The Reading Room

If your favorite coffees come from south of the border, you may be in trouble next year. The unusually wet rainy season and warmer average temperatures in Central America and the northern countries of South America have resulted in widespread...

Remember all the hoopla about a year back when a study seemed to show that green coffee bean extract really, truly does help people lose weight? Just to refresh the memory, the researchers theorized that the chlorogenic acid (CGA) in...

Cafe mocha, also known as the Starbucks’ caffe mocha, is actually an American drink with an Italian linguistic twist! The concoction is based on the smaller and lighter Italian moccaccino which is a cappuccino with a touch of chocolate and...

French coffee uses a light roast. Its color is called robe de moine because it resembles that of a monk’s robe. Here’s a simple recipe for brewing two traditional cups of French Cafe Au Lait: 1. Put about 2/3 ounce...

You do not have to be a barista to make Starbucks’ signature drink – the caffé latte. The latte, which means ‘milk’ in Italian, is by far the most popular espresso-based drink offered by any coffee bar. Yet, although the...

Espresso is coffee intensified. To put the drink in perspective: a few ounces of creamy nectar are extracted from a brewed mug’s worth of grounds. Furthermore, this happens under the same atmospheric pressure you’d experience if you dove to 300...

Partake in this ancient coffee-making tradition if you enjoy a thick, frothy cup. Need: Ibrik Coffee nerd options: Turkish coffee grinder, scale, timer, thermometer Recipe basics: Brew time: 1-2 minutesTemperature: Almost boilingGrind setting: Extra fineRatio:  5 g of coffee (1...

Popular again, and for good reason: we’re hard-pressed to imagine a more temperature-stable home brewing device. Your reward for the extra work? Especially clean, rich coffee with disproportionate body. Need: Siphon, heat source, cloth or paper filtersShop our selection of...

Another simple, classic device for brewing clean, sediment-free drip coffee. Pourover is a general category of devices in which water is poured through the brewer and coffee continuously drips down. The devices include the Hario V60 (shown here), Beehouse, Kalita...

Make hearty, full-bodied coffee on your stovetop. We recommend simply filling the basket (to the top unless otherwise indicated; some have fill lines) and then adjusting to taste. Easy peasy! Need: Moka pot, gas stove or other heat source Coffee...

A simple, classic device that brews a full-bodied cup characterized by essential oils and fine sediment. The French press has become a staple in many homes around the U.S. It’s simple to use and requires little effort on the brewer’s...

Cappuccino is named after the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, whose monks are known for their white-topped frocks. Just like these Capuchini, the drink has a brown body, a white top, and a charming Italian accent… The Italians have four...

Coffee intensified. It would be impossible to condense all of the wisdom necessary to extract espresso properly into a brief, straightforward guide due to the number of variables involved and the extent to which these are conditioned by your espresso...

Essentially a pourover cone with a stopper allowing you to control steep time. This is one of the most approachable ways of brewing coffee and can easily be turned into a pourover. Need: Clever Coffee Dripper, #4 filters Coffee nerd...

Think of this as a French press minus the plunge, yielding a cleaner cup with less sediment thanks to the innovative pour-through filter assembly. Need: Eva Solo Café Solo Coffee nerd options:Grinder, pourover kettle, scale, timer, thermometer Recipe basics: Brew...

The little brewer that could: light and compact enough to travel with unmatched versatility. Need: Aeropress, Aeropress paper, metal, or cloth filter Coffee nerd options: Grinder, pourover kettle, scale, timer, thermometer Recipe basics (traditional): Brew time: 2 minutesTemperature: 205 deg FGrind...

The Basics of Blending Coffee Why would you blend different varieties of coffee together? Well, have you ever sipped a Costa Rican coffee and wished that it had just a little more body and richness to it? Do you love...

For centuries, coffee has played a far more important role in the world than most people realize. Of course, it’s one of the most popular beverages in disparate cultures around the globe. Coffee is also a valued commodity and a...

When it comes to freshness, coffee is a remarkably volatile product. Once your beans have been roasted, they rapidly lose the flavor qualities that make coffee so enjoyable. Storing coffee properly can help preserve its freshness, extending shelf life significantly....

If you like an Ethiopian Harrar, are you likely to enjoy a Costa Rican Tarrazu? Are you trying to choose a coffee gift for a friend but unsure about whether she would prefer a Brazil Santos or a Tanzanian Peaberry?...

The journey of coffee from plant to beverage is a long one fraught with peril at every stage. Before they reach you, coffee beans must be planted, harvested, processed, dried and milled, rested, roasted and packaged for shipping to you....