Ian- regarding the tamp, yeah it’s not exactly a professional tamp. When I saw that I wondered if the chef in the video would use a pair of scissors to cut a steak

Sam/Pat/Jay- regarding what to look for in a cafe…

My issue with most baristas/cafes is the lack of focus, and a lack of purpose, when making drinks. Whether you make traditional style espresso drinks or flavored lattes- pay attention to what you’re doing, and do it with some sense of urgency. If they have that attention to detail and move about their work in a logical and purposeful way, you should feel like you are in good hands. Contrast that with a distracted and/or apathetic “barista”- your chances of getting a quality drink decrease with the latter example. The barista is the last line of defense between everything that has happened before (sourcing/roasting/equipment/etc) and what you’re about to drink.

Beyond that, I look at the menu- it should tell you something about what the business either sells most or purports itself to be. Ask yourself some questions- Is the menu full of flavored drinks, mystery blends, and add-ons? Is there a freshly brewed by-the-cup menu? Is it hidden or obvious, same with the “espresso”? Is espresso a drink additive or a drink itself? Bounce that up against what you want as a customer.

The next obvious thing to look for is cleanliness and general good practices- any dried up milk on the steam wands? Pre-steamed milk in pitchers waiting to be ordered? Pre-ground coffee? Messy in general? Read back over this post for a bunch of examples

The less obvious things, like proper training and knowledge, are almost a crapshoot. I agree latte art is a good sign, but the problem with latte art is that it’s tough to taste the espresso beneath due to the quantity of milk. I’ve visited shops that have poured pretty drinks but their brewed coffee quite frankly was flat and disappointing.

In my opinion, based on my preferences for a coffeebar, I’d try three drinks (not necessarily in the same visit!)- an espresso, a traditional sized (6oz or less) cappuccino, and a black cup of coffee as recommended by the staff. All would be consumed in for here cups, without adding any cream, sugar, etc. The straight espresso should be able to stand on it’s own, the cappuccino tells me all I need to know about their milk steaming capabilities, and the coffee tells me how serious they are about the whole coffee business. Of course what we all want from our coffee place may vary, and that’s our choice as the customer.

I think it’s safe to say I’m addicted to Starbucks, but primarily because it is the best taste I’ve found in my city. However, when I order a drink with an espresso shot in it, I generally ask for a ristretto shot, as I had been taught that was the sweetest part of the shot (other drinks had been bitter).

Again, I’m really new to all of this, so please forgive my ignorance! Thanks.

Yes, we still had a dose dispenser, but we ground new beans every morning. Odd, though, since we had an excellent grinder which we used every time we were brewing the drip coffee. Always fresh ground for that, but not espresso. Hmm.

We were taught how to calibrate our machine. If the espresso ran too watery, too dark, too long, too short, we knew how to tweak it slightly to make a better caramel-colored delicious shot.

The milk video irked me to no end. We used a thermometer during training for a point of reference, but were immediately told “you’ll do better if you feel it and use your own senses.”

I personally prefer a nicely separated steamed milk – one layer of the watery warm crap at the bottom, a nice thick milky creamy layer, and a light (not burnt) froth on top. It’s the top two layers that made delicious drinks for me.

Excellent commentary on everything, though. It’s great to get this sort of analysis.