The World Atlas of Coffee - James Hoffmann - 3rd edition

📘☕ The World Atlas of Coffee (3rd Edition) — James Hoffmann

Updated & expanded (2025) • Hardback • 288 pages • English

If you want one coffee book that explains everything—from bean to brew—this is it. James Hoffmann’s The World Atlas of Coffee (3rd Edition) is the modern classic: a beautifully illustrated, deeply practical guide to specialty coffee, now fully updated and expanded with new origins and new topics like decaffeination and steep-and-release brewers.

Hoffmann takes you country by country (35+ origins), and also breaks down the fundamentals that shape flavor: varieties, terroir, harvest & processing, roasting styles, brewing methods, and water.

What you’ll learn inside

🌍 Coffee origins, explained (35+ countries)

From Bolivia to Zambia, you’ll get a clear picture of what makes each origin taste the way it does—climate, processing choices, and what to look for in the cup.

🔥 From roasting to brewing (and why “strength” labels lie)

The book goes beyond origin maps: it covers roast development, brew technique, and why supermarket “strength” ratings often don’t mean what people think.

💧 Water, extraction, and modern coffee reality

Hoffmann connects all the variables that actually change your cup—especially water chemistry, which is often the hidden key to sweetness and balance.

👃 Why we recommend it at WB.coffee

At WB.coffee / Amsterdam Coffee Lab we’re big on turning curiosity into skill. This book is perfect because it’s:

• broad enough to be your main coffee reference
• practical enough to improve your brewing immediately
• written by one of the most respected educators in modern specialty coffee

James Hoffmann is the founder of Square Mile Coffee Roasters and World Barista Champion (2007)—and his way of explaining coffee is clear, honest, and useful.

water upgrades

If this book makes you think “OK… so water really matters,” you’re right. The fastest way to apply the water chapter at home:

💧 Lotus Water Drops

Build your own brew water drop-by-drop for filter or espresso. Perfect for learning how hardness and alkalinity change sweetness, acidity, and body.

Or if you prefer a simpler “flavor direction” approach:

💧 APAX Mineral Concentrates

Pre-formed profiles that push the cup toward vibrancy, florals, sweetness, or mouthfeel—super easy for daily brewing.

Want to try before you buy? Come taste water differences during a session at Amsterdam Coffee Lab (Weesp).

Product details 

• Format: Hardback
• Pages: 288
• Language English 
  
• Publisher Octopus Publishing Group 
• Publication date: 09 Oct 2025
• ISBN-13: 9781784729868

Shop Coffee Books

Nowadays you can buy coffee books online easily. Many of the big sites however don't treat their warehouse employees nicely. They also have a terrible track record when it comes to sustainablilty, despite their green washing efforts. WB.coffee is a family owned small business. No drop-shipping, no BS. Only real coffee passion. 

Benefit from our one-stop shop and shop smarter!

Shop Coffee Books

The very first edition of this book was my introduction to the world of coffee literature. As I found myself ordering various titles from different places, I decided to create a sustainable one-stop shop for all significant coffee educational resources: WB.coffee. 

When Amsterdam Coffee Lab halted its courses during the covid-19 pandemic, WB.coffee transformed into a comprehensive haven for coffee lovers, featuring over 2000 products. It's incredible how a simple hobby for coffee books can spiral into something so grand! 😅

Thank you for your ongoing support as coffee lovers community 🙏

more tips from the CoffeeNose👃

WB.coffee blends are roasted fresh on order. We roast with 100% renewable energy and 0% gas.

☕ Our Signature Blends

• FC – Fruity & Chocolaty - smooth, juicy, comforting
• FF - Fruity & Floral - elegant & aromatic ​
• FJ – Fruity & Juicy - vibrant and sweet, a filter favorite
• The Chocolatier’s Brew – Chocolate & Praline (Brazil)
• VC - Vanilla & Caramel - creamy, sweet, irresistibly smooth
•  CN - Chocolaty & Nutty (HoReCa besteseller)

🌿 Chemical-Free Decaffeinated Coffees

• AFD – Apple & Fudge Decaf - bright, cozy
• CDD – Caramel & Spices Decaf - warm, sweet

🌍 Single Origins — Limited Editions

New lots arrive throughout the year.

• Ethiopia Guji Honey & Pineapple Express – fruity & complex
• Ethiopia Natural Dimtu & Guatemala Inferno Geisha – classic profiles

Get in touch for what’s currently on the cupping table and receive personal flavour recommendations based on your taste.

🎯 Taste Before You Choose

Try four coffees at once with our Coffee Tasting Set — available in:

• Filter or Espresso
• 4 blends or 4 single origin limited editions

Prefer to experience them first?

Explore our full tasting menu @ Amsterdam Coffee Lab in Weesp, where you can try any blend (or all of them 🏃)

Order coffee

Coffee Omakase – The Ultimate Coffee Tasting Experience ☕

For the curious, the connoisseurs, and everyone who knows coffee can be more.

Have you ever walked out of a café disappointed — knowing your cup could have been so much better?

Then this experience is for you.

The Coffee Omakase @ Amsterdam Coffee Lab is a guided, multi-course coffee tasting designed for specialty coffee enthusiasts, flavor explorers, and curious coffee lovers alike.

Each session is unique, interactive, and bursting with discovery — like a live culinary performance, but for coffee.

What to Expect

During this exclusive sensory journey, you’ll:

☕ Taste a curated lineup of exceptional coffees — washed, natural, and experimental processing methods (think anaerobic, co-ferment, honey, and even wild fermentation projects).

🌸 Experience rare varietals — including legendary coffees like Geisha, and other micro-lot gems from around the world.

🔬 Explore multiple brew styles — from delicate filter brews and bold espressi to the mesmerizing syphon method.

🥄 Try your hand at cupping — slurp and taste coffee like a professional taster, discovering aromas and acidity in new ways.

🍹 Enjoy surprising coffee mocktails — creative and refreshing, crafted from the same beans you’ll taste in the lineup.

👃 Engage your senses fully — experience how the aroma, cup shape, color, and even the sound of pouring influence your flavor perception.

A Guided Journey by the CoffeeNose 👃

Led by Wouter Brunia, also known as the CoffeeNose 👃, this tasting is a deep dive into coffee flavor and sensory science.

Like a sommelier presenting fine wines, Wouter will:

• Brew each coffee live with expert precision
• Share the stories of each bean — from farm to fermentation
• Explain flavor notes, processing methods, and varietal differences
• Help you understand why your favorite coffee tastes the way it does

It’s fun for your brain, taste buds, and nose — and you’ll leave with a new appreciation for what’s in your cup.

Each Omakase is Unique

No two tastings are ever the same.

Our coffees rotate constantly and often include exclusive lots — such as Geisha, co-fermented experiments, and rare micro-lots you won’t find in cafés.

Every visit promises something unexpected, thought-provoking, and delicious.

Who It’s For

• Specialty coffee geeks craving depth and discovery
• Curious coffee lovers ready to learn (and taste!) something new
• Couples and friends looking for a unique sensory experience
• Anyone who wants to fall in love with coffee all over again

Details

📍 Location: Amsterdam Coffee Lab, Weesp

🕒 Duration: ±1.5–2 hours

👥 Group Size: Small & intimate for personal attention

🎟️ Booking: More info & reservations ⬇

Why Join?

Because coffee can be so much more than just caffeine — it’s chemistry, art, and emotion in a cup.

Join the Coffee Omakase Experience and taste what happens when curiosity meets craftsmanship.

Do you crave the excitement of discovering exquisite coffee flavors and captivating aromas? Don’t miss out on our exclusive Coffee Tasting Experience @ Amsterdam Coffee Lab, where you’ll not only indulge your senses but also gain valuable insights into the world of coffee. Join us for an unforgettable journey!

Join us for a fun and informative sensory experience revolving around coffee. During this experience you will: 

• Taste washed, natural and alternative processed coffee beans 
• Explore various varietals of Arabica coffee including the famous Gesha
• Discover different coffee brewing methods outside of standard espresso
  
• Savor surprising coffee mocktails
  
• Try cupping coffee: sample your coffee by slurping it from a spoon, just like an expert coffee taster would
  
• Experience how sensory elements such as aroma, size, shape, and color of the coffee cup affect flavor perception.
  

Similar to how a knowledgeable wine sommelier educates you about the wine and presents it at the perfect temperature in the right glass, our master barista and flavor expert will expertly brew your coffee while enlightening you about the entire process, the origin of the beans, varietals, the flavor notes, and much more.  Envision it as a live cooking demonstration, but dedicated entirely to the craft of coffee brewing.

Fun for your brain, taste buds and nose!

More info & booking ⬇

More info & booking