Coffee Basics: A Quick and Easy Guide – Industry Secrets for Buying, Brewing, and Tasting Specialty Coffee

by Julie S Huffaker, Kevin Knox

Put your local coffee bar to the test with "Coffee Basics"

With thousands of coffee bars and restaurants serving an endless variety of blends, roasts, and brews, ordering a specialty coffee drink has become as daunting a task as selecting a fine wine. How can you distinguish between great coffee and great hype? Read "Coffee Basics."

Kevin Knox and Julie Sheldon Huffaker have filled this handy reference with hundreds of industry truths and trade secrets. You'll learn the fundamentals of coffee buying, brewing, and tasting; and develop an aficionado's ability to see beyond the expensive trappings of today's coffee explosion. You'll discover:
* The basic coffee facts: its origin, history, and many varieties
* Step-by-step methods for selecting, roasting, blending, and flavoring coffee "to taste"
* A coffee taster's glossary
* Simple charts showing grind progression, relative grinding times, and regional characteristics
* The scoop on decaffeinated, organic, and espresso beans
* Specialty coffee recipes
* Lists of the best sources for beans and professional equipment

Whether you make coffee at home or at a fine restaurant, "Coffee Basics" offers a bottomless cup of brewing knowledge and drinking pleasure.

Genres: Nonfiction, Food

216 pages, Paperback

First published October 23, 1996

Reviews

[Yong-Gu Bae]

Though somewhat outdated, it still gives you strong basics on coffee. Freezing roasted coffee and using blade grinders are "No No" these days in specialty coffee industry, by the way. By freezing coffee, you are tempering with the moisture inside of coffee which can ruin the taste of coffee. Also, blade grinders give you uneven grounds, so burr grinders are much preferred. Baratza produce moderately priced quality burr grinders these days. As for the current resources, the best places to start out would be http://www.coffeegeek.com and http://www.sweetmarias.com

[Leslie D. Soule]

This book was actually pretty interesting, explaining all about the process of how coffee is made, and going very in-depth about coffee. Can't believe I found this gem at the Dollar Store!

[Aathavan]

A nice jump-start for anyone who wants to step beyond the world of Diner coffee.

[Jo]

This looks fasinating!