Tara Duggan

Being more than a casual coffee drinker, I’ve read a lot on the subject over the years and while I know that what I know is more than the average person, it is still quite limited. This book confirmed that “quite” part of my limits! Let’s call this extreme coffee. Don’t misunderstand, it’s clearly a passion for Freeman and it shows in his writing...and he has a wealth of knowledge that he skillfully condensed for the reader. An appetite whetter.

Having cut his proverbial teeth on roasting, and made his living since 2002 doing, Freeman talks a lot about it - even offering a home method. He discusses varietals, more as a overview than a treatise. His examples of his descriptions of some of his company’s roasts are quite the imagery. He discusses many different brewing methods (the details might be a bit much for the casual drinker), concentrating on the ins and outs of espresso. I had to laugh at the chapter/section title for the single cup travesty: “A SPECIAL PLACE IN HELL: POD COFFEE”.

So other than the nuances and incredibly specific details, I learned that

Japan’s coffee culture is one of the most refined in the world, and it has had a huge influence on what we do a lot Blu Bottle [his company].

I also learned that the Starbucks, et al, really don’t know how to make a macchiato (okay, I already did know, but not to the gram level..). And I learned that melting chocolate with water is richer than milk. That’s from the second half, which is all about thinks to eat with coffee. Lots of recipes.

Recommended for the coffee drinker who wants more in the toolbox and for anyone with a thirst...for knowledge.… (més)