All baristas know “what you need to know and be able to do” to make a quality espresso.
Often, having prepared a good drink, the barista relaxes in his joy and loses sight of some factors that can ruin the finished coffee and nullify all the barista’s efforts.
Let’s list the main points that you should pay attention to so that your efforts in preparing espresso are not in vain.
Table of Contents
Coffee is a fairly popular drink, most people use either automatic or horn coffee machines for this purpose. Many ordinary people believe that by making Americano with direct pouring, they “extract” all the useful substances from ground coffee. Unfortunately, some inexperienced baristas and establishment managers think the same way. This is a strong misconception.
Americano is espresso (25-30 ml) with the addition of hot water (about 120 ml). This means that to make Americano we first make espresso and then add hot water to it.
When preparing a full volume of Americano from a coffee bookmark, unwanted components begin to enter the drink. With prolonged contact of finely ground coffee with hot water, an increasing number of bitter substances begin to come out of the raw material. The longer the contact time, the more bitter the drink we get; the caffeine content in such a drink will also be noticeably higher. In addition, the main part of the soluble substances comes out within 30 seconds, then the stream becomes more and more watery. Well, the most unpleasant thing is that after 35 seconds, the washing out of substances harmful to the human body begins.
Ultimately, by making an Americano by pouring it directly from a coffee tablet, we get a bitter, watery drink containing harmful substances, with a higher caffeine content.
This method of preparing Americano nullifies all the efforts of both coffee producers and baristas. Steep boiling water “kills” all the components responsible for the taste and aroma of espresso.
It is important to remember that the hot water tap supplies water from the boiler. In the boiler, the water is under pressure and boils over many times. Such water is not suitable for drinking.
The water supplied for espresso preparation through the groups is heated according to the principle of heat exchange. It goes through separate tubes and enters the heat exchange glass, which is immersed in the boiler and is heated to the required temperature. This water is not boiled, maintaining the balance of the components.
The temperature of the water added to the finished espresso should not be higher than the temperature of the water for making espresso. The bar should always have a kettle with temperature control or a boiler for heating water.
In addition, boiling water is simply impossible to drink. A guest of the establishment can get seriously burned.
The correct sequence for preparing Americano with additives: espresso, then add the required amount of milk or cream, and only after that add hot water to the required volume.
It is important to observe the proportions when preparing the drink. The total volume of the Americano portion should not exceed the volume stated in the establishment’s menu. Otherwise, the drink will be “too diluted” in taste.
If it is not possible to follow this sequence (the guest is sitting at a table or expresses a desire to add milk or cream to the drink themselves), then you should initially add a smaller volume of hot water to the espresso so that there is enough room in the cup for topping up.
It is also recommended not to pour Americano flush with the rim of the cup. There are several explanations for this. Firstly, Americano is a hot drink, so you need to leave some space (about 0.5 cm from the rim of the cup) for comfortable drinking. Secondly, there should be enough space to add sugar or honey to the drink.
In late autumn and winter, baristas often face complaints from customers about the insufficient temperature of coffee drinks with milk. Many guests declare right from the threshold of the establishment that they want a “hot cappuccino”. And in this case, the barista faces a difficult choice. On the one hand, all establishments always strive to meet the wishes of the guests; on the other hand, requests are not always adequate (often simply due to ignorance). What to do in such a situation?
A cappuccino is a warm drink. Espresso starts losing temperature right at the beginning of the brewing process. The ready espresso drink, once in the cup, has a temperature no higher than 87 0 C and rapidly loses it with each passing second (due to contact with air). Milk is heated to a temperature of 65 0 to 75 0 C during the whipping process. As a result, we get a warm drink with a temperature of about 70 0 C. In addition, cappuccino quickly separates after brewing, and the guest can drink a large amount of foam in the first sip (which has a lower temperature due to the saturation of air bubbles). Due to this, the drink may seem not hot enough. Many baristas unquestioningly begin to remake drinks or, in advance, overheat milk to avoid such complaints.
It has been experimentally established that at temperatures above 75 0 C, milk enzymes and milk sugars disintegrate, and the “milk sweetness” disappears. Milk approaches the boiling stage, and a smell of boiled milk and a rancid taste appear. Protein bonds are broken, and milk acquires a more liquid (less stable) structure. In addition, very hot drinks greatly distort taste perception. The receptors are burned. You may encounter additional complaints from your guests about the taste of the drink.
You need to be able to gently explain these features to the guest.
If the person insists, then it should be noted that you are ready to meet the guest halfway and prepare a “hot cappuccino” (or latte), but the taste of the drink from this strong will not change for the better.
Also, when preparing cappuccino, you should very carefully control the process of pouring frothed milk into the coffee. If you pour milk too actively and forcefully, the taste of the drink will become too milky. On the contrary, if the drink is not stirred enough, the creams, in which the main bitterness of the drink is concentrated, will end up on the surface, and in the first sip, the guest will get a pronounced bitterness, which may cause his dissatisfaction. The stirring of the drink should be such that the taste of the drink ultimately becomes uniform.
Cappuccino should be served to the guest immediately. After a very short time, the drink begins to stratify and lose its uniform structure and taste. This process is irreversible.
Some guests mistakenly believe that a longer extraction will result in a richer taste (see point 1). Quite often there are requests to prepare a large drink (double cappuccino or latte) based on a double lungo. In this case, it is necessary to remind the client that the caffeine content in lungo is much higher than in a standard espresso; in addition, a larger amount of bitter substances gets into the drink, and lungo turns out to be more watery (compared to espresso). Therefore, any drink prepared based on a double lungo will be strikingly different in taste from the classic version. A high caffeine content (especially if the coffee blend has a high content of robusta) can negatively affect the guest’s well-being.
People often confuse the concepts of “caffeine content” and “drink strength (saturatedness)”.
More saturated, dense, “coffee-like”, aromatic is ristretto (a type of espresso, smaller in volume (about 20 ml). Due to the small amount of water and high content of extracted substances (coffee oils and other components), it seems to many coffee lovers to be the strongest. However, the caffeine content in such a drink is quite low (less caffeine than in classic espresso). Caffeine begins to be released during the extraction process from about the 15th second, so the highest amount of it is contained in the drink “lungo”, which is prepared for a longer time than espresso.
So, the most aromatic and rich in taste in the line of “ristretto-espresso-lungo” is ristretto, and the highest dose of caffeine is contained in lungo. Espresso is the golden mean.
Many coffee drink recipes call for quite high doses of syrups, about the same as in cold cocktails. However, many people overlook the fact that warm drinks taste much sweeter. Remember how you feel, for example, when drinking cold cola: when it’s warm, it seems cloyingly sweet. You should always remember that syrups have a very high level of sweetness. By adding a large amount of syrup, you can easily drown out the delicate taste of coffee. As a result, instead of “cappuccino (or latte) with syrup,” you’ll get a warm milkshake with the taste of syrup and a faint hint of coffee.
Always keep a balance of flavors. It is better to add a small amount of syrup at first. If this is not enough, you can add more syrup at the guest’s request.
Many baristas go to meet the guest and add additional items to the drinks indicated on the menu (another syrup, for example, lemon, milk, cream, etc.). In these cases, you should take into account the compatibility of products. Often, even a small amount of syrup with a high acid content curdles milk in a matter of seconds. And if, for example, you first add a little milk to your guest’s Americano, and then lemon (or another) syrup for sweetness, you will find curdled protein lumps in the cup.
You should always be careful when doing mixology. If you want to surprise a regular guest or impress someone with your skills, check the compatibility of the drink components in advance so as not to “lose face”.
First, never agree to make espresso-based drinks for children under 14 without their parent’s consent, no matter how much they beg you. The teenager may have heart problems or other health issues that they may not tell you about.
If parents agree to prepare a coffee drink for their child, offer to prepare such a drink based on ristretto. In this case, the richness of the drink, and its aroma will be pronounced, and the caffeine content will be low. In this way, you will somewhat reduce the negative impact of caffeine on the growing child’s body (caffeine promotes dehydration, leaching of calcium from the body, and excites the nervous system).
Or better yet, offer a replacement for the coffee drink. Any establishment will have an alternative for young guests: cocoa, hot chocolate, milkshakes, juices, non-alcoholic cocktails, and herbal and fruit teas.
When preparing a hot drink for a child, remember that the drink should not be hotter than 60 0 C. First, give the drink to an adult so that he can try it, and then the parent himself passes it to the child.
Don’t forget, the more attentive you are to the client. The better he is disposed towards you. And taking care of the children of your establishment’s guests will raise you to a new level.
You may be a genius barista and have phenomenal skills in latte art. However, neglecting the basic rules of cleanliness and hygiene can put an end not only to your efforts but also to your career.
For example, milk that sticks to the steamer quickly turns sour and can not only give the drink an unpleasant rancid taste and smell but also provoke a violent reaction in the gastrointestinal tract.
It is important to keep both the equipment and all the tools you use in your work clean. Stimmer clothes and work surfaces should always be clean. Dishes should be thoroughly washed and prepared for safe use. Hands should be kept clean. The appearance should always be neat.
Often, the barista harms himself by incorrectly tasting the espresso. You should not evaluate the taste of coffee if you have previously consumed too spicy or fatty food. You will have to postpone the tasting for at least 20-30 minutes. To ensure that your perception of the drink is correct, first, refresh your receptors by rinsing your mouth with clean drinking water. Before tasting, you should actively but carefully stir the espresso with a spoon. When tasting the drink, take two sips in succession. In the first sip, the bitterness will be much brighter, since in the first sip you will taste the crema to a greater extent.
Sometimes, after taking one sip, an inexperienced barista believes that the coffee is bitter and begins to change the grind or other brewing factors. Thus, getting even more confused. After taking two sips, you will be able to comprehensively evaluate the taste of the drink and draw the right conclusions.
Have you ever heard of a fashion designer who became an artist? Ruby Bailey was one…
Lenskart co-founder and CEO Peyush Bansal is the name connected with transforming the Indian eyewear…
Fashion is continually changing and constantly influenced by the most improbable sources. One such fresh…
Men of many different ages occasionally worry about hair loss. Whether the reason is medical…
Many in the spheres of education and the LGBTQ rights movement can relate to Christine…
In addition to her career as an actress, Michelle Mulitz stole the limelight from the…