Professional Barista Training
Professional baristas are experts in everything about coffee, from the creation of a perfect tasting cup of coffee to the perfect presentation of a wide variety of coffee drinks. A professional barista has to master complicated equipment, as well as develop a deep understanding of the history of coffee and its many different types. Training to be a professional barista involves developing this knowledge, along with excellent customer service skills.
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History
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Venetian traders introduced coffee to Italy, where it was embraced enthusiastically. Because bars in Italy gave equal importance to coffee and liquor, the term barista, meaning bartender in Italian, eventually came to describe an expert in making and serving coffee. When espresso machines were invented, making delicious coffee drinks in these high-powered machines became more complicated. The technical skills needed to make a variety of espresso drinks required a higher level of expertise, creating the professional barista.
Equipment
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Learning specific procedures for using coffee making equipment is essential to controlling the flavor of each drink. Drying the portafilter between each brew, cleaning the group head and knowing exactly how to tamp coffee grounds while preparing an espresso shot are just a few of the procedures that affect the flavor of the coffee. A barista also receives training on how to achieve the correct pressure and temperature on the espresso machine, how to steam different types of milk for the perfect taste and texture, and how to grind coffee beans to the correct consistency.
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Consistent Flavor
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One of the most important goals of the intensive and detailed equipment training is learning to control the flavor of each drink. Professional baristas need to be able to ensure that all of these complicated techniques fit together to make coffee drinks taste exactly as expected. In other words, a barista is trained to know how to make each cup not only delicious, but consistent in flavor. This training is particularly important to customer retention. Customers want to know the coffee drink they enjoyed last time will taste the same every time.
Coffee Knowledge
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Professional baristas strive to not only make great coffee, but to develop extensive knowledge about coffee. Think of barista training as similar to training bartenders for a fine wine tasting. Customers at a wine tasting expect to learn about wines, and the factors that make each wine taste the way it does from soil to grapes. A barista trains to offer in-depth information on the different types of coffee beans, how and where each type of bean was grown, and how these factors affect the flavor. Baristas should also be able to enlighten customers on the history of different kinds of coffee drinks.
Presentation
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Professional baristas learn the art of presentation for a wide variety of coffee drinks. Presentation training includes knowledge of the different types of mugs and ceramic espresso shot cups used for each type of drink, as well as the techniques for pouring foamy milk into cappuccino drinks. A professional barista is able to pour foam in attractive spirals or even heart shapes to make each customer's coffee drink both delicious and beautiful.
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References
- Photo Credit art of cappuccino image by Mike & Valerie Miller from Fotolia.com
