generally rated under international standards.
This coffee is typically rated at least 80/100 in an evaluation by certified tasters. In this context, The author invites us to learn about the fascinating history of one of the most popular drinks in the world, while discovering the entire process that a plant goes through to produce a bean, and then, what happens for that bean to become a delicious cup.
Quotes by Yassir Raïs
- "Syra Lab is a commitment to circularity with which we aim to harness the potential of all stages of coffee production."
- "We want to close out the year by meeting our commercial goals in Spain, but we also want to demonstrate that it's possible to offer high-quality coffee and remain part of the neighborhood."
Roasting, brewing, and more: How to enjoy coffee beyond your morning routine (2020), by Stella Perry
Most people think they know everything about coffee just because they have a good cup on their way to work. But, What if I told you there's much more to this fabulous drink? Every step counts, and Stella emphasizes each one to reveal a magical and delightful universe. This book opens the door to key insights such as what kind of mill you should buy and how to use it.
Likewise, it's possible to learn the perfect grind for each coffee style, recognize and discover favorite roasts, analyze new preparation techniques, and many other topics for all coffee lovers and baristas. The author also teaches important applied concepts, such as the meaning of labels like "fair trade." and "ecological."
Introduction to Specialty Coffee: Everything You Need to Know About Varieties, Drying, Roasting, Grinding, and Brewing (2020), by Guillermo Alvarado Martinez
This book describes precisely and in an entertaining way each of the links in the coffee production chain.: from the cultivation of the different varieties of Coffea Arabica, to the processes of pulping, drying, roasting and grinding, to finally become a liquid that will boost you, but that could also relax you, make you happy, or improve the course of your entire day.
Coffee is one of those pleasures that makes us wake up in the morning eager to exist, and this is no exaggeration: This drink is responsible for keeping many people's machinery running.. Introduction to specialty coffee It also contains recommendations for machinery, mills, and other accessories to achieve the best possible results with the minimum investment of money.
Professional Barista Manual (2018), by Scott Rao
This text encompasses several fundamental concepts about the world of coffee, including: Learn how to get the most out of your espresso machine and grinder, Prepare coffee without the bitterness hiding all the flavors it has, Learn how to extract coffee correctly, Steep the tea at the right temperature and time, Learn the routines to optimize work in a cafeteria, among others.
The author explains his need to write this book about coffee through these words: "When I started in the coffee business I read every book I could find related to the subject.However, after reading them all, I felt like I hadn't learned how to make good coffee. "I would have traded them all for one that had precise instructions on how to make good coffee." "After 15 years in the industry, I decided someone had to write that book, so I published The Professional Barista Handbook."
World Coffee Atlas: Exploring, Understanding, and Enjoying Coffee, from Bean to Brew (2025), by James Hoffmann
From the same author as the previous book, this volume explains everything about coffee, from its origins to where to find all the varieties and how to prepare them in different cultures. In the words of the expert, preparing this drink has never been easier. Today, consumers can stock up on sachets or beans at their local store and prepare it at their leisure—what could be better?
The text also covers topics such as where it is grown, how it is harvested and roasted, and the water used to make it. Along the way, the author visits countries such as Bolivia and Sambia, where identifies the fundamental characteristics of each coffee zone, and offers tips for preparing the world's most exotic styles of this drink. In short, a delight for aficionados.
