This is a nice, concise overview of coffee drinking. It covers the history, geography, botany, biochemistry, production and flavors of coffee. I especially liked that it provides "how-to" guides for 11 brewing methods, including my favorites: the French Press and Cold Brew. The only drawback is that some of the print is in a gray-scale ink that makes reading a chore. ( )

This isn't just a gift-book for coffee-lovers: it's a useful and practical guide to preparing all types of coffee, founded on the science of the bean, brewing apparatus and aesthetic pleasures. ( )

Simple book that discusses the history of coffee, different strains and ways to brew.

Should really have a hard-cover coffee table book (no pun intended) book like this as a reference when making coffee.

- Single origin beans have the most distinct taste. I like Columbia, Peru, Guatemala.

- The darker the roast, the more the taste of the bean conforms. A high quality single origin that's roasted heavily tastes almost the same as a cheaper Robusta blend that's roasted deeply. If you have quality beans, do NOT get "dark roast".

- Arabica is more expensive and grows at higher altitudes. Is more prone to diseases and contamination and is thus more costly to grow. Robusta can grow in lower altitudes.

- Coffee can be brewed from green (unroasted) beans, however these often contain molds and are bad for your health.

- The caffeine is the coffee plant's natural pesticide.

- Some humans have a gene morphism that allows them to process caffeine better. Carriers of this gene have a decreased risk of heart attack correlated to increased caffeine consumption.

- Nicotine affects the half-life caffeine (roughly having it) and that's why smokers can drink so much coffee.

- The longer grounds are in contact with hot water, the more acidic the coffee becomes. The initial pours are thus more flavorful and less acidic, whereas the final pulls are. Not per se negative and can contribute to a well balanced coffee.

- More antioxidants and fats from coffee in non-filtered coffee (such as espresso). If you're drinking for the polyphenols and other antioxidants, espresso and variations are thus better.

- Heated milk increases the sweetness of the milk, as the heat creates more lactose from the milk proteins (I may be oversimplifying this). ( )

Everything, and I mean everything you've ever wanted to know about how to use almost all the coffee preparation devices, best way to grind and even how to roast at home. It has to be one of the geekiest books I've read, it did make me think and was interesting and if I ever change how I make coffee I will have to re-read some parts. The most important thing is to enjoy the experience. ( )