Espresso Coffee: Professional Techniques [Paperback]

David C. Schomer (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 156 pages
• Publisher: Espresso Vivace Roasteria (June 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0897166159
• ISBN-13: 978-0897166157
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #395,125 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent resource for coffee professionals and beginners., May 3, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Espresso Coffee: Professional Techniques (Paperback)

This book is the "bible" for espresso techniques. The author has extensively researched his material and communicates clearly and concisely. Coffee professionals, baristas and those who love the art of coffee will find this book a resource they will return to over and over again. It will also serve as a tremendous training tool for those just starting out in the industry. The author also goes further than simply improving espresso techniques but also includes the importance of perfect milk frothing and steaming which directly influences the total espresso experience. Palates will not be the same after this book!

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A unique look at espresso from a coffee heretic, May 17, 2002

By 

Bradford Daniels (Redmond, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Espresso Coffee: Professional Techniques (Paperback)

David Schomer is the owner/chief roaster at Vivace! in Seattle. His methods (particularly concerning the proper temperature for brewing) are the subject of much discussion, even derision, in the coffee community, because it is hard to get consistent results using his methods. That may be true, but his approach allows you to achieve near perfection about a third of the time, and decent results the rest of the time, while other methods will produce more consistent results, without ever equaling the best he can achieve.

If you want to get artistic about your espresso, learn some of the many variables involved, and commence your search for the perfect cup, this is the book for you. Schomer has studied espresso making for decades, with a degree of attention to detail that borders on the fanatical, and his key conclusions are described here in detail.

My only complaint is that Schomer doesn't even minimally discuss his techniques for producing rosettes on top of his lattes. I've taken the pilgrimage to Vivace! a few times, and watched how it's done, but after several years of trying a couple of times a day, I'm still not able to get results as good as the people at Vivace! can.

I did, however, manage to coerce a few nearly-perfect cups out of my Gaggia Paros before it died, and I have this book to thank for the experience.

25 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars If you're a new barista wannabe, you need this book, August 26, 2001

By 

Quinbould "knowledgebuff" (Snowmass Village, CO United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Espresso Coffee: Professional Techniques (Paperback)

I'm sorry about the four stars David, because this is an essential book and indeed it gives the reader most of what he needs to make a truly excellent cup of espresso. Buy it folks. My problem is that this is a very short book and could have been a lot shorter. There is considerably more redundancy than is necessary to get the points across. Otherwise, it's well written and illustrated, providing the insider information you need. However, in the espresso blending section David spends almost two pages avoiding telling you what coffees make good espresso blends. Sure it's subjective, but I guess I felt I was paying for his opinion (which he gives copiously on other espresso issues.) He alludes vaguely to Brazilian and low acid (Brazil has very a wide range of possibilities, only a few of which I think make good coffee of any sort) and that's about it. I'd hoped for more. But there can be no doubt that David knows espresso in every detail. He's spent a lot of time and effort collecting the unique and necessary information he imparts. Plus, he and I agree that the best espresso is made in northern Italy and that most US espresso is charcoal water. So, this is a very expensive book for it's length, but it's definitely worth the price if you want to really understand espresso.