Craft Coffee: A Manual

Very aesthetically pleasing as decor in my dining room as well as how the pages are printed off. Great material. Will definitely be reading it once I can have coffee again.

Don’t let the compact package fool you as this is a world-class book that efficiently outlines all that is important to produce a superb cup of brewed coffee. It is NOT about anything ESPRESSO just so you know but just might be the single best resource to learn how to bring out the best in the coffee you have.The author is a superb writer. If you have a very low tolerance for wonky or diffuse writing styles, you will be relieved to not find that here. She strikes an ideal balance between technical education, logical organization, story telling and a bit of entertainment. It will not be over anyone’s head, yet even an experienced barista will find little gems of know-how for enhancing to their craft.The author rightly categorizes the current local/specialty coffee culture as “craft” which focuses on respect and support of origin/grower, fair distribution of profit throughout the supply chain and really understanding how to bring out the best in each origin through the various preparation processes. But it is mainly a book on how to optimize various immersion methods from Melitta, Chemex, Hario V60, Kalita Wave, etc.. For the classic French Press, the authors promote a unique, 8-minute method (its great). They wisely don’t disqualify the alluring French Press which is a favorite ritual for countless Europeans who knew a lot more about good coffee before we did over here.The sections about country of origin, coffee sourcing, storing methods, tasting tips are not dragged down by blah blah but gives most people the key points. For example, the reader will learn the key aspects of a coffee that affect its taste profile: origin (Africa, So Am, Pacific, etc), growing elevation (>1500m is coveted), washing methods (wet, dry, natural, honey), types of beans (arabica, robusta, pacamara), etc.So, is all this focus on making a simple cup of coffee the mere indulgent obsession of hipster culture? Sure, there is part of this, perhaps such as in the way “flavor notes” can be ridiculously bantered about like describing a work at an art show vs. simply enjoying what you like without analyzing it to death. (In fairness, such obsession is necessary F&B-industry language to standardize what is being experienced and later described). This book will help you appreciate the terroir influence on flavor (high altitude is superior), the producers and their culture and how to bring out their best in the preparation. Indiscriminate prep can dishonor a great coffee which is not cheap. And there is no honor in making bad coffee. This well-written book will help the novice enter the magic that is great coffee.

To improve my home brewing and coffee knowledge, I picked up a couple of books. After reading both, this is my impression of each and how they are different from each other. To sum it up, Brew is a beginner-oriented guide with great photos, and Craft Coffee is both a beginner and intermediate level guide that contains a wealth of information but no photos.Craft Coffee: A Manual• Overall a 201 type of book – more detail and coverage of coffee beans, equipment, brewing, flavors, etc.• Great walkthroughs of different brewing methods; has more brewing methods than Brew, including details on different pour over methods• More science-oriented information, but still approachable to most people• Much more detail than Brew on coffee origins and their characteristics, why coffees taste the way they do, and a more detailed breakdown of brewing equipment and how best to operate it• No photos, no color graphicsBrew: Better Coffee at Home• Overall a 101 type of book – simple, straightforward information about specialty coffee• Great photos and useful beginner-oriented graphics; has the feel of a coffee table book• Things that it has that Craft Coffee doesn’t: flash chill method, beautiful color photos, recipes (including cocktails)• Lumps the pour over brewing method into basically one category (apart from Chemex) and doesn’t provide detailed information about how to brew using different pour over methodsI read Craft Coffee first, and because of that I breezed through Brew in about 30 minutes because Brew 1) has much less text and 2) Craft Coffee already covered almost everything that Brew contains.So, if you’re the type of person that just wants the basics to step up your home brewing game, then Brew is probably the better option. If you’re looking for a more comprehensive guide to home brewing and coffee in general, then I recommend Craft Coffee for the reasons detailed above.I think Craft Coffee has everything you need in a guide to better home brewing, whereas Brew might leave some people wanting for more information and detail in several areas.Minor (very minor) cons for Craft Coffee are a few typos and lack of color graphics, which would have been useful in a couple of places.

I’m new to making my own craft coffee and this book has it all! I love learning all the different aspects of the coffee world (especially when it comes to the machine you choose). The condition of the book when I purchased said “good” but it was almost perfect!

This book accomplishes everything it sets out to do. Jessica presents information in such a clear, concise, and efficient way, demystifying the world of coffee in the process. Not a single word, sentence, or page is superfluous. She adds an appropriate amount of no-nonsense, witty humor and personal commentary, too. On top of that, I honestly can't remember the last time I learned so much from such a compact handbook. I brew coffee at home using a Chemex, and I already owned a scale and a gooseneck kettle prior to purchasing this book. However, I didn't know much of anything about the factors affecting taste or how to decipher the information on a coffee bag label. After reading this book, I can now make well-informed decisions about the coffee I purchase based on my individual taste preferences (acidity, sweetness, bitterness, mouthfeel, aroma, and flavor). Having a rudimentary understanding of why and how coffee tastes the way that it does has really improved my home brew. I cannot recommend this book highly enough for anyone looking to brew better coffee at home and learn a ton about coffee more generally in the process.

J'ai été particulièrement surpris par les aides visuel du livre.

Compré este libro buscando un primer acercamiento al café de especialidad, donde pudiera hallar la teoría que le subyace a la preparación del café, junto con una guía para llevar a cabo los métodos caseros más conocidos; y es exactamente lo que este libro ofrece. Desde una redacción muy amigable para quienes vamos comenzando, la autora aborda temas como la teoría de la extracción, las variables que tienen efecto sobre la preparación del café e incluso algunas recetas muy precisas para llevar a cabo algunos de los métodos más conocidos; todo esto sin caer en la sobre-simplificación del tema.

Livro escrito de maneira clara, objetiva e direta, que dá um bom panorama sobre fazer café em casa e sobre outras coisas relacionadas à terceira onda do café (ou "craft coffee", como a autora prefere dizer), tais como as variáveis envolvidas no processo, tipos de grãos, métodos e equipamentos. Tudo colocado de uma maneira bastante acessível (para quem lê em inglês).Importante observar que o livro não aborda café expresso, pois fazer expresso em casa é um hobby muito caro. Por isso, o foco são os métodos filtrados ou por imersão, que são os métodos mais comumente encontrados nas casas ou acessíveis para quem quer experimentar fazer café de um jeito diferente. Com isso, o livro não perde páginas para uma informação que seria direcionada a um público muito específico (aquele que pode pagar uma grana preta em uma máquina doméstica de expresso).As informações contidas no livro podem ser encontradas espalhadas pela internet, em sites e vídeos, mas acho que o investimento vale o tempo que seria gasto garimpando e lendo fragmentos de informações aqui e acolá. No livro, tudo está organizado, bem escrito, servindo para consulta rápida ou para se aprofundar com a bibliografia suplementar. Não é um daqueles livros que ficam bonitinhos na estante e cheio de informações desnecessárias não; aqui, cada linha conta alguma coisa.As receitas ao final do livro são simples e, até onde pude experimentar, realmente boas. Aeropress, Kalita, Hario, Chemex, Prensa Francesa, o bom e velho Melita, estão todos ali, além de alguns outros (a cafeteira italiana, ou Moka, porém, não consta).Achei a parte sobre degustação do café a que mais deixou a desejar, mas talvez porque isso seja uma seara difícil. De qualquer maneira, o capítulo dá um norte, para iniciar a explorar os sabores.O livro é bastante bonito, tem um bom tamanho, a encadernação é ótima, mas as letras são um pouco pequenas.

A gift for a coffee guru.