Baristas' - Its All a Big Joke

System · August 2005

There is too much focus on gold plating the end user of the bean - the 'so called baristas'( lets agree, the are all coffee makers).Perhaps the boys who fly to America to be told how to 'do it right', could stay home and put some time into their ,below average blends.The coffee world would be a much better place.Stay true to the path my brothers and sisters, for the only truth is in the cup. - The Coffee Monk

Trussell · August 2005

do you have any appreciation for the taste of coffee? if so i presume you've had at least one particularly revolting espresso in your lifetime.

Remus · August 2005

lol funny post. i visit a cafe every day for a hit. i can pick the coffee i'm going to get from WHO makes it. same coffee, same machine. the only difference is the barista.

mattyj · August 2005

I've been reading a bit of stuff - so just rattling off what's in my mind here, not necessarily my own thoughts, but still it has caused me to think ... Good coffee involves more than the barista - there's the growers/harvesters/sorters, the roasters, and the barista's. The quality of the coffee is only as good as the weakest link in the chain. If the barista has no idea what they're doing, they can seriously damage the best grown/picked/sorted and roasted beans around ... but then the farmers could absolutely suck, and the roaster and barista don't have much to work with. It makes me think about the bad coffee's I've had from good places. Places that I've experienced to have good coffee, yet for some reason, I can remember taking the first sip, making a face and looing at the cup wondering what I just swallowed. Normally, I would have thought, 'man this cafe is going downhill', or 'that barista must be having a bad day'. But sometimes, they're not to blame - it could be a bad roast, or a bad bean ... makes me think twice now when I have a bad coffee (even my own), that it might not be the barista's fault. Important as they are...

Remus · August 2005

matty if my wife wants to make the coffee, i ask for tea. ;D

mattyj · August 2005

I've found a trick for that remus ... tell her you'll teach her how to make a really good coffee. draw out your lesson as much as possible - explaining absolutely every variable you can think of in great depth. She'll get bored pretty soon and let you make it!

pab · August 2005

These days the word Barista is been thrown with too much ease due to the increasing popularity of coffee. Kinda like the way "celebrity" has lost it's status due shows like Big Brother and Austrlian Idol - everyone wants to jump on the band wagon and ulitmately the title loses its meaning and status. Almost any trade these days such as carpentry, electricians have lost their value due to the outsourcing of cheaper labour, cheaper prices (with the same margin). One thing that the true Barista will always have is their pride in their own craft and not the chase for the adulation of others!!! "I know this because Tyler knows this".

Matthew_White · August 2005

One thing that the true Barista will always have is their pride in their own craft and not the chase for the adulation of others!!!

Too true! My proudest moment as a barista was when a customer sent a coffee back because it tasted too good. She didn't believe it was decaf!! :D

Trussell · August 2005

ha ha ha fantastic we get that alot with skinny one woman yesterday demanded a refund because she couldn't drink full cream milk, Even though we made it entirely with skinny guess she'd never tried textured milk before :P I agree pab, i reakon we need to burn a big PF scar on real baristas shoulder with a hot PF to signify a master barista or something heh heh. mind you, i think mr. super auto dealer was discarding baristas as having any part in decent coffee

Lovey · August 2005

There is too much focus on gold plating the end user of the bean - the 'so called baristas'

At least they're only gold plating the end user of the bean, and not the bean's themselves, it would make it very hard to put them through the grinder. ;D All the best, Steve.

Fastcar · August 2005

Fastcar's quote of the day: TO WHOEVER THINKS THAT THE BARISTA DOESN'T MATTER - You can have the best car in the world, with the best fuel, driving in the most amazing place - but if you can't drive the car ...

JM · August 2005

Hey Mathew, that's a fantastic comment! >My proudest moment as a barista was when a customer sent a coffee back because it tasted too good. She didn't believe it was decaf!!

Unknown · August 2005

Okay guys, Lick the portafilter...stamp it onto the skin.. get out the lye... Rule #1 of Baristi...

Trussell · August 2005

does that mean this thread is over :P

Unknown · August 2005

How are we recognisible to each other tho?

ausrs · August 2005

How are we recognisible to each other tho?

coffee stained palms !!!!

Unknown · August 2005

Or the cranky faces early in the morning before coffee. (BC) ;D

andybud · January 2006

There is too much focus on gold plating the end user of the bean - the 'so called baristas'( lets agree, the are all coffee makers).Perhaps the boys who fly to America to be told how to 'do it right', could stay home and put some time into their ,below average blends.The coffee world would be a much better place.Stay true to the path my brothers and sisters, for the only truth is in the cup. - The Coffee Monk

They are all coffee makers are they? How little you know.

One-a-day · January 2006

Why would you go to america to learn how to make coffee? I thought Italy would be the logical place to go for real old skool education.

nzroaster · January 2006

First off, this threead is doing nothing but trolling. This is a coffee/cafe discussion forum and anyone who discounts proffessional baristas is trying to wind people up, or got lost looking for the starbucks chatroom. I have been having a discussion lately regarding espresso coffee with many others in the industry. In Italy, coffee is drank as a pick me up, an espresso downed instantly and you are on your way. In the rest of the world, coffee is sipped over a conversation, generally milk based drinks are consumed and if you think about it, coffee is a social thing where you relax over a cup. So given as how the way we drink espresso is different from Italy, why would you train there. It is the same as Italian blends(roasted in Italy, or imitated locally), we are not drinking espresso for the same reasons, so develope a local culture. Personally for training I would look no further than Australasia. Australia and NZ have some excellent baristas, amognst the best in the world.

Lukey · January 2006

coffee stained palms !!!!

dont forget the calloused and cracked index finger on your pouring hand. although, i've been using that cream that is used for cracked feet and heels and is working quite well. that is if anyone cares. he he luke

Nico · January 2006

Thought I would sit here and read through lot as it's too bloody hot to do much else and there has been some very interesting comments but the best I think was just made by nzroaster. We are all different in almost all we do so why should we try to be like the Germans or the Italians or Americans. They all do what they do because that's the way they like it and as someone once said "Life wasn't meant to be easy" so do it your way because that's the way you like it. As for the Barista's who said we don't need them but there are Barista's and then there are Barista's and the car analogy was great, if you can't drive it don't make the Coffee. Nico.

refuel · January 2006

I think an important point was made by NZ about the difference in coffee experience. Here in Canada, (unfortunately) it's about getting in a drive thru lineup and drinking average drip brewed coffee. If it is a coffee house, it is more about the sit-read-chat experience than good coffee. In France it is all about sitting at the cafe (usually outdoor with vehicle traffic) so you can chat for an hour while you wait for your shot and be able to pay for it. (As a go-go-go tourist this didn't suit me well). Germany basically had Italian espresso cafes and nice cafes if you wanted some (amazing) Kuchen and a nice coffee. Note- the Germans (and Swiss and Austrians) are very picky with their food and coffee so quality was high. Coffee-wise I thought Italy was great. You go to the bar, they serve you, you get your shot and you are on your way. (Excellent while on 100km rides in Tuscany). For this reason I would argue that Italy is a good place to learn to be a Barista since it was not about the experience of sitting and chatting - only the coffee. Add to that, I am sure the locals would shun the place if they produced a lousy product. Needless to say, they did serve an excellent espresso. Not only that, the Baristas were charming (even with a language barrier), loved what they were doing, and were thrilled to see me pleased with their espresso. Like I mentioned, Italian cafes are about the coffee - nothing else. I can not say the same for the other countries I mentioned as well as others I have visited because in those countries you are also there for the experience of being there. If they served a half-decent product, people would still return. Did someone mention extreme heat? It is -20^C here. Time for a ski.

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