In this volume, the editors and the contributors have tried to provide a useful guide to coffee
from the ground up. The articles we have assembled cover a great range of topics, from soil to
roaster, barista, and home use. We are well aware that people’s tastes vary widely. Some prefer
coffee in a grocery store can, already ground, or even instant coffee that requires almost no
effort to prepare. Others pay considerably more money for select whole beans, which they
grind before making each cup. They weigh the coffee and the water, then keep one eye on the
temperature of the water and the other on the clock, as they count the seconds in the various
steps of making the beverage. Still other folks want coffee only at cutting-edge cafés—or, to
use an upscale term, coffee bars—made by an experienced, skilled barista.