Coffee

Coffee is dominated by James Hoffmann, World Barista Champion and author of the two books most people turn to when they want to understand coffee properly.

The World Atlas of Coffee covers origin, growing altitude, varieties, harvesting, fermentation and roasting, before moving country by country through the entire coffee growing world. The third edition has been updated and runs to 288 pages. It is the map of the territory.

How to Make the Best Coffee at Home is the practical half. Which equipment is worth the money, how to grind, how to dose, what the water does and what actually happens at every stage of brewing. In practice, the book also works as a product guide to grinders, scales and coffee brewers.

Coffee is the section where books and equipment are most closely connected. If you have bought a grinder and are not happy with the results, the answer is almost always in one of these two books.