Five Books Every Coffee Lover Needs

I don’t know how many conversations I have had where somehow I trailed off on a coffee rant, only to find who I am talking with fascinated by brewing methods they had never heard of, or recent complexities in the supply chain, or some other facet of coffee unbeknownst to your everyday coffee drinker. For the record, coffee is my job, so I have to know what’s going on behind that lucious black drink, but most curious caffeine junkies don’t know where to start. While there is no substitute for trying different coffees and brewing methods, or even roasting your own beans, getting in the head of some of the most experienced coffee experts will open up a new world of coffee you never knew existed. These five coffee books will certainly expand your coffee knowledge.

The World Atlas of Coffee by James Hoffman

This book is one of the most enjoyable reads, not just in the coffee category. The photography, maps and wealth of content is astounding. Hoffman, the World Barista Champion of 2007, begins with a macro view of the coffee bean as it is on the farm, down to roasting, and brewing. The main thrux of the book continues with a highlight on many of the main coffee producing countries and their unique histories, terroir, processing methods and unique challenges each country faces. Like James Hoffman’s famous coffee youtube channel, this book is engaging throughout. It’s at the top of our list for a reason.

Coffee: A Global History by Jonathan Morris

We added one more book that touches the history of coffee. In fact, if you couldn’t tell from the title, that’s exactly what this book is about. While reading about the early scandal of the effects of drinking coffee, all the way to its boom in the Nordic countries and the capitalistic conquests of American coffee company owners, this book will have you looking at your morning brew very differently. There’s a little known drama behind this famous drink, and this book tells the story.

Craft Coffee: A Manual: Brewing a Better Cup at Home by Jessica Easto and Andreas Willhoff

For a book on brewing coffee at home, this one is the best of the best. This book is for the aspiring home barista who wants to compare various pour over methods, refine their palate, and become a better coffee buyer. It’s easy to read various recipes online, or visit different sites which promote one brew method over the other. This book will give you enough principles behind brewing to make your own decisions. Don’t pass this book up!

The New Rules of Coffee: A Modern Guide for Everyone by Jordan Michaelman and Zachary Carlsen

These first three books dive deep into the nitty gritty of their topic. This book offers some fun tips for better coffee, but reads more like a series of great blog posts. Obviously the internet has an endless supply of blog posts, but this book comes from the creators of Sprudge, a top coffee blog. They know good content, and having it all in one place for you to pick up and put down whenever you want is nice. They cover some of the new trends in coffee over the last few years, dispelling some myths, and offering fresh perspective. This book sits in my office next to my coffee machine. It’s a nice book to have on display for guests to read as well.

What I Know About Running Coffee Shops by Colin Harmon

Ever thought what it would be like to open your own coffee shop? Colin Harmon started out as a small coffee cart in a club in Ireland. His business has now grown to numerous locations applying various models. Colin isn’t trying to sell you on opening a shop. He talks about the challenges and issues that can come up. While this book offers a fresh perspective on what it actually takes to run a successful cafe, the behind the scenes ins and outs described in this book are fascinating. It’s easy to simplify a coffee bar into just serving coffee. Baristas are quickly trained, no degrees necessary. Harmon shows us how building codes, layout, daily volume, bar flow, and average revenue per transaction are all important factors to consider. Even if you aren’t fantasizing about opening a coffee bar, reading this book will change your perspective on how you view your local cafe.

These are some of the most well written books on coffee. We hope you pick one up soon!

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