Art and Craft of Coffee

Description

“In the decades that Kevin Sinnott has spent meeting with and interviewing hundreds of coffee professionals, rather than crossing over to the dark side and becoming one himself, he has taken what he has learned and translated it from coffee geek-speak into English. Why? For the sole purpose of allowing you to better enjoy your coffee. In short, if you like coffee, you will love this book.” —Oren Bloostein, proprietor of Oren’s Daily Roast

There is no other beverage that gives you a better way to travel the world than coffee. You can literally taste the volcanic lava from Sumatra, smell the spice fields of India, and lift your spirits to the Colombian mountaintops in your morning cup of joe. The Art and Craft of Coffee shows you how to get the most out of your coffee, from fresh-roasted bean to hand-crafted brew.

In The Art and Craft of Coffee, Kevin Sinnott, the coffee world’s most ardent consumer advocate, educates, inspires, and caffeinates you.
 
Inside you will find: 

• How green coffee beans are farmed and harvested
• Insight into single-origin coffee beans and worldwide coffee harvests
• A photo guide to roasting your own coffee at home
• How to choose the best grinder for your beans
• A complete, visual manual for 9 coffee brewing styles, including French press, vacuum, Chemex, auto-drip, Turkish ibrik, and espresso
• Delicous recipes for dozens of coffee and espresso beverages

Kevin Sinnott, host of the Coffee Brewing Secrets instructional video and coffeecompanion.com website is a foremost consumer coffee authority. Sinnott created The Coffee Companion, the first-ever consumer publication about finding and brewing the worldu2019s best coffee. He’s made more than 100 media appearances, including USA TODAY, The Chicago Tribune, Oprah, and countless other television and radio shows. He served five years on the Specialty Coffee Association of Americau2019s (SCAA) Technical Standards Committee. He has conducted brewing seminars at SCAA trade shows and hosted Espresso BARISTA competitions at coffee trade shows. In addition to several patents pending for coffee making apparatus, he owns more than 100 vintage and contemporary coffee brewers.Introduction

Section One
The Beans

Chapter One: Knowing Your Coffee Beans
The History of Coffee
Coffee Plants and Botanical Classifications
Coffee Varieties by Grade (or Marketing Scare Tactics)
Worldwide Guide to Coffee
Additional Coffee-Buying Considerations

Chapter Two: Selecting Coffee Beans
Coffee Characteristics
Green Coffee Bean Basics
Buying Fresh Roasted Beans
The Basics of Blended Beans
Cupping

Chapter Three: Coffee Roasts and Roasting
Commercial and Micro-Roasting
The Science of Roasting
Coffee Roasts Defined
Home Roasting Techniques

Section Two
The Brew

Chapter Four: Grinding
Grinders and Grinding

Chapter Five: Brewing
The Well-Equipped Brewing Kit
Brewing Temperature and Contact Time
Water
Filters
Illustrated Brewing Techniques

Chapter Six: Espresso
The History and Science of Espresso
Espresso Maker Guide
Espresso Grinders and Grinding
Pulling the Perfect Shot
Espresso Troubleshooting Guide

Chapter Seven: Coffee Serving and Recipes
Coffee Presentation and Serving
Equipment
Coffee and Food
Serving Temperature
Sugar and Milk: Coffee’s Complements or Nemeses
Flavored Coffee
Steaming and Frothing Milk
Coffee Recipes: Brews, Cocktails, and Beyond
Odd but Interesting Brewing Methods

Resources
Index
About the Author

While there is a plethora of books on the history and economy of coffee, there are surprisingly few about enjoying coffee. With 200 color photos and friendly text, this highly readable and accessible coffee guide is divided into two sections, covering the beans and the brew. In addition to providing a general knowledge of coffee, Sinnott (curator, www.coffeecompanion.com) strives to give readers tools to prepare world-class coffee at home. Along with selecting, roasting, grinding, and brewing coffee, he discusses serving coffee-correct temperatures, using sugar and milk, and the equipment needed. Troubleshooting tips, charts, step-by-step instructions, and a variety of recipes add to the book's usefulness and value. Verdict For people just beginning to develop a home coffee habit, this is a better starting point than Kenneth Davids's Coffee: A Guide to Buying, Brewing, and Enjoying, but hard-core coffee fans will want both. – Xpress Review

Tracing the beverage from its first appearance in the Turkish and Saudi Arabian coffeehouses of the 1500s to the chains and boutique shops of today, Sinnott’s guide to primo coffee enables readers to fill their cups to the rim… with greatness. Readers will learn the differing qualities of producing countries (good acidity but light body from Peru; the distinctive Liberica espresso from Laos), the particulars of roasting, and even the best times to buy and brew. Sinnott deftly navigates the thorny issues of production, preferring to focus on the enjoyment of the product. Even readers who don’t know their Arabica from their Robusta or a French Press from a percolator will appreciate Sinnott’s informative and egalitarian approach; suggestions are the order of the day, not mandates. Whether the barista-to-be prefers to create custom blends to roast at home in the hopes of an ultimate cup, or simply wants to get a better pot from the auto drip she bought for $20, Sinnott’s guide will result in a better cup of joe. Photos. (June)

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