HOW TO MAKE

COFFEE SO GOOD
YOU’LL NEVER WASTE
MONEY ON STARBUCKS AGAIN

Luca Vincenzo

w w w . o c u l u s p u b l i s h e r s . c o m
Copyright © 2012 Waterbury Publishers, Inc.

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any
manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use
of brief quotations in a book review. The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book
via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and
punishable by law.

Please purchase only authorized electronic editions of this book and don’t participate in or
encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials.

If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy
for each person you share it with, or ask them to buy their own copies. This was hard work for
the author and he appreciates it.

Cover Designed by: Damon Freeman

Published by: Oculus Publishers

www.oculuspublishers.com

Visit the author’s website:

www.makingespresso.com
 CONTENTS

Better Coffee for Less Money—Why You Should

Read This Book

1. The Barista’s Guide to Coffee Beans 3

2. The Unsung Hero of Coffee: The Grinder 11

3. Don’t Forget the Water! 15

4. The Little-Known Secrets of Making Great Coffee 17

5. 10 Classic Coffee Drinks That Are to Die For 23

6. 7 Holiday Coffee Drinks That Will Make You Cheer 31

7. 5 Coffee Dessert Drinks That Are Like Heaven in a

Cup 37

8. Welcome to the Tantalizing World of Espresso 41

9. How to Speak Like an Espresso Lover 43

10. The 8 Keys to Making Killer Espresso 51

11. How to Pull the Perfect Shot of Espresso 55

12. 8 Espresso Drinks That Every Coffee Lover Should
Try 61

13. What to Know Before Buying an Espresso Machine 67

14. How to Keep Your Machine in Top-Top Shape 75

Would You Do Me a Favor?

 BETTER COFFEE FOR LESS MONE Y—
WH Y YOU SHOULD READ THIS BOOK

IF YOU BOUGHT THIS BOOK, you probably agree with me that coffee is
awesome. While we may not know what each new day will bring, we know
we’ll start them off with a delicious, aromatic cup of coffee (or two), and
that’s always worth getting out of bed for.
But have you ever done the math on how much you spend in coffee
shops?
At most chain stores like Starbucks, Caribou Coffee, and The Coffee
Bean, a plain old cup of coffee will cost you about $1.75. If you bought a cup
every day, that would be $8.75 per week. If you did this every week, it would
cost you $35 per month and $245 per year. Pretty expensive, no? If you only
buy a few cups per week, that’s still around $150 per year.
And that’s spending as little as possible! If you like fancier drinks, you
can double those numbers. Imagine spending $500 per year on just your
morning coffee!
Well, I wrote this book to not only save you a couple hundred dollars
per year, but to also show you how to make better coffee yourself, using
inexpensive equipment that you can keep at home or the office.
A regular cup of coffee shouldn’t cost you more than about $0.20 to
make, and a fancy “-ccino” drink maybe tops out at $0.50. That’s an eighth
the price of coffee chains—not bad.
Home-brewed coffee also doesn’t have to taste like a bitter cup of hot
water with a dash of charcoal. It can taste “chocolaty,” without any added
chocolate. It can have hints of citrus, without ever coming near fruit. It can
be something you look forward to every morning for more than a kick
of caffeine.
So, if you’re ready to learn how to make some of the best coffee
you’ve ever tasted and save some cash too, let’s get started!
 1

THE BARISTA’S GUIDE TO

COFFEE BEANS

FRESH, HIGH-QUALITY COFFEE BEANS are probably the most over-

looked aspect of brewing delicious coffee. Inferior beans will always make
inferior coffee, regardless of how fancy your machine is or how many brew-
ing tips and tricks you try.
In this chapter, you’re going to learn everything you need to know
about coffee beans, so you can whip up heavenly cups of coffee every time.

WHAT IS A COFFEE BEAN, ANYWAY?

Coffee beans are the seeds of berries that grow on trees (yep, coffee
grows on trees!). There are usually two seeds, or beans, per cherry. Almost
all the world’s coffee is produced in hot regions, because that’s where it does
best. Coffee trees need quite a bit of water, shade, and sun, but don’t require
good soil.
Coffee trees are a part of the plant genus Coffea, and there are thou-
sands of species of plants in this genus. These plants vary greatly in size and
shape, but only two types are used in producing commercial coffee beans:
Coffea arabica, and Coffea canephora, also known as Coffea robusta.
Arabica beans are, without doubt, the better choice for coffee mak-
ing. They’re grown in the Americas as well as parts of Africa and Asia, and
their flavors vary depending on where they’re grown—some arabicas have
a hint of other berries (Ethiopian Harrar is known for a blueberry flavor),
some are very earthy (Indian and Indonesian coffees are known for this),
4 • HOW TO MAKE COFFEE SO GOOD YOU’LL NEVER WASTE MONEY ON STARBUCKS AGAIN

while others have a hint of citrus (common with Central American beans).
Around 75% of all coffee grown today is arabica.
Robusta beans are harsher in taste and have more caffeine than ara-
bica. Premium robustas are used in espresso blends because they greatly
help with producing a smooth, buttery crema, and they add a bit of bite
to the shot. It’s tough to find great robusta beans, however, because most
coffee growers focus their efforts on producing high-quality arabicas. Poor-
quality robustas are often used in instant coffees, freeze-dried coffees, and
coffee-flavored frozen drinks that rely on sugar and cream to hide the hor-
rible, burnt taste of bad robusta beans.

HOW DO YOU TALK ABOUT BEANS?

Coffee connoisseurs often talk about the “complexity,” “acidity” and
“body” of beans. What are they talking about?
Complexity: This refers to the number of elements in the cup of cof-
fee—aromas, textures, and tastes. Roasters often roast and blend different
coffees to achieve a varied profile.
Acidity: Not to be confused with the pH scale of chemical acidity, the
coffee term refers to the “refreshing, mouth-cleansing quality, a sparkling,
lively taste” that can help you wake up in the morning. This is also referred
to as the “brightness” or “liveliness” of a coffee.
Body: The sensation that the coffee elicits from your tongue, whether it
feels “heavy”, “thick”, or “oily.”

HOW ARE BEANS PROCESSED?

If beans are “dry processed,” it means they have been washed and then
laid out to dry in the sun for several weeks. During this process, the pulp
ferments and imparts a unique taste to the beans. Weather and temperature
also affect the eventual quality and taste of the beans. After the beans are
dried, they are put in machines that remove the dried-up, outer layers of the
berries and wash the beans.
A “wet-processed” bean is one that comes from a berry that first had its
outer-skin removed by machine. Then, the remaining fruit pulp and beans
were placed in a tank and allowed to ferment. Natural bacteria and enzymes
eat away the pulp and the beans are then washed and dried (either by the
sun or in a machine), and then processed in machines to remove the re-
maining layers.
 THE BARISTA’S GUIDE TO COFFEE BEANS • 5

“Semi-wet processing” is also a method of preparing coffee beans, and

it entails removing the outer-skins of the berries and then letting the pulp
and beans dry in the sun like in dry processing. The remaining layers are
then removed by machine and the beans are washed.
One method of processing isn’t necessarily “better” than another—
they just produce different-tasting beans. Dry-processed beans are usually
heavy in body, sweet, smooth, and complex. Wet-processed beans produce
cleaner, brighter, and fruitier coffee. Semi-wet processed beans are known
for having a taste that’s in between dry- and wet-processed beans: They’re
usually sweeter than wet-processed beans with a bit of body and acidity.
How beans are processed changes their taste more than anything else.
The differences between and wet- and dry-processed Brazilian coffee will
usually be more noticeable than two wet-processed coffees from different
regions. Therefore, I recommend that you try beans processed in each of
the ways to see what best suits your palate. If you want to get fancy, you can
blend different types of beans to create your ideal coffee experience (some-
thing we’ll talk more about soon!).

WHAT TYPES OF BEANS SHOULD YOU BUY?

Don’t think that buying arabica beans will ensure you’re ready to make
great coffee. The label “arabica” is no promise of quality and, in fact, a fair
amount of the arabica out there is actually pretty poor.
As taste is a subjective matter, I can’t conclusively tell you which types
of beans are “best.” But I can help you understand what your options are, so
you can experiment with them and find what’s best for you.
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN
There are over 40 countries that produce and export coffee, and each
product is different and ever-changing (coffee berries grow eight or more
times per year and no two batches of beans taste the same). Each coffee-
growing region has its distinctive characteristics, though, and you should
know them.
I want to go over what I think are the best regions to buy coffee from, a
great starting point for your coffee-tasting adventures.
JAMAICA
Jamaica is best-known in the coffee world for their Blue Mountain
region, which produces quite expensive coffee referred to as (what else)
“Jamaican Blue Mountain.” Genuine JBM comes from only a handful of ap-
6 • HOW TO MAKE COFFEE SO GOOD YOU’LL NEVER WASTE MONEY ON STARBUCKS AGAIN

proved estates, and the roasting, sale, and export of JBM is strictly regulated
by the Jamaican government and the Coffee Industry Board.
So what’s all the fuss about? The best lots of JBM beans are known for
their mild flavor and lack of bitterness. However, most professional roast-
ers today agree that the taste isn’t as good as it was in the 60s and 70s, and
the brand now relies more on its prestige and mystique than its quality to
justify the sky-high prices.
There’s also quite a bit of counterfeit JBM out there, which is clearly evi-
dent from the simple fact that the annual sales of “JBM” are always higher
than the actual yearly production. If a coffee says it’s “Jamaica Blue Moun-
tain style,” it has no actual JBM beans in it. If a blend calls itself a “Jamaican
Blue Mountain blend,” it only needs to contain 5% authentic JBM to make
that claim.
Nevertheless, many people swear by JBM and are happy to pay the pre-
mium for it. A good alternative to JBM is Jamaican High Mountain coffee,
which is grown by estates in the area that aren’t approved to label their cof-
fee as JBM. JHM coffees are very good and much cheaper than JBM.
HAWAII
Hawaii is the only US state that grows coffee, although several US terri-
tories grow it. Its best-known coffee comes from the district of Kona, which
is located on the western coast of the island of Hawaii. Coffee growing in
this region goes all the way back to 1829, and many of the trees are over 100
years old.
For coffee beans to bear the stamp of Kona, they must be grown in
this region. Kona beans make superb coffee famous for its rich flavor and
intense aromas. While not cheap, Kona beans are less expensive than JBM
and many people feel their price is more justified.
As with JBM, watch out for Kona imposters. Kona “blends” may con-
tain only small quantities of genuine Kona beans (as little as 10%, which is
what’s required by law). Look for beans that have a “100% Kona” certificate
or a “Kona Coffee Council 100%” seal on the bag—these are the real deal.
All coffee aficionados should try out 100% Kona beans to see if they
catch their fancy.
BRAZIL
Brazil is a coffee giant. It’s the largest producer of low-quality arabica
beans and quite a bit of robusta too. Some espresso blends are 90% Brazil-
ian and these beans are used in most canned coffee and big roasters’ blends.
 THE BARISTA’S GUIDE TO COFFEE BEANS • 7

That being said, Brazil also produces delicious, high-quality coffee

beans too. Every good espresso blend that I’ve tasted used a premium Bra-
zil as its base because they produce great crema and body, which is a great
foundation for other coffees.
Experience has taught me that the best Brazilian beans come from the
Sul de Minas, Mogiana, Cerrado and Matas de Minas regions. Two micro-
regions in Cerrado are of special interest: Chapadao de Ferro and Serra de
Salita.
You can’t go wrong with a great Brazil, so I recommend you experi-
ment to find what you like most.
GUATEMALA
Guatemalan coffee is world-renowned for offering one of the most fla-
vorful and subtly complex cups you can find.
Coffee from the Antiqua region is probably the most celebrated of all
Guatemalan coffees. Coffee from the Hehuetenango region can also be ex-
ceptional and full of fruity flavors. Coban, Fraijanes and Quiche are also
regions that produce great coffee.
Central American coffees bring a wonderful zing to a blend, which
wakes up the palate. Check out not only Guatemalan coffee, but El Salva-
doran and Nicaraguan too! As an added little tip, try Bourbon and Paca-
mara varietals from El Salvador; also, I think the best Nicaraguan coffees
come from the Segovia, Jinotega, and Matagalpa regions.
YEMEN
Yemen is a little country below Saudi Arabia that produces some truly
wonderful coffee. It’s famous in the coffee world for its “Mocha” port, from
which it ships its coffee.
Yemen offers one of the most distinct flavors of coffee in the world.
Bright and complex, it is alive with notes that range from candied fruit to
dark chocolate with a medium-to-full body.
If you want a unique cup of coffee, give Yemen beans a try, but don’t
blame me if you get addicted!
KENYA
Kenya is an African coffee powerhouse. In general, Kenyan coffee is a
bright, complex cup full of interesting fruit flavors (berries and citrus), with
an occasional dash of spice.
Despite the political turmoil in the region, Kenya takes its coffee trade
8 • HOW TO MAKE COFFEE SO GOOD YOU’LL NEVER WASTE MONEY ON STARBUCKS AGAIN

very seriously. Their research and development is unparalleled and qual-

ity control, meticulous. Many thousands of small farmers are extremely
knowledgeable in how to produce top-notch coffee beans, and it shows in
the cup.
You’ll pay a premium for Kenyan coffee, but it’s well worth it. Give it a
try—I think you’ll agree.
ETHIOPIA
It would be remiss of me to not include Ethiopia in this list as it’s not
only the birthplace of coffee, but it also produces high-quality beans. The
forests of the Kaffa region were the “cradle of coffee civilization,” with ara-
bica beans growing in the wild. Slaves taken from these forests spread the
beans elsewhere and well, as the saying goes, the rest is history.
The best Ethiopian coffees come from the Sidamo, Yirgascheffe, and
Limmu regions. Really great beans such as the dry-processed Koratie are
just spectacular in flavor.

WHAT ABOUT BLENDING?

Creating your own unique coffee blends is where the real fun begins.
By honing your own house blend, you can create the exact coffee experi-
ences that you desire. There are a few “rules” of blending that will ensure
you get the desired results:
1. Brew and taste each of the coffees separately. Record aroma, fra-
grance, flavor, acidity, body, and aftertaste. Brew and taste coffees
next to each other to determine which coffees augment the flavor
of another. Remember that blending coffee beans is an art and the
goal is that the whole must be greater than the sum of the parts.
2. Start with a base of a sweet and heavy-bodied coffee and add a small
amount of another coffee to it (before you brew it, of course!). Un-
derstand the flavor profile of your base and understand your goal.
Ask yourself what coffees might be added to this base to achieve the
cup you want. Note the change when adding this coffee and repeat
with other coffee origins.
3. Next, try mixing three or four other coffees together until you get a
blend that displays the flavor characteristics you desire.
4. After determining what type of coffee you would like to use in your
blend, begin experimenting with different ratios until you have de-
 THE BARISTA’S GUIDE TO COFFEE BEANS • 9

termined the best ratios to bring out the flavor, sweetness, body
and aftertaste desired.
5. If you’re roasting your own beans, experiment with different roasts
of each coffee in the blend in the same manner you experiment-
ed when adding other coffees to the base. Roast one coffee a little
lighter or darker than the other coffees in the blend and note any
differences. It is usually preferable to roast each coffee separately to
its own individual peak and then blend coffees to create the most
complexity.
 2

THE UNSUNG HERO OF COFFEE:

THE GRINDER

BUYING A COFFEE GRINDER IS a better choice than using pre-ground

coffee. By using your own grinder, your whole-bean coffee will stay fresh
longer, and they’re fun to use.
Who wants coffee made with stale beans, anyway?
Let’s explore the fascinating world of coffee grinders that are on the
market today.

TYPES OF GRINDERS
There are two types of coffee grinders: burr grinders and blade grind-
ers.
BURR GRINDERS
Burr grinders use a spinning metal plate to shred the coffee evenly.
Most newer machines are automatic, meaning that you program them how
much coffee you want and how fine you want the grind to be.
Conical burr grinders are the best type of burr grinder. They preserve
the most aroma and their grind is very fine and very consistent. The intri-
cate design of the steel burrs allow a slow grinding speed, which imparts
less heat to the ground coffee, thus preserving maximum amount of aroma.
The better conical burr grinders can also grind extra fine for the prepara-
tion of Turkish coffee.
Several companies now make low-end ($25 and under) burr grinders.
12 • HOW TO MAKE COFFEE SO GOOD YOU’LL NEVER WASTE MONEY ON STARBUCKS AGAIN

You should stay away from these, as the low-end models often overheat the
grounds and do a lousy job of grinding.
If you don’t have much money to spend, I think you’re better off getting
a blade grinder. But a good grinder can make a big difference in the quality
of your coffee, so you should seriously consider buying a nice one.
BLADE GRINDERS
Blade grinders use a spinning metal blade to grind coffee, as you prob-
ably guessed by the name. Not much suspense there.
These tend to be cylindrical plastic devices that cost around $15 USD.
Don’t be lured by the price, though; these grinders have two major draw-
backs. First, the coffee is not ground evenly, so you can’t get a perfect grind
out of them. Second, the blade imparts quite a bit of heat the coffee, which
is detrimental to the flavor.
For those reasons, I recommend buying a decent burr grinder if pos-
sible. If you can’t or don’t want to spend much on a grinder, then go with
a blade grinder—it will make better coffee than using pre-ground beans.

GRINDER FEATURES TO CONSIDER

SPEED
Most grinders work at a reasonable speed, but if you have your eye
on a certain model you should check out some reviews and see if anyone
complains about the speed (or lack thereof) before you make a purchase.
DOSER
A doser on a grinder is a large cylinder in the front of the grinder that
receives the grounds. Not all grinders have one, and it makes preparing
espresso easier because you to lock your portafilter into it and do some-
thing else while it fills with grounds.
GRIND SETTING
All burr grinders have some type of grind setting adjustment. Some
grinders don’t allow much adjustment, however, so you should make sure
you get one that fits your needs.

WHAT ELSE SHOULD YOU LOOK FOR IN GRINDERS?

Static, noise, safety, and ease of cleaning are important factors to con-
sider when buying a grinder.
 THE UNSUNG HERO OF COFFEE: THE GRINDER • 13

NOISE
Some grinders are extremely loud, which can be very annoying. The
Capresso conical burr grinders (Infinity) and the Capresso blade grinders
(Cool Grind) are among the least noisy.
SAFETY
Blade grinders cannot operate without the lid in place. In addition, the
Capresso Cool Grind series has the fastest blade stopping action of any
blade grinder on the market.
Most burr grinders will not grind when there are no beans present,
regardless if the grinder is open or closed. The Capresso conical burr grind-
ers will not grind if the bean container is missing or not “locked” in place.
EASE OF CLEANING
Most grinders come with a cleaning brush and have removable upper
burrs for easy cleaning of the grinding chamber.

TIME TO GET A GRINDER!

Fit a top-notch grinder into your coffee budget. Trust me, it’ll make
such a difference in your coffee that you won’t regret it! You can get a good
conical burr grinder for $100 – $200, and it’s well worth it.
If you want to see which brands and models I recommend, I maintain
a list of good grinders at www.makingespresso.com.
 3

DON’T FORGET THE WATER!

CRAPPY WATER MAKES CRAPPY COFFEE. Metals, chemicals, and

minerals can all ruin your espresso regardless of how good your blend, ma-
chines, grinder, and skills are.
My choice for water filtration is an under-the-counter reverse osmosis
system. Reverse-osmosis produces clean, crisp, and contaminant-free wa-
ter, and good entry-level systems cost only $200-300. The only recurring
expense is changing a filter every 6 months or so ($35).
If you don’t want to spend that much, you can get cheap but effective
filters from companies like Pur and Brita.
 FINALLY! THE SECRET TO MAKING THE ULTIMATE CUP
OF COFFEE IN THE COMFORT OF YOUR OWN HOME!

If you liked this book, then you’ll love How to Make Coffee So Good You’ll Never Waste Money
on Starbucks Again, because that’s where this information came from!

How to Make Coffee So Good You’ll Never Waste Money on Starbucks Again reveals things
like...

• How to pick the right coffee machine and get the most bang for your buck, regardless
of your budget. (Please don't buy a drip brewer before reading this chapter!)

• Everything you need to know about coffee beans to master the art of creating incredible
blends that create rich, complex coffee. You'll be blown away by how much better your
coffee will be when you use this information.

• Why you should seriously consider getting a coffee grinder, and which types are the
best for making coffee.

• The step-by-step, no-fail method of brewing sweet, decadent coffee every time. Say
goodbye to coffee that's too weak or strong or bitter, and say hello sweet, aromatic
indulgences.
• 30 delicious coffee recipes including classics that are to die for, espresso drinks that
every coffee lover should try, holiday drinks that will make you cheer, and dessert
drinks that are like heaven in a cup.
• And a whole lot more!

Click here to learn more about this book!