“Coffee Style” Book Takes Readers from Beans to Brew

By Horst A. Friedrichs | Prestel; $35
Coffee: It is the fuel that drives so many of us, the focus of shops and blogs, emblazoned on clothing and accessories. Heck, we even named our e-newsletter after it (sign up for MetroEspresso free at metrosource.com/subscribe). And now — in what may be the ultimate in irony — it is the focus of a coffee table book. To become coffee as most of us recognize it, the humble bean takes quite the beating. Photographer Horst A. Friedrichs was fascinated by that journey — from mud to mug — and here his photos lovingly capture the intricate process behind brewing up our favorite stimulant. Nora Manthey lends her words to Horst’s photographs, which escort readers from the pulverizing of beans to liquid being pumped through extraordinary machines in coffee shops all over the world.

The book even takes on the increasingly popular art of creating designs in cappuccino foam. Along the way, you’ll peer at french presses, immerse yourself in ice drips, enjoy espresso and more. Horst catalogues these and far more esoteric types of preparation paraphernalia — peppering in photos of flames and grinds, beans and barristas — and it’s good to the last drop.