Caffe Society Blog» Barista Tips

Creating the perfect latte has become an art form in itself.

Phil — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 09:48:56 +0000

With a little practice, latte art can become second nature. Technique is everything; get it right and your lattes will bring a smile to the face of latte lovers. Get it wrong however and your customers could be left wondering what went wrong with their coffee!

For effective results, you will need to assemble the right materials. A wide mouth cup is ideal. You will also need a good pitcher and a decent shaker. The key is in mastering the skill of pouring the milk at a steady, even rate while simultaneously shaking the pitcher – again with an even tempo. The pitcher should be raised gradually as you pour. The less milk in the pitcher, the higher you will need to tilt it.

Whilst mastering the art can appear difficult at first, once you have perfected the skill it is possible to create a multitude of attractive designs. Classic designs like stars, hearts and flowers are firm favourites, but there is also room for innovation. Latte art is a great way to add an individual touch to your coffee; shamrock designs for an Irish coffee for example, or artistic swirls and patterns for a more offbeat approach.

Getting latte art right does require a degree of time and patience and few become an expert overnight. As with so many things, practice makes perfect so do keep trying. Once you have mastered the skill of latte art, the world is your oyster when it comes to making creative coffee.

For more information take a look at our Barista Tips and look out for some new videos coming soon.

Latte dog

Matt — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 16:47:44 +0000

Just though I would drop this in here, a little bit of latte art done by our good friend Paul Meikle-Janney.
A latte dog, not to be confused with a dog latte which I’m sure is not pleasant.
This was done between filming on a coffee machine in our showroom.

How to froth milk (Video) – Barista Tips

Dennis — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 08:16:00 +0000

The last video of this set is how to froth milk on a traditional coffee machine with the steam wand.
As with the others, the video stars Paul Meikle-Janney who first talks through the steps of frothing milk, then goes through the process with a close up, so you can see how it’s done.

Paul shows that with a little practice superbly frothed milk is not too hard to achieve and once mastered allows you to make superb cappuccinos, lattes, macchiatos and all the other milk based coffee drinks.

How to make a cappuccino – Barista Tips

Matt — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 09:29:10 +0000

This barista tips video is how to make a cappuccino, shown on the Brasilia Excelsior with Paul Meikle-Janney, Head Judge for the World Latte Art Championship.

Follow the steps and with a bit of practice you will be able to make the perfect cappuccino.

How to make a latte – Barista Tips

Dennis — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 10:16:19 +0000

Our next barista video tip, how to make a latte builds on the how to make an espresso video, to show the technique needed to make this classic drink.
Again thanks go to the video’s star, Paul Meikle-Janney, Head Judge for the World Latte Art Championship.

How to make an espresso – Video Barista Tips

Phil — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 15:55:52 +0000

Welcome to the first of our video Barista tips, how to make an espresso.
Thanks go to the video’s star, Paul Meikle-Janney, Head Judge for the World Latte Art Championship.

Watch out for more video barista tips coming very soon.

How To Tamp Coffee – Barista Tips

Phil — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 15:49:25 +0000

1 – Make sure you start with good, fresh coffee beans!

2 – Grind 7 grams of coffee, 14 grams for a double, into your group handle and give the handle a light shake to even the ground coffee out.

3 – With a slightly curled finger spread the grounds out, they should be level with the top of the handle’s basket.

4 – For a first tamp apply a light pressure, approximately 5lbs*, to form a puck shape with the coffee grounds.

5 – The final tamp should be around 30lbs*, which will produce a compact puck for the water to evenly filter through.

6 – While still applying pressure, rotate the tamper through 720° to leave a smooth even top to the compacted coffee.

7 – Check the puck is smooth and level. If there is any cracks or if it lopsided the water will flow through it quickly leaving a bitter taste.

8 – Once you are happy with the puck, place the group handle in your coffee machine and make your espresso.

9 – The whole process should not take any longer than 30 seconds, so keep practicing to get it right.

*A good way to learn how to apply the right amount of pressure, is to practice on a bathroom scale.

Espresso Machine Troubleshooting – Barista Tips

Dennis — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:09:49 +0000

NB: This guide is reproduced with kind permission of Brasilia, renowned manufacturer of espresso machines.
Although the problems and solutions provided relate 100% to Brasilia machines, most are also relevant to all other brands of traditional espresso machine.

Problem	Possible Cause	Solution
Stop button light on touch pad flashing	Water turned off at mains	Ensure water is turned on at mains
Stop button light on touch pad flashing	Too much water drawn off at one time from the hot water tap	Turn machine off at on/off switch. Wait 10 seconds then turn to position 1 (on). Ensure the boiler fills by checking the water level gauge. If the stop lights flash on the touch pad repeat the procedure. When the boiler fill light goes out, turn the on/off switch to position 2 (element symbol) and wait 15-20 minutes for the machine to reach temperature (needle on right hand side of gauge in red band).
Unable to froth milk	Steam pressure is low or slow	Check boiler pressure is at 1.0 bar (needle on right hand side of gauge in red band). Check machine is switched to to position 2 (element symbol) on on/off switch.
	Steam nozzle blocked	Remove and clean
	Milk quality	Try a new batch of milk
	Attempted to re-froth boiled milk	Discard contents of milk jug, wash thoroughly and refroth with fresh milk.
Cold Coffee	Machine not up to operating temperature	Ensure machine is switched to to position 2 (element symbol). Wait 15-20 minutes for machine to reach temperature 1.0 bar (needle on right hand side of gauge in red band).
	Filter holders not hot	Lock filter holders into brewing group heads and flush hot water through by pressing the jug button for 1 minute, press the stop button. Always leave the filter holders locked into brewing group heads after coffee has been made to maintain temperature.
	Cold cups	Ensure pre-heated cups are always used.
Coffee dispenses too slowly	Blocked brewing group head	Use filter holder with blind filter basket and clean as per daily cleaning.
	Too much coffee in filter holder	Check correct filter basket in filter holder. ie. single filter basket for one measure of coffee in single filter holder, double filter basket for two measures of coffee in double filter holder.
	Check operating pump pressure is at 9 bar	Run water through brewing group head with the filter holder containing coffee and check needle on left hand side of gauge reads 9.0 bar (in blue band)
	Grind set too fine	Change grinder setting
	Coffee in filter holder is over compressed (tamped)	Discard coffee from filter holder, replenish from grinder and tamp with correct pressure.
Coffee dispenses too quickly	Not enough coffee in filter holder	Check correct filter basket in filter holder. ie. single filter basket for one measure of coffee in single filter holder, double filter basket for two measures of coffee in double filter holder.
	Grind set too coarse	Change grinder setting
	Coffee in filter holder is not compressed (tamped) enough	Discard coffee from filter holder, replenish from grinder and tamp with correct pressure.
Filter holder is difficult to load into brewing group head	Too much coffee on filter holder	Check correct filter basket in filter holder. ie. single filter basket for one measure of coffee in single filter holder, double filter basket for two measures of coffee in double filter holder.
Filter holder is difficult to load into brewing group head	Group gasket damaged	Gasket needs replacing Call service helpline on 0845 4500500
Coffee leaking from brewing group head / filter holder	Coffee build up on gasket	Use filter holder with blind filter basket and clean as per daily cleaning.
	Filter basket damaged	Filter basket needs replacing Call service helpline on 0845 4500500
	Group gasket damaged	Gasket needs replacing Call service helpline on 0845 4500500
Leaking from front of the machine under drip tray / grill	Waste pipe / box blocked	Lift off drip tray and clean out waste box and waste pipe. Remove any coffee deposits with a damp cloth, run hot water into the box until the flow is clear.
Leaking from front of the machine under drip tray / grill	Boiler overflow	Turn on/off switch on machine to off position. Call service helpline on 0845 4500500
Leaking from back of machine	Boiler overflow	Turn on/off switch on machine to off position Call service helpline on 0845 4500500
Incorrect coffee level in cup	Incorrect dose set on touch pad	Touch pad needs resetting. Call service helpline on 0845 4500500
Incorrect coffee level in cup	Incorrect button on touch pad selected	Check touch pad diagram to ensure correct use of buttons

How To Backflush an Espresso Machine – Barista Tips

Matt — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 10:36:09 +0000

1 – Remove the filter basket from the group handles and soak these in cold water overnight.

2 – Fit your blind backflush disk or rubber blanking disc (this is used with the filter basket still in the group handle)

3 – With the blank fitted, add one heaped tablespoon of espresso cleaner to the group handle. Place this into the espresso machine and press the espresso button to flush water around the group and the various pipes. Allow this to run for 10 seconds.

4 – Remove the group handle from the espresso machine and empty out any water, cleaner and coffee grounds.

5 – Repeat steps 3 & 4 for 5-6 times with just clean water, do NOT add anymore espresso cleaner. This will remove the espresso cleaner and any coffee grounds. This is very important because if not washed out, the espresso cleaner will taint the first couple of coffees made the next day.

6 – With the group handle removed, gently clean the group seal using a circular motion with a group head cleaning brush.

7 – Place the group handle back in the espresso machine and run through with clean water one more time.

8 – Repeat steps 1-7 for any other group handles on the espresso machine.

9 – Once a week the group handles should be soaked to remove the coffee oils.

10 – Do this by placing them handle up, in a large bowl type container and fill with boiling water just to the top of the metal baskets. Make sure that the rubber handles are not in the water as this can damage them. Add to this one teaspoon of espresso cleaner and leave overnight.

11 – The following day rinse the handles thoroughly with fresh water to remove any cleaner.

Following these simple steps will remove the coffee and coffee oils build up and ensure that you are selling the best tasting coffees.

Watch out for our video guide on how to backflush an espresso machine coming soon!

Care and Storage of Coffee Beans – Barista Tips

Dennis — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 09:18:22 +0000

1 – Always keep the beans in a cool, dry place.

2 – Make sure they are out of the light, either in a non transparent container or in a cupboard.

3 – Don’t store the beans in a fridge. Fridges are full of moisture and beans should always be kept as dry as possible.

4 – Only put the amount of beans in the hopper you will need for the day, or for even better results top up through out the day.

5 – If you don’t manage to get through a full bag in a day, roll down the top of the bag as far as possible and hold it down with an elastic band or adhesive tape. The aim here is to seal out as much air as is possible.

6 – Don’t fill the hopper at the end of the day, always fill it on a morning or when needed.

7 – Don’t leave ground coffee in the hopper for too long. The taste starts to deteriorate after just 30 minutes and it loses its flavour within 2 hours. For best results use an on demand coffee grinder for fresh ground coffee every time.

8 – Coffee beans in valved packaging have an average 12 months shelf life, but the coffee is at its peak within the first 3 months.