Choose Coffee Book if…
You want a journal for your own beans and recipes, guided brew timers, and espresso dial-in, with Apple Health and Shortcuts integration.
Coffee Book or
Tasting Grounds?
Tasting Grounds combines brew logging with a coffee community. The main question is whether you want to discover and discuss coffees with other people, or focus on your own brewing workflow.
Get Coffee BookFree to download · Optional Coffee Book PlusChoose Tasting Grounds if…
You want to follow friends’ brews, discuss tasting notes, and discover roasters through other coffee drinkers. Tasting Grounds makes that community part of the journal.
Feature comparison.
Features checked against public documentation.
Last reviewed 22 October 2026.
| What matters to you | Coffee Book | Tasting Grounds |
|---|---|---|
| Main focus | Personal coffee records and guided brewing | Brew logging, discovery, and a specialty coffee community |
| Tasting records | Ratings, notes, beans, and brewing details | Brew ratings, flavour notes, and scoring details |
| Coffee discovery | Build and revisit your own coffee library | Explore coffees and roasters in a shared catalogue |
| Learning from brews | Revisit your previous recipes and espresso shots | See how others brew and rate the same coffees |
| Sharing | Save recipes and keep your brew history together | Share brews, follow friends, and discuss coffees |
| During preparation | Built-in guided recipes and timers | The cited overview emphasises recording and community discovery |
A social discovery app and a brewing journal can complement one another. Choose Tasting Grounds for the community if that is what will keep you recording and exploring coffee.
Frequently asked questions.
Which app should I use to see what friends are drinking?
Tasting Grounds explicitly supports sharing brews and interacting with friends. That is a good reason to choose it when community discovery is your main goal.
Can I keep using Tasting Grounds alongside Coffee Book?
Yes. You could use Coffee Book for guided brewing and your own records, while using Tasting Grounds to discover and discuss coffees. This does not imply automatic syncing between the apps.
Get Coffee Book.
Save your beans, recipes, and tasting notes on iPhone and iPad.
Get Coffee BookFree to download · Optional Coffee Book Plus