Dear Coffee Buyer: A Guide to Sourcing Green Coffee

by Ryan Brown, Joy Felice (Illustrator)

Dear Coffee Buyer by Ryan Brown is the first ever book dedicated to the profession of green coffee buying. Brown's vivid descriptions and engaging prose make readers feel like they’re right there with him: tagging along to taste hundreds of coffee samples during a twenty-hour stop in Guatemala, feeling his nervous excitement when he takes a spontaneous buying trip to Honduras with little more than a backpack, and sharing his frustration and determination to find farmers and exporters willing to offer exceptional coffees.

Along the way, Brown takes an in-depth look at coffee bean varieties, processing, origins, cupping, forecasting, and pricing. He even interviews other legendary coffee buyers to get their take on the skills needed to begin a successful career in coffee buying. Dear Coffee Buyer will change the way a generation of baristas, roasters, and green buyers views 'direct trade,' seasonality, the Geisha variety, and the complex challenges of getting beans halfway around the world, from the farm to the cup.

Genres: Nonfiction

123 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2018

Reviews

[Jean Jutras · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I would say this book is great starter resource for those starting to get into green bean buying. There are a lot more nuggets than other coffee books I’ve read. I think there could have been a bit more focus on sourcing and understanding the market forces at play. It was a bit too generalized but I can appreciate why this would be difficult but even getting some common market practices in North America and Europe would have been helpful.

[Arrott · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Dear Coffee Buyer” feels as though it will act as the metaphorical snowball in my coffee knowledge snowball effect.

While there were certainly areas I wished were more in-depth, I now KNOW where I want to go more in-depth and I can put words to those cravings. I have been pointed in a few new and specific directions.

I am extremely quick to recommend this book to my fellow coffee professionals—whether you’re a buyer or not.

I’m a sucker for helpful drawings, an ample collection of photographs, and stories to prove a point.

This book is a gem. Thanks, Ryan.

[Max · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great, some great objective and well presented subjective thoughts. Clear to read and nicely linear in information. I believe this is a great read for coffee buyers (to be), roasters and baristas as it gives a great insight in an often overlooked part of the coffee chain.

[Paulien · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfecte voorbereidende lectuur om morgen koffietjes te selecteren ✌🏻

[Erik · Rating 3 out of 5]

It says coffee buyers and it may be good for those that are buying coffee in large quantities. I’m a private person and it was not a very useful book for me.

[Chip · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a resource! New roasters are spoiled these days with detailed information in Brown's book. It's certainly enlightened us and helping our roastery better plan and buy green.
An excellent resource and worth every penny. Thanks Ryan and Scott!

[Nathan Maas · Rating 3 out of 5]

5.5/10