Coffee for One

Reminiscent of God in a Cup and The Devil’s Cup, this is an inside look into the modern business of making coffee. But rather than a general history, Coffee for One focuses on the revolution that made single serve such a popular way to consume coffee worldwide, and the competition and conflict that got us here.

This story features A-list names, corporate intrigue, environmental controversy, and much, much more. For the vast majority of the time humans have consumed coffee, the drink has been brewed in pots or other multi-serving tools; that is, until the last two decades, which saw the rise of the single serve coffee machine. Whether it’s a Keurig or a Nespresso, today a lot of people get their coffee from little plastic individual serving pods. But why? Coffee for One breaks open this story of innovation, profit, and cultural change.

KJ Fallon is a former reporter with Time magazine who currently works as a freelance writer for numerous media outlets and as a nonfiction and fiction book editor.

"An informative and entertaining look at the rise of—and reasons for—today's single-serve coffee cup craze. Even if you haven't converted to Keurig, you'll be hooked." —People magazine

“Single serve remade the marketplace and changed the way people brewed, served, and quaffed the world’s most popular beverage. Now comes KJ Fallon’s beguiling, scrupulous tell-all account of that revolutionary method, how it was born and how it grew into a giant. Coffee for One will alter the way people regard the delicious, vital drink they consume every day—without thinking about all the cut-throat competition that took place before it journeyed from the fields to the labs, from the corner offices to their cups and cartons. This breakthrough book is bound to open many eyes, and please countless palates.” —Stefan Kanfer, New York Times bestselling author of Tough without a Gun and Somebody

“Who knew so much strum und drang went into that little plastic pod you pop into your coffee machine? KJ Fallon did, and traced the unexpectedly exciting history of the ubiquitous coffee-in-a-capsule for you to savor with your next cup.” —Bobby Ghosh, foreign affairs analyst, CNN

“Coffee for One shows us the hard work that proceeded making our joy arrive now so easy. KJ Fallon is a skilled, smooth, and engaging barista of words. All the details of how we got here are in this rich, gracious book; much like the process of creating a perfect cup itself, Fallon takes away the hard work for us and makes it superbly easier to enjoy the final result.” —Tom Squitieri, award-winning foreign correspondent and author

“With witty directness, Fallon explores a twist in our unending coffee revolutions: the rise of the single-serve cup, born of technology and the willingness of millions of individuals to pay for the convenience of their own private caffeine bubbles. The consequences for the global economy—and the cultivation of coffee itself—will be profound.” — Howard Chua-Eoan, former news director, Time magazine.

“Jam-packed with information about beans, brewing, and the shifting coffee consumer lifestyle, this entertaining book kept me turning pages (and sipping) as it updated my way of thinking about coffee.” —Donna Pierce, syndicated columnist and former Chicago Tribune test kitchen director, editor and writer, SkilletDiaries.com