extracts from the Barista manual - Espresso Definition & Espresso Standard

Espresso Definition & Espresso Standard:
The Italian Coffee Institute states than a perfect espresso should consist of 30m of golden-brown coffee, including the crema, extracted between 25 - 30 seconds.

If coffee is extracted outside these parameters the flavour will be compromised and customer satisfaction diminished.
If the extraction rate is too fast (less than 25 seconds) the coffee will taste weak and sour.
If the extraction rate is too long (more than 30 seconds) the coffee will taste bitter and burnt.

Calibrate the grind at the start of the shift and make small changes throughout the day to compensate for changes in the environment. Humid conditions will require grosser grind and drier condition will require finer grind.

A true espresso should be caramel sweet, rich in texture, body and aroma, hazel to dark brown in colour with an even extraction from start to finish.

latte to double Macchiato

over the years i have changed the coffee that i drank , it became stronger and stronger, i used to drink lattes and now i drink double macchiato. but it seems to be so hard to get it right, some barista will fuss over the foam and will spoon and scoop it slowly but add no milk , some will add too much milk and no foam, in melbourne australia they fill the cup half with water then make a macchiato on top of that??????? bizzare. i give up, in sydney we pay $3.50 for a cup of coffee and i want a good one so when i am not next to the machine at work i will settle for a litlle turkish coffee , i rather have that then pay for a bad coffee or inconsistent one .

extract from the barista manual - coffee menu - Macchiato

taken from the barista manual. comments and corrections are always more then welcome

Macchiato
'Macchiato' in italian simply means 'marked' or 'stained'., so when it comes to caffè macchiato, this means literally stained coffee, espresso that is stained/marked with milk. Traditionally it is made with one shot of espresso, and the small amount of the added milk, one or two teaspoons, which is the stain. But later on the foamed milk was put on top to indicate the beverage has a little milk in it, since the baristas had to find a way to indicate to the waiters that the coffee had milk and wasn’t an esspresso.today it is served in a glass with three layers: the espresso then the milk and the foam.
To create the layering just add the foam before the milk and let the milk slowly drip over the foam and it will layer itself inbetween the foam and the coffee.for a double macchiato just do the same but with double shot of espresso in a slightly larger glass and double the amount of milk.that’s it.

extract from the barista manual - the coffee machine

There are many different commercial coffee machines out there, but they all do the same basic thing. Don’t be alarmed, you just need to find the your way around.

steam tap
Usually a dial or switch where you control the release of steam through the nozzle.

Hot water dial or switch
mainly used for teas, warming up glasses melting choc for hot choc , rinsing off teaspoons etc

Group handlesThe group handle is where the coffee is packed into. Then loaded and locked in the machine’s group head. The group handle must always be kept clean and dry whilst not in use. keep locked in the machine’s group head between making coffee.
the group head also contains the basket or screen where the coffee is packed into & extracted and must be always clean and dry before use.

Manual brewing button
a button or switch you can operate and control manually . always use the manual when you want to control the coffee extraction time yourself for example: for shorter shots (for a Ristretto) or to rinse the group handle and screen before making coffee.

Automatic brewing buttons
most automatic buttons will be set to 30ml a single shot and 60 ml for double. (some cafes set them for different extraction settings which is wrong.)

Pressure dial - showing the pressure before and while making coffee, ideal is 3 while resting and 8.7 – 8.9 while brewing.
to be continued

hello all

i have created this blog for all coffee makers and baristas to use as a guide to improve or learn about the art of making coffee.

i have been a barista for over 10 years in sydney australia and have made alot of coffees :) so over the years i have learned from diffrent coffee companies and baristas i have worked with alot about making coffee.

but the main and the most importnat aspect is the customer who pays for the coffee i make, and the customer will be your first judge and the best way to evaluate yourself as a barista.

i am in the process of writing a manual for a barista or anyone who wants to know how to make good coffee everytime. i have written the manual but decided to re-edit it, update it and make more presentable.

i will start posting extracts from it soon and anybody who wants can have an input.

anyone who wants can preorder it by emailing me.
hope you find it helpfull.