The Perfect Cup: A Coffee Lover's Guide To Buying, Brewing, And Tasting (Paperback)

~ Timothy J. Castle (Author) "COFFEE ISN'T A FLAVOR BUT A COMPLEX OF FLAvors, tastes, and aromas..." (more)
Key Phrases: commercial roasters, specialty roasters, acidic coffee, United States, New York, Blue Mountain (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Coffee in America has undergone a revolution in the last decade, and here is the book that both chronicles the change and offers state-of-the-art information on everything from the bean itself to the aesthetics of brewing and appreciating the perfect cup. The book features sections on the world's specialty coffees, the best methods for brewing coffee, tips on buying coffee, and over two dozen recipes featuring coffee.

About the Author

Timothy James Castle is President of Castle & Company, importers of fine specialty coffees, located in Santa Monica, California. His affiliated company, Castle Communications, specializes in public relations and marketing for the food and beverage trades. Castle's articles on coffee have appeared in both popular magazines and trade publications.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Running Press; illustrated edition edition (July 23, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0201570483
• ISBN-13: 978-0201570489
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #271,431 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the perfect coffee book, December 2, 2000

By	Robert C. Smith "[e-mail]" (Kirkland, WA USA) - See all my reviews

years ago(before Starbucks bought the world) Boston had a local chain called the Coffee Connection. Their blends were perfect, their roasts were done by an old central american master and all of their employees were coffee lovers who could tell you details on any bean (once again, pre starbucks and the "we'll hire anyone" policy). I once asked how they knew so much and was told that employees were required to read this book. Somehow I lost my original copy ... so glad to see Amazon making it available again.

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The perfect coffee book, June 22, 2000

By	Francis Kruger (Johannesburg, South Africa) - See all my reviews

If you have ever had a cup of coffee - this book is a must!

From the history of the first coffee plantation, roasting, brewing, tasting, recipes and even traditions of coffee traders are all mentioned in the well-written book. The writer writes in plain and very humorous English.

I'm in the coffee trading business myself, and this is one of the most accurate and interesting books about the whole coffee business as I have read up to now. The book also mentions coffee estates, retailers and roasters by name.

A definite 10 out of 10!

30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a good solid book on Coffee, August 25, 2003

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

I'm a coffee freak. I roast my own espresso and grind it with great care and pump it through a two group computer controlled professional Italian espresso machine. My wife thinks I'm obsessive about it. With that in mind, Perfect Cup provides a lot of excellent information that most people probably don't know, about how to make a great cup of coffee. It also talks about the characteristics of different kinds of coffee. If A&P 8:00 is your cup of tea...coffee, you might not give a damn, but if you really are curious...interested, passionate about coffee, you will probably enjoy reading this book.