Espresso Coffee: Professional Techniques by David C. Schomer
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Book Reviews of Espresso Coffee: Professional Techniques
Book Review: Most Practical Espresso book in the Market
Summary: 5 Stars
I worked for a coffee shop that had about fifteen books on espresso - most of the information given in the book was either flat-out wrong or recipes. One book, I recall very well, stated an espresso shot should run from 18-23 seconds. It's commonly accepted that espresso should run anywhere from 23-30 seconds depending on the blend.
I bought the Schomer book because I heard it was the most practical guide to making espresso in the market. That's an understatement. Schomer covers everything you'd need to know to have a basic knowledge, and helped me improve my technique (espresso quality and consistency) by leaps and bounds.
Schomer covers distribution techniques, tamping techniques, the roast, environmental factors, and a lot of other things in a straight-forward manner that gives a quick read, but also is very helpful. In three days, my technique went from mediocre to good.
Book Review: THE Barista's Bible
Summary: 5 Stars
What a fantastic book for the experienced and aspiring baristi. At the coffee shop that I work at all the staff are required to read this book and for good reasons too. It goes over the essential components of what makes good espresso, such as:
-Roasting methods
-Proper storage of the beans
-Burr grinder settings and maintenance
-Espresso machine temperature
-Proper dosing, distribution, and packing techniques
-Machine cleanliness
And that is only a hint of what Schomer has to offer as far as pulling the perfect shot of espresso goes. After reading this book through my shots have improved tremendously.
The author takes his coffee very seriously so if you aren't that serious about coffee then you may be a bit intimidated or weirded out by his enthusiasm.
But for fellow coffee geeks this book is golden!
Book Review: Excellent resource for coffee professionals and beginners.
Summary: 5 Stars
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!Book Review: a very excellent and detail book
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a must-see book. The author explain the technique and factors in detail and easy way which make you quickly get all the information you need to make a deceant cup of espresso. Writing style is very concise without any redundancies. Two thumps upBook Review: If you're a new barista wannabe, you need this book
Summary: 4 Stars
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.
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