Coffee Technology by Michael Sivetz, ©1979

The 700+ page indexed textbook is available from the author's roaster fabrication company in Oregon, Sivetz Coffee. This engineering-oriented book is a must-read for any professional or serious hobbyist involved in building coffee roasters or any other coffee processing equipment. However, since I very much enjoy good fresh coffee, I have to say the only unfortunate part of the book is that more than 200 pages were devoted to instant coffee. But I understand that instant is a big part of the coffee industry, and it was a big part of the author's career.

The SCAA also offers the book accompanied by a spiral-bound booklet of collected notes by Sivetz called The Coffee Quality Primer. The title falls far short of the breadth of information included in the booklet. I found the primer highly informative and even personal at times. But the otherwise excellent charts and graphs were sometimes difficult to read as photocopies.

Though more expensive, the book is also available through Amazon.com.