Craft Coffee: A Manual: Brewing a Better Cup at Home

by Jessica Easto, Andreas Willhoff (Primary Contributor)

This comprehensive but accessible handbook is for the average coffee lover who wants to make better coffee at home. Unlike other coffee books, this one focuses exclusively on coffee--not espresso--and explores multiple pour-over, immersion, and cold-brew techniques on 10 different devices.

Thanks to a small but growing number of dedicated farmers, importers, roasters, and baristas, coffee quality is at an all-time high. But for nonprofessionals, achieving cafe quality at home can seem out of reach. With dozens of equipment options, conflicting information on how to use that equipment, and an industry language that, at times, doesn't seem made for the rest of us, it can be difficult to know where to begin.

Craft Coffee: A Manual, written by a coffee enthusiast for coffee enthusiasts, is a comprehensive guide to improving your brew at home. The book provides all the information readers need to discover what they like in a cup of specialty coffee--and how to replicate the perfect cup day after day. From the science of extraction and brewing techniques to choosing equipment and deciphering coffee bags, Craft Coffee focuses on the issues--cost, time, taste, and accessibility--that home coffee brewers negotiate and shows that no matter where you are in your coffee journey, you can make a great cup at home.

Genres: Nonfiction, Food, Cookbooks, Cooking, Science, Food and Drink, Reference

272 pages, Hardcover

Published November 7, 2017

Reviews

[Manal · Rating 4 out of 5]

الكتاب ممتع جدًا ومفيد ومليء بالمعلومات عن كل ما يخص القهوة المعدة يدويًا

الكتاب يحوي ستة فصول
الأول: أساسيات إعداد القهوة
الثاني: معايير اختيار أدوات التحضير والطواحين
الثالث: القهوة وحبوب البن
الرابع: ضوابط شراء القهوة
الخامس: النكهات والإيحاءات
السادس: وصفات مقترحة لكل أداة
وملحق أخير للأخطاء الشائعة في إعداد القهوة
الكتاب فعلا أشبه بدليل استخدام كتلك المرفقة مع الأجهزة،ومزوّد برسوم توضيحية لطيفة وأشكال بيانية.

الكتاب لا يتحدث أبدًا عن الإسبريسو لاعتباره مشروبًا لا يعد بسهولة في المنزل، وذلك لحاجته الشديدة لمكينة احترافية والتي تكون غالبًا مكلفة جدًا، وليست في متناول الجميع!

قيّمته بأربع نجمات وليس خمس لأن الكتاب تحدث عن عملية التحميص باختصار ولم يقدم وصفات تحميص منزلية

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was very impressed with this book's simple yet effective delivery style - it is truly an effective manual. It is also practical and grounded. I especially liked the specific brewing recommendations for 10 of the most popular brewing devices. The author is very clear to describe the theory also, so the reader is able to adjust as needed for specific conditions and variables. After reading this I experimented with my Clever and determined that I was probably over-extracting. I made made an adjustment to my brewing time and the same coffee I had been using tasted even better..

[Kai · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love all things coffee. However, my knowledge of how to make a good cup of coffee is extremely limited. This book is going to help me change my game though and I'm pumped! It's easy to understand and discusses everything from different types of hardware and brewing techniques to bean varieties, their histories and the countries they come from. You can learn how to decipher coffee labels or figure out how to use that French Press you got for your birthday last year (but is still in its box). I kind of geeked out about the delightful illustrations and charts too. Hey, Coffee Taster's Flavor Wheel, I'm talking about you. It's a truly fascinating read. Highly recommend to coffee freaks of all levels.

[Austin Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible! For what it offers, I would consider it all-encompassing. My favorite book on third-wave coffee so far.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

More than you ever wanted to know about coffee. From beans to grinding to brewing methods - it’s all here in this well-researched and knowledgeable source of coffee information!

[Kristen Gebbia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can’t drink large doses of caffeine. Black tea gives me the jitters. So the fact that I picked this book up and enjoyed it says a lot. I appreciated she even mentioned decaf coffee. I do enjoy the taste of coffee, and I’ve had people retort, “why even bother with decaf?” when they find out I occasionally enjoy a cup. But a cup of well made coffee, even if it’s decaf, is worth the effort. And after reading this book I’ve come away with some tips to improve my occasional home brew of decaf coffee.

[Lane Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not JUST a coffee table book, but is so thorough and detailed in all things coffee.

[Tyler Logsdon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finna be a coffee master just you wait

[Matěj · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do you want to brew good coffee at home? Then this book is for you. There are recipes, some (accessible) theory and plenty of tips to improve your skills.

This is not about espresso, mainly because starting from scratch and getting a good shot at home is a different beast altogether than using an Aeropress. Honestly, it could have been even longer, but I can't fault the authors for that. All in all, read it if you want to say bye-bye to shitty instant coffee and up your game (especially if you don't have the cash to buy a good espresso machine).

[Ian Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great place to start if you want to know more about making great coffee. Not a super old book but the coffee world has changed quite a bit in the past 7 years so some of this is feels outdated.

[Beau Raines · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent and approachable book on how to make great coffee at home. The author focuses on non-espresso coffee and gives a good background on the science of extraction, the biology of the beans and several different methods for making coffee.

If you're just getting started into craft coffee at home, this book can serve as an excellent guid to deciding what to buy and why. If you've been making craft coffee at home for a while, you'll still find some gems to fine tune your method.

I borrowed this book from my library (go libraries), but this book is now on my short list of would buy books.

[Denisa T. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zajímavé a užitečné čtení pro všechny kávové nadšence, kteří si rádi připravují dobré kafe doma :).

[اليازية خليفة · Rating 5 out of 5]

مرجع ممتاز لتحضير القهوة، يغطي معلومات عامة عن القهوة، أنواعها، الدول المنتجة في منطقة حزام القهوة، مواسم الحصاد لكل دولة، ثم ينتقل إلى المعدات المطلوبة، مدى توافرها وأسعارها وسهولة استخدامها، كما يعرج الكتاب على أساسيات انتقاء القهوة وتقييمها، ثم يعرض وصفات طرق إعداد القهوة، ويختم بأمرين: حلول لمواجهة مشكلات تحضير القهوة (اذا كانت مرة، او حامضة، وغيره) والأمر الأخر قائمة بأهم المراجع من مواقع وكتب لدراسة القهوة.

أرى أن هذا الكتاب ممتاز كمرجع لا لمن يرغب في إعداد قهوة لاحتسائها في المنزل فحسب، بل لمن يرغب في التقديم على امتحانات الـASC والحصول على دبلوم القهوة، المعلومات مفيدة جدًا وطريقة عرضها سلس ومدعّم بالصور التوضيحية -وبالحديث عن الصور، ربما لو أضافوا رسمًا توضيحيا لحبة القهوة وتقسيماتها سيكون مفيدًا كذلك.

[Shishir Kedlaya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice, compact yet exhaustive primer written easy to use language, Craft Coffee by Jessica Easto is very approachable and easy to understand.

It gives an overview of the basics of brewing, choosing equipment, overview of coffee beans,where and how to choose which beans to buy, how to understand flavour and popular brewing methods.

Excellent for beginners

[Noah Lomax · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of you want to seriously up-level your coffee game, this book is a practical and thorough guide.

[Allison Severson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I checked this out from the library but might end up purchasing it. It would be a great gift for the real coffee lover in your life who pays attention to region and roast of the coffee they're consuming. There are profiles on regions where coffee beans are produced, harvest schedules, impact of elevation, etc. I can see these being sections I'd come back to read again or reference. This book also includes a lot of details about how to make the best possible pour over cup.

[Ken Weiner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book if you want to understand the world of coffee. It comprehensively covers coffee plants and beans, growing geographies and methods, distribution, decaffeination, roasting, grinding, brewing, tasting, and more! During the pandemic, I got interested in home-roasting on the stove with a frying pan. This book was an amazing companion.

[Rowan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly informative and enjoyable to read---self-aware but not self-deprecating to the absurdity of coffee culture

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written, very enjoyable book about coffee. Loved it. 💕

[Cathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is an ok book if you just want a collection of factoids about coffees. It is pretty repetitive and goodness I don't need someone to explain what "sweetness" mean in a cup of coffee - duh, it's not as sweet as an apple - drinking coffee here.

Also the author believes a 0.6 celsius temperature decrease/100m is equal to 33 fahrenheit temperature decrease (instead of 1.08F) lol omfg... not to mention temperature drop/meter is a fact taught in 8th grade science class not some research done in 2005 by some coffee magazine.

There is no official reference to anything the "professionals" or the "experts" say. Also what ARE these professionals and experts??? The current "trend" towards lighter roast just feels like a total fad like cropped jeans. There is, however, a list of websites in the end of the book. But why would anyone read a book when they can look up the useful information free online??? The rest of the book just asks you to try different types of beans and roast and go look for the truth yourself. Really? Go find a blog on coffee and you'll learn something without a penny.

[Hannah Gies · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not going to lie, I did not read every single page. However this book gave me so much knowledge and guidance in my coffee making game! I got it from the library and ended up renewing it SEVERAL times so I could keep experimenting and using the methods presented in the back of the book.

The time is coming for me to return it, but I'm hoping to purchase a copy for myself. Anyone wanting to learn more about coffee or just improve their coffee making game, will benefit from this excellent book!

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I appreciate how straightforward, non pretentious, and helpful this little book is. As someone who is just getting into craft coffee at home, this was exactly the book I needed to help me make a better cup of coffee. I checked out half a dozen books from my library and this was the only one I ended up buying.

[Albert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book for coffee lovers and those getting into home brewing. I found this book fascinating and couldn't read it fast enough. The book takes a practical and unpretentious approach to coffee and makes great home brewing easy to understand. I really enjoyed learning about how coffee behaves, characteristics of coffee, and how to fine tune home brewing to improve quality. Highly recommend!

[Beige Alert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good information though the ebook format was very frustrating and I think that the information was ordered poorly. For a self published book purchased less than $3 on sale I was pleased but if I'd paid retail that the book typically sells for I would have felt a bit robbed. Looking forward to playing around with my aero press a bit more now.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Craft Coffee is an encyclopedia on coffee, well written by the author and her husband. I didn’t know how to properly use a French press until reading this book. The illustrations are lovely. And if you want to explore more resources on coffee there is a great list in the back of the book.

[Jae Shin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book on the history of coffee as well as entire coffee trade in general. It was interesting to read the upcoming of craft coffees along with the different methods for farming/washing/roasting/brewing.

[Joey · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’re even remotely interested in learning more about your morning cuppa joe, I would recommend this home-brewing must-have. It offers an approachable and honest exploration of the how and why of brewing good coffee with intention and care.

[Andrey Silaev · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is very structured and fun to read. After 5 years into coffee finally I get to know it better. Consider this book as handbook or little encyclopedia.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's no secret - I LOVE coffee. And I love that this book helps me spend less money at the coffee shop!

[Aaron W. Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bought a Hario V60 recently and this book helped me think through best practices. Nice info all around on history of coffee, bean quality and overall prep.