Deja Brew: Even More Books About Coffee

This book tries to do a lot — and does so relatively successfully. Here you’ll read about the general and regional history of coffee, how colonialism has affected coffee production, and the complicated truths behind the label “fair trade.” With maps of coffee growing regions around the world, charts explaining differences within regions, and inset boxes for added detail, this book includes a wealth of information on how coffee is grown throughout the world.

A great resource to keep around, The Coffee Dictionary does just what it sets out to do — provide an exceptional reference book. There are upwards of 275 entries, covering everything from sourcing to growing and harvesting, from roasting and grinding to brewing. This book is written by a true expert and it shows: Colonna-Dashwood is a three-time UK Barista Champion and three-time world finalist.

As I mentioned above, the Fair Trade movement is complicated, to put it mildly and politely. The reality is that the actions and rhetoric behind this movement do not often line up. The way the system is currently set up, those who need fair trade practices most often end up with less profit and more hoops to jump through, while the wealthiest companies are able to get even higher profits and a larger piece of the pie. Sylla is a former employee of Fairtrade International and pulls no punches in detailing how that fair trade coffee you’re buying is likely anything but.

For the coffee lover who’d like to become a coffee expert, this is a great choice. Learn about the top recommended coffee brewing equipment, get step-by-step tutorials on how to do everything from roasting beans to preparing an espresso shot, and check out more than 100 coffee drink recipes.

It’s not all doom and gloom in the world of coffee consumption. Case in point, Good African Coffee, the first African-owned coffee brand sold widely in UK supermarkets. The company works with 14,000+ African farmers and has created more than a dozen savings and credit coops for the farming communities they source from. Rugasira has written a clear, inspiring, and comprehensive outline of exactly how they did the impossible: built a successful coffee company without exploiting people.

There’s no question that the “rules” around coffee preparation and enjoyment have changed over the years. In this attempt to bring the world up to date, Michelman and Carlsen cover topics such as storing coffee beans, coffee café etiquette, and how to get the most from your next trip to the coffee shop. It’s split up into three handy sections: At Home, At the Café, and Around the World.

This book is admittedly very difficult to find but if you can get your hands on it, get your hands on it! Tanaka was one of the first people to become internationally famous as a coffee expert. This book is full of moody, gorgeous pictures and advice you won’t find elsewhere. Equal parts history book, coffee table book, and instruction manual, it accomplishes a lot in its glossy pages.

Though coffee is only a single section in this much larger work, that section is worth your purchase if you truly want to understand where coffee comes from and how it gets to you. You’ll spend a good amount of time reading about the birth of coffee in Ethiopia, then tracing the path of its eventual popularity into South and Central America, then the rest of the world. This book offers a unique spin on an important aspect of understanding your daily cup of joe.

This is the perfect book for those who have the singular goal of brewing the best possible cup of coffee at home. This is a very easy to follow, approachable yet comprehensive guide to all things making coffee. You’ll learn pour over, French Press, moka pot, and other methods, plus get unique recipes for coffee drinks and coffee cocktails.

If you’re looking for books about coffee that are fun and adorable to read, then you need look no further than this illustrated book. Ryoko Iwata runs a website aptly named I Love Coffee, where she writes about all things coffee. This short but beautiful book brings together some of the most interesting aspects of her website.