Books, Courses, Weblinks on Coffee
There is a lot of inspiration and knowledge about coffee. When it comes to roasting, it's getting harder to find good information and tips. Below we put together some books, courses, websites and the like that we like.
Books about coffee and roasting
The Coffee Roaster's Companion by Scott Rao
It has become a standard work on coffee roasting. You will often hear about Scott Rao's three "laws" in discussions with roasters. He himself sees it more as recommendations, which, however, in years of experience as a coffee consultant have already helped many roasters to massively improve their coffee.
Coffee Roasting: Best Practices by Scott Rao
Coffee Roasting: Best Practices is the most advanced guide ever written about coffee roasting at expert level. Scott Rao's book focuses primarily on advanced techniques for creating and controlling roasting curves, with numerous pages devoted to strategies for avoiding roasting errors and optimizing taste.
Coffee Roasting Made Simple
In simple and easily understandable language, the book provides the necessary tools and knowledge to successfully develop your own roasting profiles and to roast more consistently and with a clear plan. Raimond explains in the book the essential parameters of a roast and what influence these have on the taste and quality of the roast.
Dear Coffee Buyer by Ryan Brown
Dear Coffee Buyer - a guide to sourcing green coffee by Ryan Brown is specifically aimed at buyers of green coffee. The book covers topics such as the coffee bean varieties, processing, origin, tasting, developments and pricing. The knowledge of Ryan, Scott Rao and many other coffee buyers has been incorporated into the book.
The Book of Roast by The Roast Magazine
The book includes several articles from Roast Magazine as well as a few articles written especially for the book or newly revised. It is large and extensive and covers a lot of knowledge for roasters - from cultivation to the cup.
The Coffee Atlas by James Hoffmann
Currently one of our favorite books. Above all, the super interesting overview of all production countries with background information on coffee production and special features in each country as well as its most important growing regions. The different types of coffee, their cultivation and processing are very well described and documented with beautiful pictures. In addition, an explanation of the various ways in which coffee is prepared.
Modulating the flavor profile of Coffee by Rob Hoos
This book is especially recommended if you want to get a little deeper into the subject of roasting. Rob Hoos, an experienced roaster from the USA, has examined various roasting curves in a very structured manner using several roasting phases in order to work out which coffee is ideally roasted in which phase and how.
Courses for roasters and coffee lovers
The Kaffeemacher in Basel-Münchenstein
The Kaffeemacher offer a whole range of courses and training. From coffee sensory to barista, latte art and brewing courses to very specific wells such as a water course. Above all, they are the only ones we have found to offer a course for home roasters. The trainers are not only enthusiastic coffee aficionados who are passionate about the coffee trade, but they are also all long-standing professionals in their field with titles at national and international championships.
Blasercafé in Bern
Blasercafé offers a range of barista and latte art courses. And on the other hand - especially for roasters exciting - green coffee courses, as well as sensory courses and a so-called Coffee Surfer course, which illuminates all aspects and stages from the bush to the cup. What is exciting about Blasercafé is that they themselves have a very broad and deep knowledge, as they trade coffee (Blaser Trading) on the one hand, and roast and sell coffee themselves for the catering trade and end customers (Blasercafé) on the other. You also run our own café roastery with freshly roasted speciality coffees.
The Bonner Kaffeeschule in Bonn
The Bonner Kaffeeschule offers courses for home baristas as well as caterers and coffee professionals. They cover the Coffee Diploma program of SCA from Sensory to Barista / Brewing and of course also Latte Art. The Bonn Coffee School sees itself as part of the Third Wave Coffee Movement and attaches great importance to quality. The courses are usually conducted by Mark Czogalla, Master Coffeologist and Authorized Trainer of SCA.
An English language online training program. Coffee Courses consists of almost 240 videos and articles:
- Coffee Roasting Theory
- Mastering Roast Profiles
- Advanced Roasting
- Art of Blending
- Coffee Quality Analysis
- Coffee at Origin
- Direct Trade Coffee
- Basic Barista Skills
Websites for Roasters
The Kaffee-Netz is the community for everyone who loves coffee. The focus is on barista forums with many discussions about espresso machines or tampers as well as grinders and grinders. At the same time a sector for green coffee and home roasting. The discussion participants have often tried out many years of experience in home roasting and converted their roasters into small laboratories. So don't be frightened if the discussions are on a technically too high level for you. Even as a beginner you will find a lot of information and the participants are usually very helpful.
The name says it all: like a Wikipedia, simply full of coffee knowledge. With a focus on preparing barista / coffee, but also exciting information and links for us roasters, e.g. description of coffees by origin but also tangible roasting tips.
An English-language industry magazine for roasters, full of information, tips and knowledge about coffee, cultivation, quality, roasting,... You can subscribe to it either as a printed magazine or as an online magazine. Old issues and many reports are also available online.
The Daily Coffee News also keeps you up to date on what's going on in the world of roasters.
SCA - Speciality Coffee Association
This is the network and community of interests of all those involved in any way with speciality coffee in Europe: Coffee importers, roasters, baristas, restaurateurs and retailers.
On the international site of SCA you will find news and events as well as various online tools and a shop where you can buy books and roasting equipment.
On the Swiss site of the SCA you will find an overview of members and thus many links to other coffee lovers in Switzerland. In addition, announcements of events, news from the Swiss specialty coffee world and links to coffee training courses.
More questions? We're here for you.
Do you have any further questions about the roaster? I'm a trained roaster and a member of the Specialty Coffee Association and the Roasters Guild of Europe, working with the machine every day. Please contact me at any time.
Telephone +41 76 261 97 17 or Email ingo[at]roastrebels.com