Where to Start with Anette Moldvaer
Anette Moldvaer is a Norwegian coffee professional, author, and green coffee buyer who has shaped the specialty coffee industry from the ground up. She began her career as a barista in Norway in 1999 and went on to co-found Square Mile Coffee Roasters in London, one of the most respected specialty roasting companies in Europe. She is a World Cup Tasting Champion and has judged international competitions including the World Barista Championships, the Cup of Excellence, and the Good Food Awards. She leads coffee workshops across Europe, the United States, Latin America, and Africa. Her books bring two decades of hands-on experience into a format that works for home brewers and curious beginners alike. “Coffee Obsession,” published in 2014, introduced readers to global coffee styles and barista techniques. “The Coffee Book,” published in 2021, refined and expanded that approach with updated country profiles, over 70 recipes, and a stronger focus on the journey from bean to cup.
Start here
The Coffee Book
Anette Moldvaer · 224 pages · 2021 · Easy
Themes: barista techniques, coffee origins, brewing methods, coffee recipes, coffee regions
A beautifully illustrated guide that takes you from bean to brew, covering everything from how coffee is grown and processed to how to make over 70 different drinks at home. Anette Moldvaer draws on more than twenty years of professional experience to make every aspect of coffee accessible.
Why Start Here
“The Coffee Book” is the more polished and up-to-date of Moldvaer’s two major works. Published in 2021, it reflects changes in the specialty coffee world since her earlier “Coffee Obsession” and benefits from years of additional sourcing trips and workshops around the globe. The structure is its greatest strength: it moves logically from understanding coffee origins and production, through roasting and grinding, to brewing and drink-making.
What sets this book apart from other visual coffee guides is Moldvaer’s credibility. She is not a food stylist who researched coffee for a project. She is a World Cup Tasting Champion who has spent her career visiting farms, cupping coffees, and training baristas. That depth shows in the country profiles, which go beyond surface-level descriptions to explain what makes each region’s coffee distinctive.
The recipe section covers classics like espresso, cappuccino, and flat white alongside more unusual choices. Each recipe includes clear step-by-step instructions with photographs. At 224 pages, the book is substantial enough to be a real reference without becoming overwhelming.
What to Expect
A hardcover guide published by DK that works both as a cover-to-cover education in coffee and as a reference you return to when trying new brewing methods or exploring beans from unfamiliar origins. The visual design is excellent, with photographs and infographics that make complex processes easy to follow.
Alternatives
Anette Moldvaer · 224 pages · 2014 · Easy
Moldvaer’s first major book, published in 2014, is a richly visual tour of the coffee world. It covers more than 130 classic coffee recipes and includes detailed profiles of coffee-producing nations, tasting notes, and step-by-step barista training.
Why Consider This One
“Coffee Obsession” leans more heavily into recipes and drink-making than “The Coffee Book.” If your primary interest is learning to make specific coffee drinks at home, from a proper espresso to a traditional Vietnamese iced coffee, this book offers more variety in that department. The recipe count is nearly double that of the later book.
The country-by-country profiles are informative, covering flavor characteristics and recommended roasts from each region. The barista training sections walk you through milk steaming, latte art, and espresso technique with the kind of precision you would expect from someone who has judged the World Barista Championships.
It is slightly less refined in its structure and design compared to “The Coffee Book,” which benefits from seven additional years of Moldvaer’s experience. But the core knowledge is sound, and many readers still consider this the more practical of the two books for someone focused on making drinks rather than understanding the supply chain.
What to Expect
A 224-page visual guide with over 130 recipes, country profiles, and barista technique sections. Rated 4.8 out of 5 on Amazon with hundreds of reviews. Published by DK in their signature photography-rich format.