reading for the curious:
Water for Coffee: Chemical Insights and Applications
– Maxwell-Dashwood and Christopher H. Hendon, 2025.
Water for Coffee: Chemical Insights and Applications explains how water chemistry influences coffee extraction, flavour, and consistency. Written by Christopher H. Hendon and Maxwell Colonna-Dashwood, the book breaks down complex chemistry into practical insights for baristas and coffee professionals. It explores how minerals like calcium, magnesium, and bicarbonate interact with coffee compounds during brewing. By understanding these relationships, readers can adjust water composition to improve clarity, sweetness, and balance in the cup. Blending scientific research with real café applications, the book has become a key reference for anyone seeking to control water quality and optimise coffee flavour.
The Physics of Filter Coffee
– Jonathan Gagné, 2020.
The Physics of Filter Coffee by Jonathan Gagné explores the science behind brewing filter coffee through the lens of physics and fluid dynamics. The book explains how variables such as grind size, water chemistry, pouring technique, turbulence, and percolation influence extraction and flavour in the cup. Combining scientific research, experiments, and practical brewing advice, Gagné connects theory with real-world applications for baristas and coffee enthusiasts. Topics include particle distribution, filter design, kettle pouring dynamics, and brew geometry. By translating complex physics into practical insights, the book helps readers understand and optimise every stage of the filter coffee brewing process.
The Physics of Espresso
-Jonathan Gagné, 2025.
The Physics of Espresso by Jonathan Gagné explores the scientific principles behind espresso extraction. The book examines how variables such as grind size distribution, pressure, flow rate, puck preparation, and water chemistry affect flavour and consistency. Drawing on physics, fluid dynamics, and experimental data, Gagné explains why espresso behaves the way it does inside the coffee puck and how baristas can control these processes. By combining theory with practical brewing insights, the book helps readers diagnose common extraction problems and refine their technique to produce sweeter, more balanced, and more repeatable espresso.