The Craft and Science of Coffee

The Craft and Science of Coffee follows the coffee plant from its origins in East Africa to its current role as a global product that influences millions of lives though sustainable development, economics, and consumer desire.

For most, coffee is a beloved beverage. However, for some it is also an object of scientifically study, and for others it is approached as a craft, both building on skills and experience. By combining the research and insights of the scientific community and expertise of the crafts people, this unique book brings readers into a sustained and inclusive conversation, one where academic and industrial thought leaders, coffee farmers, and baristas are quoted, each informing and enriching each other.

This unusual approach guides the reader on a journey from coffee farmer to roaster, market analyst to barista, in a style that is both rigorous and experience based, universally relevant and personally engaging. From on-farming processes to consumer benefits, the reader is given a deeper appreciation and understanding of coffee's complexity and is invited to form their own educated opinions on the ever changing situation, including potential routes to further shape the coffee future in a responsible manner.  

Presents a novel synthesis of coffee research and real-world experience that aids understanding, appreciation, and potential action. Includes contributions from a multitude of experts who address complex subjects with a conversational approach.Provides expert discourse on the coffee calue chain, from agricultural and production practices, sustainability, post-harvest processing, and quality aspects to the economic analysis of the consumer value proposition.Engages with the key challenges of future coffee production and potential solutions.

1. The Coffee Tree—Genetic Diversity and Origin 2. Cultivating Coffee Quality—Terroir and Agro-Ecosystem 3. Postharvest Processing—Revealing the Green Bean 4. Environmental Sustainability—Farming in the Anthropocene 5. Social Sustainability—Community, Livelihood, and Tradition 6. Economic Sustainability—Price, Cost, and Value 7. Experience and Experimentation: From Survive to Thrive 8. Cupping and Grading—Discovering Character and Quality 9. Trading and Transaction—Market and Finance Dynamics 10. Decaffeination—Process and Quality 11. The Roast—Creating the Beans' Signature 12. The Chemistry of Roasting—Decoding Flavor Formation 13. The Grind—Particles and Particularities 14. Protecting the Flavors—Freshness as a Key to Quality 15. The Brew—Extracting for Excellence 16. Water for Extraction—Composition, Recommendations, and Treatment 17. Crema—Formation, Stabilization, and Sensation 18. Sensory Evaluation—Profiling and Preferences 19. We Consumers—Tastes, Rituals, and Waves 20. Human Wellbeing—Sociability, Performance, and Health