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.

Those working in industry (including R&D, quality control, the farmer to the trader and the barista) seeking a deeper understanding on coffee while still recognizing their own skills and know-how

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