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The Best Barista Tips

Fully automatic coffee machines conjure up the perfect coffee with just a few button presses. With the right barista tips you can still refine your coffee.

This is how coffee succeeds according to individual requirements – our tips

So there is much more behind the preparation of a coffee than just the pure activity of the coffee machine. With our barista tips we bring you the world of coffee creations a little closer and show you interesting interesting tricks for preparing your personal favorite coffee. The effectiveness and effectiveness of this advice is confirmed by the daily application of Barista professionals.

It depends on the bean!
First you should consider choosing the right coffee bean and the degree of roasting. Already here you can have a significant impact on the ultimate taste, the expression of the bitter substances and the flavors. The roasting process should not be more than a week to a maximum of two months. Older espresso and coffee beans lose freshness and taste.

The optimal degree of grinding
Even during the subsequent grinding of the beans, some things have to be considered for the best possible “coffee flour”. With coffee machines or fully automatic machines, of course, you have no major influence on grinding -but can make different settings depending on the device. With coffee grinders, the use of flat grinding discs is recommended for grinding espresso. If the coffee is ground too rough, important components do not dissolve and there is a acidic taste. If the coffee is too fine, bitter substances and cellulose escape. So the middle ground is perfect. Incidentally, the distribution and the tumor in a portafilter also works perfectly.

Cleaning the coffee machine
So that you can enjoy a coffee with a constant taste and with the best properties, you should always pay attention to cleaning your coffee machine. This is of fundamental importance for the end product, but is unfortunately often underestimated and neglected. Residues, meals and clogged lines ensure that the desired taste is falsified and reduce the quality of the coffee. Modern machines score with self -cleaning programs and easy to clean components.

Good water for good coffee
When it comes to barista tips, not only the type of coffee and the corresponding machine is crucial. Since coffee drinks are 98 % of water, you should also pay attention to the optimal water supply. The degree of hardness and the purity of the water also decide on the taste. A high limestone content or a bad pH is, for example, rather counterproductive and lead to an unpleasant aftertaste.

The right cup
With regard to the coffee cups, it can be clearly said that these should preferably consist of thick porcelain. They can be pre -warmed up with the help of fully automatic coffee machines and save the warmth of the coffee better than thin tea cups or glasses with just one wall. In addition, the cup is ideally round and without edges. It is worthwhile to let the Crema run into the cup over the edge and not to pour as perch. So it does not tear and optimally rounds off the coffee.

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Cooking Tips

What Exactly is a Barista?

Being a barista is all about coffee, whether it’s preparing, roasting or using the espresso machine.

The coffee expert – a barista

In this country, a barista is a coffee expert. Usually the barista works in an espresso bar or a coffee shop. The barista not only takes care of the correct preparation of various coffee specialties. He (or she) also keeps an eye on the perfect roasting of the coffee beans, knows the technical finesse of the espresso machine and presents his coffee specialties in an appealing way. In short, coffee enjoyment is guaranteed with a qualified barista.

The training of a barista

The term originally comes from Italian and means bartender. In Italy, the barista is an apprenticeship. Here the activity includes the preparation and serving of all kinds of drinks and is not limited to the preparation of coffee specialties. At the international level, the meaning of the term barista has shifted and means exclusively a specialist in the preparation of espresso-based coffee specialties. But be careful, the term barista is not protected, so anyone can call themselves a barista.
In Italy, the barista is an apprenticeship.
There are also no binding standards when it comes to training baristas.

A life between art and technology – everyday life of a barista

The day-to-day work of a barista is as varied as the world of coffee. The barista is artist and technician at the same time. A barista knows everything about the right temperature, the right degree of grinding and the right pressure for an espresso machine. His work also requires extensive knowledge of coffee types, different roasting processes and a technical understanding of the professional maintenance of the espresso machines. In addition, the barista is communicative and knows how to sell his coffee specialties. But that’s not all, a barista can be a real artist.

Latte Art – the special art of coffee

Many know the barista not only as a specialist when it comes to coffee, but also as a creative artist when decorating the milk froth. This special art, which not all baristas can master, is called “latte art”. The milk froth serves as a canvas, on which true works of art are created with the help of stencils and pens. Whether simple symbols or entire images, the barista’s art is ephemeral, but precisely because of that it is beautiful. In addition to artistic talent, the right consistency of the milk froth and the optimal pouring of the milk into the cup are also crucial. The best artists regularly compete in competitions. Even world champions have been crowned.

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Cooking Tips

Latte Art: This is How Barista Art Works

How does the heart actually get into the milk froth of a cappuccino? Anyone who has always wondered how the artistic motifs get into the milk crown of a coffee drink will find out all the important information about latte art in this article.

What is latte art?

Latte art is the predominant method for creating beautiful patterns and decorations on the surface of coffee. By pouring the milk froth – or the milk – in a special way, patterns and images are worked into the surface of the drink. Popular patterns are the heart, the fern leaf and the swan. The motifs can even be combined with a little practice.

In addition to simple pouring, there are also many tools that can be used for more precise and extensive creations. For example, pens, stencils or chocolate syrup can be used. The master of latte art is the so-called barista. He is responsible for artistic and tasty coffee creations. In the meantime, even championships for the most beautiful latte art are held.

Dense crema thanks to Robusta

Since the espresso is first poured into the bulbous cup, the crema should have a thick consistency and a hazelnut-brown colour. In this way, optimal motifs can be created in it. If a part of Robusta is in the coffee beans, a stable crema should succeed. The slightly reduced oil content compared to Arabica is an advantage here.

Milk (alternative) needs protein

The quality of the milk foam plays an important role so that the barista can fully develop his artistic streak, after all, the foam is the artist’s canvas. The milk froth must be of optimal consistency, temperature and density.

Which milk or milk alternative is used to prepare the milk froth can be decided individually. The most important thing is the protein content. The protein gives the foam its stability and density. The fat content makes the milk foam creamy and looks good.

Many prefer fresh whole milk, but condensed milk and UHT milk work just as well. Milk alternatives are also suitable for producing a nice milk froth. Frothing works particularly well with soy, oat, almond or spelled milk. We even recorded this in an in-house test.

In general, care should be taken to ensure that the milk froth has a dense, creamy consistency that is not too firm.

Equipment needed

Mastering latte art is a lot harder than it first appears. The barista needs:

Espresso, either from the portafilter or the fully automatic coffee machine
Milk frother or a steam wand
milk jug
Bulbous cup, e.g. for cappuccino

Good to know: milk can be foamed on professional fully automatic machines or produced manually using a steam lance. Both are possible.
The cup should ideally have a round bottom and open upwards. A wide opening offers space for pouring in the motifs. The ideal size for the milk jug is 0.6 to 1 liter. The espresso is now used as the basis for the new coffee creation. The actual work begins with pouring the milk froth.

Step 1: Frothing the milk

For frothing, the milk jug should only be filled halfway, as the volume can quickly double during the frothing process. In addition, the milk should be chilled before frothing, as the milk froth must not be warmer than 60 to 70 degrees. Otherwise it will fall apart.

The most important factor in frothing is the pulling and rolling movement of the milk in the jug. It doesn’t matter whether the milk is set in motion via the frother of the portafilter machine or by means of an electric milk frother. First, air is drawn under the surface of the milk. The rotation of the milk distributes the air in the milk and creates foam. For even better creaminess, the milk froth is then swirled around. You can find out more about this in our article on milk foam.

Step 2: Pour in the milk froth

Incidentally, after frothing, pouring should be done quite quickly, since the foam and milk can separate again within about 20 seconds. The desired pattern is now created when pouring the milk froth into the espresso.

The cup with the espresso must be held at a 45 degree angle. Begin pouring from the deepest part of the cup, pouring in the frothed milk in a circular motion to create a base. The crema rises to the edge of the cup and the color is a nice, even brown. Now place the pot with the spout close to the surface of the coffee and carefully pour the pattern into the crema. The angle of the cup becomes smaller and smaller until the cup is full.

The most popular motifs for latte art

Not every motif is equally suitable for learning latte art. We have compiled a few of the most popular milk froth artworks per level for you here.

beginner

The following works of art are ideal for beginners:
heart
Sun
shamrock

Advanced

If you already have some barista skills, then you will like these motifs:
fern leaf
Rosette
star

professional

The absolute latte art professionals can be recognized by these motifs in the coffee:
swan
Angel

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Culture

The Profession of Barista – More Than Just Making Coffee

It is no longer just the coffee-to-go or a simple filter coffee. We combine a cup of coffee with aromatic coffee enjoyment and different coffee variations. But who actually conjures up the stylish little milk froth images on the surface of our coffee? It is the barista who conjures up a true work of art from a simple cup of coffee and turns coffee drinking into an experience for us. The term barista comes from the Italian and means nothing else than bartender. Roughly speaking, the profession of barista describes the activity of professionally preparing coffee in an espresso bar or a café. Much more important, however, is the passion and lifeblood of a barista, with whom every coffee creation becomes a work of art.

With know-how and passion to become a true barista artist

A barista is a true artist in his field. Passion and a fine taste make him a specialist in preparing various coffee specialties. A good barista can do them all: a strong and aromatic espresso, a frothy cappuccino or an excellent latte macchiato.

To prepare the perfect coffee, a barista needs a certain amount of theoretical knowledge and practical skills:

Theoretical knowledge for the barista profession
physical understanding
Knowledge about different types of coffee
Knowledge of coffee roasts and grinds

Practical knowledge for the barista profession
special care in the preparation
Brew coffee for the best aroma result
Operation and maintenance of an espresso machine and coffee grinder
frothing milk
Communication skills in dealing with customers
Professional customer advice
latte art
Is there training to become a barista?
There is no classic recognized training to become a barista. However, you can take part in courses and seminars with a final certificate in order to learn how to be a barista. The term barista is not protected, so in principle anyone can call themselves a barista.

Working as a barista – organization & passion

In addition to the passion for latte art and the magic of phenomenal works of art on the milk froth of the coffee, there is much more that characterizes a good barista. In addition to the technical understanding of the professional maintenance of the coffee machines, a good barista must be communicative when dealing with his guests.

Friendliness, empathy and helpfulness characterize the character traits of a barista. The barista job can be quite stressful, so baristas should be very organized. Most baristas develop their own system over time. Among other things, it can be helpful to consider which are the most popular coffee specialties.

Win coffee competitions as a barista

Trained baristas have the opportunity to compete against other coffee specialists to demonstrate their passion for coffee. In Germany, for example, there is the “German Barista Championship” once a year, in which all participants show their skills in the disciplines of cappuccino, espresso and their own creations.

Are you an absolute coffee lover and would like to drink a delicious, freshly prepared cappuccino or latte macchiato in your office that tastes like it was freshly made by a barista?

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