James Hoffmann

We all expect to be able to buy an excellent cup of coffee from the many brilliant coffee shops available. But what about the coffee we make at home? Shouldn't that be just as good? Coffee guru James Hoffmann runs Square Mile Coffee, as well as creating extremely informative, and popular, kit and coffee reviews for his YouTube and Instagram channels. In his latest book he demonstrates everything you need to know to make consistently excellent coffee at home, including: what kit is worth buying, and what isn't; how to grind coffee; the basics of brewing for all major equipment (cafetiere, aeropress, stovetop etc); understanding coffee drinks, from the cortado to latte; the perfect espresso; and taking it to the next level - home roasting.

How to make the best coffee at home

Lauri

Coffee, especially the modern specialty coffee movement in the last decade or two, has gained a reputation as being a bit serious, too earnest, occasionally pretentious and something requiring study and education in order to enjoy. As I start this book, a book full of intricacies and minutiae of great coffee, I think it is important for both you and I to remember that the goal is fun, that the goal is enjoyment above all else.

Having a bag of coffee at home is normal for hundreds of millions of households. It is, if you stop and think about it for a second, astonishing that it is possible. You have the seeds of a tropical plant, grown thousands of miles away, that have been harvested, processed, sorted, exported, roasted, packaged and delivered to your door for a very small cost. This sets the expectation early on that coffee should be cheap, and sadly some coffee will probably always be inexpensive. But cheap coffee comes at a very human cost – someone must struggle for your coffee to be low-priced; someone must live a life of food insecurity or inescapable dept. Cheap coffee is nothing to celebrate, now or ever.

How to make the best coffee at home quotes

Join the club