Books & Literature

Book Review: Liquid Education: Coffee, by Jason Scheltus

An illustrated coffee table book about coffee, breaking down our favourite brew from the bean to the drink and everything in between.

The Liquid Education series of books is a great coffee table collection of hardcover insights into the things we drink. The 185x160mm format means it doesn’t take up much space, despite compacting a lot of useful and fascinating information inside the covers.

With illustrations by Daniella Germain, Liquid Education: Coffee is a caffeine-holic’s dreams, breaking down our favourite brew from the bean to the drink and everything in between.

liquideducation-coffee200The story of coffee has a beginning, a middle and an end, with author Jason Scheltus commencing the journey by discussing the history and varieties of coffee beans. He takes us through the primary growing regions, explaining the differences between the two main species of coffee, Arabica and Robusta.

Smattered with unexpected humour and useful tips for the home connoisseur, the first section of the book also covers the coffee production process and how to keep it fresh.

Part two comes to the brew itself, with a guide to selecting coffee, how to read the bag labels, regional characteristics, how to add milk and water, and even what grinding and other equipment to use.

The end result, other than a good book to read over your coffee, is a breakdown of the different coffee drinks and what all those names on a café menu mean.

While Liquid Education: Coffee is an ideal coffee table book, the index at the back also makes it an ideal reference book for those with a more serious appreciation of the beverage.

Make mine a macchiato with a twist of lemon and a shot of almond milk on the side.

Reviewed by Rod Lewis
Twitter: @StrtegicRetweet

Rating out of 10:  8

Released by: Simon & Schuster Australia
Release Date: October 2016
RRP: $24.99 Hardcover

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