About the Book

The Physics of Filter Coffee by astrophysicist Jonathan Gagné is perhaps the most significant book ever written on the science of coffee brewing. In the book Jonathan discusses the physics of percolation, extraction, and grinding, as well as water chemistry. He takes the reader down such rabbit holes as pouring-kettle design, optimizing turbulence while pouring, the impact of fines on percolation, the physics of paper filters, and the geometry of various brewers. He also presents some original ideas about coffee brewing and backs it all up with reams of facts and data. The most wonderful thing about The Physics of Filter Coffee is not the impressive depth of the science, but the practical lessons Jonathan draws from the science. Unlike, say, Illy’s Espresso: the Science of Quality, an impressive treatise on the science of espresso, The Physics of Filter Coffee offers an abundance of practical recommendations derived from science, data, and experimentation. Any barista who reads this book will immediately have new tools to make better coffee.

About the Author

Jonathan Gagné is an astrophysical researcher at the Montreal Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium and an adjunct professor at the Université de Montréal. He is the author of the blog ‘Coffee Ad Astra,’ where Gagné shares both succinct and in-depth reflections on applying his expertise in physics to the world of coffee brewing.

MEET THE PUBLISHER

Scott Rao

Scott Rao started his first cafe & roastery in Amherst, MA when he was 22. That first cafe quickly became an institution, serving well over 1000 customers per day and tripling the sales volume of the Starbucks down the street. After selling his first cafe, Scott went on to work in the New Zealand coffee industry. He then returned to the US to open a restaurant and coffee roastery inspired by his travels down under. Scott later founded a pioneering cafe in Montreal that influenced coffee making worldwide.

Upon selling his second business, Scott began writing books about coffee making in the hopes of helping roasters and baristas become more educated and systematic in their approach to coffee. Scott parlayed those books into a consulting career and now spends his time consulting for coffee roasters around the world, teaching the world’s most advanced roasting masterclasses, and designing next-generation coffee equipment.

Scott is the author of The Professional Barista’s Handbook, Everything but Espresso, and The Coffee Roaster’s Companion. He secretly likes Sencha tea more than coffee, is baffled about why anyone drinks naturals, and would probably do a free consulting job for you if your business happens to be located on a warm surf beach.

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