How to Make Coffee So Good You'll Never Waste Money on Starbucks Again

This is a fantastic book for coffee beginners. I'm by no means a coffee connoisseur, but I still loves me some coffee. I was on the lookout for a book of coffee recipes that would help me perk up my usual cup and that didn't require the purchase of an overpriced espresso machine. Vincenzo's book is full of great information as well as recipes that I'm actually able to use. Many of the coffee books I've read or own offer nothing but espresso recipes that call for the use of a $2000 espresso maker, and as much as I would love to have one of these heavenly devices, it's just not a financially feasible choice I can make (well, it's a choice most of us couldn't make). This book, however, offers a collection of recipes that most people can put together with the supplies in their pantries (with some additional purchases like flavored syrups). In addition, Vincenzo discusses what I would refer to as a "poor man's espresso," which is double-brewed coffee (basically regular drip coffee that uses twice the amount of ground coffee as a normal brew, or four tablespoons of grounds per six ounces of water), and I personally think that this double-brewed coffee could easily be substituted for the espresso recipes that occupy the last few pages of the book, meaning that none of the recipes really felt "off-limits" to me based on the fact that I have no way to make real espresso.But it doesn't stop there. As mentioned above, there is a whole section dedicated entirely to espresso: what it is, how to make it and mixed cafe-style drinks that make use of it. The book also has a section on coffee beans right at the very beginning which describes what exactly a coffee bean is, where coffee comes from around the world and a little bit of information on making your own coffee blends with different types of beans. The importance of coffee grinders and water quality are discussed briefly, and there is a chapter all about various brewing methods and devices that will allow you to make the best possible cup of coffee with whichever items you have at your disposal.My initial thought on this book was that it might be a little lackluster due to a lack of photos (save for the cover image), and I'm so happy to say that I jumped to an improper conclusion. Please don't make an assumption about the written quality of the book based on its visual quality; pretty pictures do not a good cookbook make (I guess this would be considered a cookbook since it involves something edible).Overall, I think this book is a wonderful guide for beginner coffee fanatics. While it may not contain every single possible shred of information to ever exist in relation to coffee, I think Vincenzo covers the bullet points very well without dedicating too much or too little attention to any one section (I know the espresso chapters take up half the book, but I also know it can be an extensive subject in the world of coffee). I learned some new things about one of my favorite drinks, I've got a handy little source of tasty coffee recipes and it's all contained in a relatively small book that occupies very little space on my already-overflowing bookshelf. It was worth every cent, and I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to delve further into coffee (personally or professionally) or if you're just looking for something other than sugar to add to your morning mug of pick-me-up goodness. I'm not interested in becoming a barista, but I also am not fond of boring coffee, so if you fall into that middle ground where I am, this is the book for you.

When I first saw the title of this book, I knew I had to get it. Like many many other coffee lovers, I hate spending so much money at Starbucks, especially when I can prepare the same drinks at home. This book is informative, explaining well in sufficient detail what certain words/names, techniques and drinks are. The recipes are short and sweet, ie easy to follow. I got this for my iphone/ipad in Kindle-format so it's always easily accessible. BTW, it's my first ebook-how sweet it is! Glad I got it.

I am in love...not a shallow love...a deep, engrossing, can't get enough type of love. I am a coffee addict and this author was whispering sweet nothings in my ear with the recipes and "tutorials" in this bookThis book was AWESOME on many fronts. First off, explanations were given from coffee descriptions to step by step instructions with how to make "fancy" restaurant style drinks in your own home! Anyone who knows me, knows I am cheap. I love to cook any/all things...If I can make something at home that a restaurant can make..guess what..it is being made at home!Let's not forget the 30 recipes in the book.These weren't your little run of the mill coffee recipes. Some were pretty exotic and/or international. I downloaded this book yesterday, and have already tried 4 of them..each better than the one before it! I can't wait to try out more for my food blog!On a final note, I downloaded this from Amazon for free...however, it would have been worth every cent of the $2.99 which it costs.

this was a gift for my teenage son who has recently discovered the tooo sweet drinks at Starbucks. He has tried several of the recipes and has found them easy to follow. He is a purist like me and enjoys his coffee with cream, black or in a latte - he even makes my morning coffee for me on the mornings he gets up early enough. He loves using the French Press and we have even enjoyed going out to coffee tasting together. I know a 16 year old and his mom out on Saturday morning tasting coffee - its the bomb

How to Make Coffee So Good You'll Never Waste Money on Starbucks AgainIf you love coffee and would like to learn how the pros make it then you need this book. Arrived in great condition would recommend.

I perused many coffee books before I bought this one. I think of this book as being a great value - it is short but very informative and thorough for a book of its size. Inside I found a good introduction to coffee beans, and found that the description of bean quality by country of origin was extremely helpful. This is one of the few books that I read, that described temperature, brew time, grind size and brew method in any detail. I loved the section describing what makes a true espresso - it's not what you think! The description of how to use a french press and a vacuum pot were very helpful. My favorite sections, however, were those containing the coffee recipes. I found that the recipes, especially the Classic Coffee recipes, were easy to concoct in my kitchen. I'm a chocolate fan, and I liked the description of how to integrate chocolate flavor into a coffee drink. This book encouraged me to be more creative in making my coffee drinks. I liked the Kindle version of this book so much that I bought the paperback version, and am very happy to have this book on my shelf.

It's a concise text on the important bits about coffee. Interesting read and recipes, looking forward to the next one. Although I was hoping to find more info on the author in the book but I'm guessing it will be found in the website.

I enjoyed reading this book. It is well worth the money. Even if you don't want to buy an espresso machine this is still a good book. It teaches about coffee from the beans to the machine in an enjoyable format. I know I can make wiser decisions about the coffee I buy coffee at the store and serve at home after reading this book. I am looking forward to buying a French Press coffee maker and giving it a try. This book is short, enjoyable and full of valuable information.

This book is aimed at people who know nothing (*absolutely* nothing) about coffee. If you've never made an espresso or a cappuccino or a pressed cup of coffee read this book - there is nothing wrong with that. However if you have slightly more than basic understanding of brewing coffee pass on this book.

I'm not expect but I can pretend by dipping into the book. Really enjoy the read on my kindle. Worth every penny.

A nice simple guide, which you can read in an afternoon. I found some useful tips in here. Thank you

Written for the American market with the word awesome in the first sentence. Scant on describing the types of coffee available but probably OK for the novice.

it's a bit like the espresso it describes. But ... I do make better coffees now, according to me anyway