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Left Coast Roast: A Guide to the Best Coffee and Roasters from San Francisco to Seattle
West Coast roasters have largely defined and refined how Americans drink and think about their morning cup of joe. They have turned a morning ritual into an obsession. Left Coast Roast is a caffeine-fueled guide to 55 key companies in Washington, Oregon, and Northern California—from small artisan roasters like Heart, Coava, and Kuma and history-making icons like Peet's and Starbucks, to rapidly expanding shops like Portland's Stumptown and San Francisco's Blue Bottle. Profiles describe each company's background, roasting history, and style, and explain how to visit and order beans for home brewing.
- GenresFood and Drink
296 pages, Paperback
First published August 21, 2012
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90 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
October 22, 2012
My barista boyfriend recommended I read this so I could get to know just how complex the coffee world is, why he loves it so much, and, perhaps most importantly, understand what the hell he is talking about most of the time. The Coffee Primer that is the first half of the book is a great way to get a comprehensive but not overwhelming look into the complex world of coffee, first going over the lingo (and how some of it is indeed impressively pretentious), and all of the steps coffee goes through from being planted until it gets into your lovely morning cup, how many ways that could vary to create a unique taste/experience, and finally how to prepare a damn good cup of coffee at home (and roast your own beans, too!)- all of which helped me appreciate my morning life-line that much more.
The second half of the book is comprised of descriptions of the city/regions best coffee shops, and a little bit about what they try to do differently. It was great to read about all of the shops in San Francisco that we've frequented, and reminded me to try a little harder to perceive the complexities and differences between them. This will also help us plan what spots to visit and what to expect when we take a trip to Portland and Seattle.
All in all it was a great read for both the experienced barista and the coffee novice like myself. Plus it happened to be a copy signed by Hanna that my boyfriend picked up at her talk in San Francisco's Coffee Bar, and she is a wonderful lady who made a few personal recommendations!
The second half of the book is comprised of descriptions of the city/regions best coffee shops, and a little bit about what they try to do differently. It was great to read about all of the shops in San Francisco that we've frequented, and reminded me to try a little harder to perceive the complexities and differences between them. This will also help us plan what spots to visit and what to expect when we take a trip to Portland and Seattle.
All in all it was a great read for both the experienced barista and the coffee novice like myself. Plus it happened to be a copy signed by Hanna that my boyfriend picked up at her talk in San Francisco's Coffee Bar, and she is a wonderful lady who made a few personal recommendations!
August 27, 2020
The Coffee Primer at the start was ok but not that in-depth compared to other coffee-related books. I liked the part detailing home roasting. Other than that the rest of the book was just a list (which maybe would be interesting in a world that travel is possible?) but also a shame that it excluded any LA roasters. Also, the font and coloring made it hard to read.
May 29, 2019
Made so many notes from the book, it would've been easier if I just bought it instead of renewing it 3 times from the library
October 10, 2012
Oh, were this book more international in scope! Not that it probably could be either.
In essence this is a guide to 55 key companies in Washington, Oregon and Northern California who have placed coffee, great coffee, firmly centre to their business. Whether they are artisan roasters, mega corps like Peet's and Starbucks or even growing regional chains such as Blue Bottle, the author has carefully and lovingly researched and presented the background, coffee 'roasting history' and style behind each company.
Preceding all of this great information is a wonderful "coffee 101" primer that does not have any airs of grandeur or pretension (that so many similar coffee books tend to have). It is just frustrating that a lot of this good information will be out of reach for many coffee-lovers who might not be able to make a pilgrimage to the West Coast.
The book's design is quirky but engaging. Drawing you in to read about things you might not get chance to experience, whilst managing to make you seethe with jealousy and envy at the same time. The first part of the book is also great for the coffee-newbie who is not ashamed to learn. It is just unfortunate that the latter part of the book serves to tease a large proportion of its potential audience, describing in great detail what they are missing.
If you love coffee and live in reach of the areas covered in this book, it is a relatively inexpensive guide to places worth investigating. If you love coffee but don't live in the area, you might need to think carefully if you can cope with the disappointment of reading but not experiencing great things. If you just want to get behind the mystery of coffee and the oft-strange terms that surround coffee this could be a great little book for you.
There's not a lot more one can say about this book! Note to the author: Maybe you could develop this as a sort of franchise, being the coffee world's version of Zagat's, so the love can be shared around the world!
Left Coast Roast: A Guide to the Best Coffee and Roasters from San Francisco to Seattle, written by Hanna Neuschwander and published by Timber Press. ISBN 9781604692846, 296 pages. Typical price: USD17. YYYY.
// This review appeared in YUM.fi and is reproduced here in full with permission of YUM.fi. YUM.fi celebrates the worldwide diversity of food and drink, as presented through the humble book. Whether you call it a cookery book, cook book, recipe book or something else (in the language of your choice) YUM will provide you with news and reviews of the latest books on the marketplace. //
In essence this is a guide to 55 key companies in Washington, Oregon and Northern California who have placed coffee, great coffee, firmly centre to their business. Whether they are artisan roasters, mega corps like Peet's and Starbucks or even growing regional chains such as Blue Bottle, the author has carefully and lovingly researched and presented the background, coffee 'roasting history' and style behind each company.
Preceding all of this great information is a wonderful "coffee 101" primer that does not have any airs of grandeur or pretension (that so many similar coffee books tend to have). It is just frustrating that a lot of this good information will be out of reach for many coffee-lovers who might not be able to make a pilgrimage to the West Coast.
The book's design is quirky but engaging. Drawing you in to read about things you might not get chance to experience, whilst managing to make you seethe with jealousy and envy at the same time. The first part of the book is also great for the coffee-newbie who is not ashamed to learn. It is just unfortunate that the latter part of the book serves to tease a large proportion of its potential audience, describing in great detail what they are missing.
If you love coffee and live in reach of the areas covered in this book, it is a relatively inexpensive guide to places worth investigating. If you love coffee but don't live in the area, you might need to think carefully if you can cope with the disappointment of reading but not experiencing great things. If you just want to get behind the mystery of coffee and the oft-strange terms that surround coffee this could be a great little book for you.
There's not a lot more one can say about this book! Note to the author: Maybe you could develop this as a sort of franchise, being the coffee world's version of Zagat's, so the love can be shared around the world!
Left Coast Roast: A Guide to the Best Coffee and Roasters from San Francisco to Seattle, written by Hanna Neuschwander and published by Timber Press. ISBN 9781604692846, 296 pages. Typical price: USD17. YYYY.
// This review appeared in YUM.fi and is reproduced here in full with permission of YUM.fi. YUM.fi celebrates the worldwide diversity of food and drink, as presented through the humble book. Whether you call it a cookery book, cook book, recipe book or something else (in the language of your choice) YUM will provide you with news and reviews of the latest books on the marketplace. //
December 31, 2015
One of the sexiest coffee book I ever read. This is the book which telling you a story of the new indie coffee culture initiated from the west coast , from San Francisco to Seattle, before it spread all over the world. Very recommended for all coffee lovers, from home coffee roasters to everyone who want to enjoy drinking specialty coffee at cafe or brew it at home.
December 27, 2012
My main complaint about this book is that they wanted to be cute and printed it in brown and green print on cream colored paper which made it difficult and annoying to read.
January 19, 2013
What a great little book. Tons of coffee facts and tidbits are provided while profiling some of the best roasters and cafes on the west coast. A couple of shops in Bend are even included. Bravo.
May 26, 2013
West coast readers may discover a few new roasters to enjoy. I know I did.
June 30, 2014
A fun and easy introduction to coffee on the west coast.
For my full review check out my blog EZdrinking.com
http://www.ezdrinking.com/ezdrinking/...
For my full review check out my blog EZdrinking.com
http://www.ezdrinking.com/ezdrinking/...
January 15, 2015
Too bad the author hasn't visited the rest of the left coast, i.e. south of Santa Cruz.
January 21, 2014
I mainly like it for the short coffee primer at the beginning
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews