Finding this book was a happy accident. I was browsing in my local bookstore, looking for a book on coffee to read on my next business trip (yes, I really do like coffee that much). The coffee section of most books stores is quite small, if they have one at all. Usually it’s scrunched in a small corner of the cookbook section, or thrown into the gift ideas shelf. I’m glad I took the time to peruse the shelves, because my reward was discovering this book.
The Little Coffee Know-It-All by Dr. Shawn Steiman is a treasure trove of information about coffee. The fact that Dr. Steiman has a Ph.D. in coffee is pretty cool all by itself. The book is separated into four sections; The Beans, The Roast, The Brew, and The Cup. Each section addresses specific questions about coffee. He discusses the origins of the bean, the chemical reactions which occur during roasting, and even the effect that water quality has on the taste of your cup. Dr. Steiman uses scientific knowledge but writes in a way that is easily accessible to lay readers.
With clear graphics and a smart design layout, The Little Coffee Know-It-All bills itself as a “miscellany for growing, roasting, and brewing.” For those interested in the research behind his writing, Dr. Steiman includes references in the back of the book to the supporting scientific literature. He does caution though that the reference section is not meant to be a comprehensive literature review.
There are so many interesting facts in this book. There are 124 different species of coffee but only two are grown commercially (robusta and arabica). There’s an espresso machine aboard the International Space Station. The list goes on and on.
If you’re a coffee lover, I think you’ll love this book. You can hunt in your local bookstore for it, or you can just get it on Amazon. Either way, you’ll never look at your morning cuppa the same way again.