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I Know Coffee: Harvesting, Blending, Roasting, Brewing, Grinding & Tasting Coffee
Books 1,2,3,4 and 7 from the "I Know Coffee" series
Terrific, up-to-date overview. One of the best coffee books available now. - Amazon Customer
The book begins with an overview of cultivars and varieties, and the major differences between the three primary coffee-growing regions (Africa, Asia, and the Americas). This chapter will also give an explanation of harvesting , processing and drying methods, and the ways those can impact the bean’s development and most prominent flavor notes. For many the coffee-drinking experience is all about the complexity of the flavors, and blending beans can be very helpful in that regard. Beans can be blended either pre- or post-roasting; the second chapter of this book will walk you through the typical best practices for creating your own blends. Keep in mind that the same bean can taste drastically different, depending on how dark you roast it. The basics of coffee roasting in this book following blending, though you can certainly swap the order in your own process if you’d prefer. Finally, there’s the part of the process that the majority of people have at least a passing familiarity the grinding and brewing . These two aspects of the process are inextricably linked, with certain grind sizes working best for certain brewing methods. Each brewing method brings out its own unique characteristics of the bean; similar to roast levels, a bean that’s brewed as espresso could have a completely different flavor profile than the same bean brewed using a French press. The book finishes with how professionals taste coffee , and how you can train your own palate to pick out the distinctive flavor notes.
Terrific, up-to-date overview. One of the best coffee books available now. - Amazon Customer
The book begins with an overview of cultivars and varieties, and the major differences between the three primary coffee-growing regions (Africa, Asia, and the Americas). This chapter will also give an explanation of harvesting , processing and drying methods, and the ways those can impact the bean’s development and most prominent flavor notes. For many the coffee-drinking experience is all about the complexity of the flavors, and blending beans can be very helpful in that regard. Beans can be blended either pre- or post-roasting; the second chapter of this book will walk you through the typical best practices for creating your own blends. Keep in mind that the same bean can taste drastically different, depending on how dark you roast it. The basics of coffee roasting in this book following blending, though you can certainly swap the order in your own process if you’d prefer. Finally, there’s the part of the process that the majority of people have at least a passing familiarity the grinding and brewing . These two aspects of the process are inextricably linked, with certain grind sizes working best for certain brewing methods. Each brewing method brings out its own unique characteristics of the bean; similar to roast levels, a bean that’s brewed as espresso could have a completely different flavor profile than the same bean brewed using a French press. The book finishes with how professionals taste coffee , and how you can train your own palate to pick out the distinctive flavor notes.
249 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 10, 2017
125 people are currently reading
513 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
February 2, 2020
I will admit it....
I love coffee.
I am a coffee snob.
I am not in any way apologetic about it.
But.....for all that I love my coffee....I really didn't know much about it. Other than my personal likes/dislikes and how to grind and brew it, my knowledge was pretty much nil.
How embarrassing. :) My favorite drink in the world....the thing I never start the day without....and I knew next to nothing about it other than how to work my grinder and brewer.
I enjoyed reading this book! Jessica Simms lays it all out....from where beans are grown, how they are processed and shipped to how to pick the best coffee and brew an awesome cup o'joe....it's all in this book! I loved reading about the different varieties of coffee and where the beans are grown. So interesting! She gives some great tips on brewing coffee the right way and how to blend flavors.
This is a great book for any coffee lover!
Now I guess I need to read a book on my second favorite drink -- tea!
**I won an ebook edition of this book from Goodreads. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**
I love coffee.
I am a coffee snob.
I am not in any way apologetic about it.
But.....for all that I love my coffee....I really didn't know much about it. Other than my personal likes/dislikes and how to grind and brew it, my knowledge was pretty much nil.
How embarrassing. :) My favorite drink in the world....the thing I never start the day without....and I knew next to nothing about it other than how to work my grinder and brewer.
I enjoyed reading this book! Jessica Simms lays it all out....from where beans are grown, how they are processed and shipped to how to pick the best coffee and brew an awesome cup o'joe....it's all in this book! I loved reading about the different varieties of coffee and where the beans are grown. So interesting! She gives some great tips on brewing coffee the right way and how to blend flavors.
This is a great book for any coffee lover!
Now I guess I need to read a book on my second favorite drink -- tea!
**I won an ebook edition of this book from Goodreads. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**
December 27, 2019
Comprehensive little introduction to coffee
I love coffee and drink it every day, but did not know much about how or where it was grown - or why. Nor did I know how it got from plant to machine or - well, you get my drift... I usually drink a straight black double espresso when it’s available, but it was enlightening to read about the entire life of a coffee bean from growing through drinking and the many variables in the process. I doubt if I will hold coffee tastings, but I believe I could after reading this book. There is a bit of redundancy, but not too much - more like reinforcement of the learning process - and I will appreciate my cup of Joe a bit more in the future.
I love coffee and drink it every day, but did not know much about how or where it was grown - or why. Nor did I know how it got from plant to machine or - well, you get my drift... I usually drink a straight black double espresso when it’s available, but it was enlightening to read about the entire life of a coffee bean from growing through drinking and the many variables in the process. I doubt if I will hold coffee tastings, but I believe I could after reading this book. There is a bit of redundancy, but not too much - more like reinforcement of the learning process - and I will appreciate my cup of Joe a bit more in the future.
March 22, 2018
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
To get my biggest criticism out of the way first: this book needed another round of proofreading. (Or the giveaway was for an uncorrected proof? There was no indication of this though.) While it was well-written overall, there were so many obvious brain blips, like "Indonesia is an island of nations". These were distracting and occasionally confusing.
I think most coffee drinkers would appreciate the blending, roasting, and brewing chapters. While most of us probably never plan to roast our own coffee, the blending and roasting chapters explain what flavors you can expect from the different blend ingredients and roast levels, and why. The brewing chapter is just what it sounds like.
The harvesting and tasting chapters will mostly be of interest to super coffee geeks, imo. While I (not a super coffee geek) found some parts of these chapters interesting, those parts were also summarized in other chapters.
To get my biggest criticism out of the way first: this book needed another round of proofreading. (Or the giveaway was for an uncorrected proof? There was no indication of this though.) While it was well-written overall, there were so many obvious brain blips, like "Indonesia is an island of nations". These were distracting and occasionally confusing.
I think most coffee drinkers would appreciate the blending, roasting, and brewing chapters. While most of us probably never plan to roast our own coffee, the blending and roasting chapters explain what flavors you can expect from the different blend ingredients and roast levels, and why. The brewing chapter is just what it sounds like.
The harvesting and tasting chapters will mostly be of interest to super coffee geeks, imo. While I (not a super coffee geek) found some parts of these chapters interesting, those parts were also summarized in other chapters.
March 31, 2018
Coffee, coffee, coffee. I love coffee but perhaps I dot appreciate it enough. I knew some people consider the brewing of coffee (and more so espresso) to be a work of art. I was not aware that there are people that there are people more hard core than that...sommeliers of coffee.
This book packs a lot of knowledge albeit a little dry and perhaps could use some pictures.
Now I want to get a French press...
This book packs a lot of knowledge albeit a little dry and perhaps could use some pictures.
Now I want to get a French press...
August 12, 2018
Really enjoyed
I thought this book was so helpful in learning about coffee and how to utilize making and deciding on choosing coffees. I did think this book could have been shorter, some felt repetitive. Over all this book was helpful and I will never buy artificial flavored coffee in stores again. This was a Goodreads giveaway and I would like to thank the author. Recommend Gina Clabo
I thought this book was so helpful in learning about coffee and how to utilize making and deciding on choosing coffees. I did think this book could have been shorter, some felt repetitive. Over all this book was helpful and I will never buy artificial flavored coffee in stores again. This was a Goodreads giveaway and I would like to thank the author. Recommend Gina Clabo
April 20, 2018
All the fine points of coffee are covered in perfect detail - not too little and not too much. More than anything, I felt the book gave me a strong base to dig deeper into any specific area covered - whether understanding sourcing or how to make better choices when buying at the store.
March 25, 2018
Interesting read. Learned a lot about the whole process of making coffee. This will make me enjoy every cup more.
Won this book in a giveaway! Thanks!
Won this book in a giveaway! Thanks!
March 8, 2019
A pleasant read that will leave you with a wealth of knowledge for your favorite beverage and more.
March 15, 2020
I read the book
The book was about coffee and all that encompasses. I can't get my book count without a silly review. G2 Out!
The book was about coffee and all that encompasses. I can't get my book count without a silly review. G2 Out!
May 29, 2020
What I didn’t like about this book is that it basically skips over espresso coffee brewed in an espresso coffee machine in the brewing section. Why?
Also in my opinion it’s Gesha not Geisha.
Also in my opinion it’s Gesha not Geisha.
August 2, 2020
It has parts where the author repeats herself a lot, but overall it's a great book with quite complete insight into the world of coffee, from the farm to the comfort of your house.
February 11, 2025
Ali
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 13, 2023
This was an interesting look at coffee. It includes some history, some info on brewing methods, coffee growing regions, taste testing and other tidbits of interest to those who love coffee.
I won this book via Goodreads Giveaways.
I won this book via Goodreads Giveaways.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews