Subscribei am looking into purchasing an espresso machine and i am wondering a few things that i have learned while doing some light research. can i use my regular Coffee Grinder for espresso beans? the entire tamping process is very confusing to me as well!!! can someone help! i had no idea espresso was so complicated and i even work in barista a bit at my job!
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Help memorizing coffee orders!?
I just started a new job at a coffee shack. Although I have two years of barista experience, I’ve never worked in such a busy setting and never with so many drink options and strict guidelines I’m to follow. Today was my first day of training and they put me at the busiest location at the busiest time of day. I’m expected to memorize and translate the coffee orders into a certain language to relay them to my employee at the espresso machine. We have two windows going at once and as many as four or five drink orders from each window at once.
So a customer will ask for something like this:
large frappe with sugar free white chocolate and raspberry, three shots, skim milk and light on the whipped cream
double iced 12 oz soy mocha with dark chocolate and double the flavoring
16 oz decaf Americano with half a shot of caramel and half of hazelnut, two splendas and cream
all at once, i have to translate that into:
TMF + fl sf sk light whip – tall mocha with flavor, sugar free, skinny, light whip
DTL soy + flx 2 – double tall soy with double the flavor…
And I’m just confusing myself now because I don’t have my training manual with me…But I basically have to translate and re-arrange so I say # of shots first, then the size, then the drink, flavor, and milk and so on. I am not allowed to write any of this down. I need to practice memorizing drinks like this, customers rarely tell you what they want in that order and in that special code we use.
Keep in mind this was my first day and they accidentally put me on the most difficult shift possible…I think I will get the hang of it since I have previous experience but right now I’m very stressed. Any advice is appreciated!
Coffee gurus needed! Best espresso machine for a college kid on a budget?
I am a college student, and I work as a barista to help pay for school. I’m entertaining the idea of buying my own small espresso machine, but I don’t really know what kind to get. I’ve only ever used restaurant-grade machines before, and I don’t know what to look for in a small machine. I want it to have a wand, and I want to be able to use ground coffee (no pods).
I see stuff about steam powered vs. pump-powered machines, and shamefully, even though I work in 2 coffeeshops, I don’t know what that means. It sounds to me like pump machines are more powerful than steam-powered ones, but I don’t know if that’s correct.
Also, I need the machine to be cheap…because minimum wage really doesn’t go all that far. So far I like the look of the DeLonghi EC155, which looks like it usually goes for around . Here it is:
http://www.consumersearch.com/espresso-machines/delonghi-ec155
Anyway, I’d love to hear everyone’s thoughts, since I don’t really know what I’m doing.
Thanks a lot!
tagged barista, delonghi ec155, espresso machine, espresso machines, ground coffee, love, minimum wage, pods, steam, wand
Does difference in size between brands of portafilters, change the tamp pressure and shot time?
I’m a newbie to making espresso. I have used a few cheapo machines from steam to pump, but I just bought an estro profi (Starbucks Barista w/built in grinder) for that was only used 25+ times. I know, score right? Anyhoo, I seem to read everywhere that the perfect tamp pressure is 30lbs(ish) and the perfect shot time is 25sec(ish). It seems to be the golden rule all over the internet. What I’m wondering is if this changes between sizes of portafilters. Mine has a 53mm portafilter, but I know there are 49, 57, and 58mm portafilters out there too. So with the different sizes, how can the tamp pressure and shot time remain the same across the board? Is a "dose" of grinds for the 49mm portafilter the same amount as a dose for the 58mm p? It seems to me that the 58mm one would hold more. Unless it’s wider, but not as deep, I guess.
Which is the ideal size? Or is it possible to make just as good of a shot with my 53mm portafilter as it is with a commercial 57mm or 58mm?
tagged espresso, estro, golden rule, grinder, ish, newbie, perfect shot, portafilter, shot time, starbucks, starbucks barista, steam
Better than Starbucks Coffee?
I’ve been drinking coffee for about four years now and last year I discovered Starbucks coffee. After months of undecision, I finally coughed up 5 dollars and tried my first Starbucks drink. And with no experience what so ever, I chose the fanciest name on the menu. And like a Starbucks virgin, I said "I’ll have a large Carmel Macchiato, please." Of course the barista replied back "Oh, you mean a Venti?" With language aside, I tried the carmel macchiato, and it immediately became my favorite drink. I than saved up and purchased an espresso machine, syrups, a starter kit, espresso beans, and a lot of milk and I began making my own espresso drinks.
But after reading A LOT of information online, I’ve heard a lot of people saying Starbucks sucks, and that there is better coffee out there. I was just wondering if anyone could recommend a coffeeshop or place that would be worth trying, that might have better coffee/espresso than Starbucks?
Oh, and no starbucks bashing please…I enjoy their coffee and I only want answers and responses on where I can get a good cup of joe outside of Starbucks. Also list why you think it’s better than starbucks, and what you think about starbucks…but NO bashing. This isn’t a bashing starbucks forum. I just want good coffee. 
3 Comments by turnersys on February 23, 2010
As a Barista: What do you do when someone orders just ONE cafe latte, but you have a TWO nossel group handle?
You are only using one nossel.
I have applied as a barista soon and I just completed a basista training course, but I forgot to ask what I should do in this situation?
Would I just put another cup there and let it pour into that? Whats the point of that if half the espresso is then wasted on a cop that nobody ordered? Can you just let it drain into the collecting area of the machine? That also seems like a waste.
Help, I don’t want to have to ask this when I go to my job.
Half the espresso wouldn’t be wasted, you would have one espresso for the cafe latte and another espresso wasted. So what would I do?
Why won't anyone hire me as a Barista?
How hard is it to pull a great shot of espresso, and microfoam milk at about 150-160; or a higher temperature if the customer wants it?
I even have a background in food, check out my resume.
123 Any City U.S.A.
212-555-1234
E-Mail me@hotmail.com
John Doe
Objective
Short Order Cook – Food Handler
Experience
2009-Present(part-time) Inneteso Cafe New York, NY
Panini Maker
Make Paninis from fresh bread daily, make breakfast sandwiches/omelets, wash pots as needed; and help keep the kitchen area clean.
2005-2008 Sodexo/Marriott At Fordham University Bronx, N.Y
Grill Cook
Cook hamburgers, poultry, french fries, grilled cheese, quesadillas, and other fast foods.
Filled in occasionally for the Chef, at the University Restaurant.
2005-2005 Aramark At the Bank Of New York Harrison, N.Y.
Prep Cook/Utility
Make sandwiches from freshly sliced cold cuts.
Assisted Chef when needed
Responsible for cleaning entire kitchen area, including wiping tables in the dining area, and help load the dishwasher, occasionally took care of cash register.
1999-2001 The Food Emporium Eastchester, N.Y.
Deli Clerk
Slice cold cuts, make sandwiches and salads.
Clean the slicers, clean and refilled salad cases.
Clean the entire deli area.
Occasional bakery work, set up, writing on cakes
Education
1995-2001 Edgemont Jr/Sr High School Scarsdale, N.Y.
1999-2001 BOCES Center for Career Services Valhalla, N.Y.
Culinary Arts
Interests
I own an Espresso Machine, and often make Cappuccino for family and friends. I love to travel been to places such as, France, Switzerland, and Italy; but favorite place to travel is Guatemala. In my opinion they have one of the best Coffee in the world.
Other
I have a can do attitude, hardly call out, and not afraid of a challenge.
Write and speak fluent Spanish, and some Italian.
A Barista, make coffee, look it up Einstein!
3 Comments by turnersys on February 23, 2010
where to get upscale barista training?
i have been working in cafe’s for the last two years and as much as i love it our espresso is the push a button and wait kind of thing and i would really love to take training classes on an actual machine and learn all about coffee in general. ( i know this is nerdy but this is a future teacher talking so nerdy is nothing new to me). I want to be able to pull shots and make latte art all of that kind of thing. I live in the bay area (california) and have been doing internet searches to help me find some kind of class but nothing is really turning up.
SO i was hoping someone would either know of something to help or could be a better internet searcher than i.
thanks!
Make coffee faster? I am a Barista?
I recently moved to another location of my employer’s coffee shop and I now run a very busy coffee stand. Is there any thing I could do to serve coffee faster? It’s just me working there for one espresso machine.
3 Comments by turnersys on February 23, 2010
tagged coffee shop, espresso machine
Can you think of any more fixed costs a mobile coffee van would have?
Im doing a business assignment, and need to work out my fixed costs. The business is selling authentic coffee – similar to how they make it in Starbucks/Costa etc. So in other words i need to think of a list of what you need to make coffee. I already have:
The van itself (which comes with the fridges, generators etc)
The espresso machine
Milk jugs
Thermometer
The cups/stirrers/sleeves
Milk
Coffee
Sugar
Can you think of anything else that a barista would use to make coffee?
Thanks in advance,
Clare
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