The physics of filter coffee by astrophysicist Jonathan Gagné is perhaps the most significant book ever written on the science of coffee brewing. In this book, Jonathan discusses the physics of percolation, extraction and grinding, as well as the chemistry of water. He takes the reader down such rabbit holes as pour pot design, optimizing turbulence during pouring, the impact of fine particles on percolation, the physics of paper filters, and the geometry of various brewers. He also presents some original ideas on coffee brewing and backs them up with a wealth of facts and data.
The 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 a wealth of practical recommendations derived from science, data and experimentation. Any barista who reads this book will immediately have new tools for making better coffee.
