Jun 07 2010
Coffee Art
A well-trained barista is a master of coffee art. Coffee shops that employ true baristas often have customers who come in simply to watch them at their craft. Practically anyone can pour a cup of coffee from a pot of drip brew. A barista on the other hand can create a seemingly endless list of coffee based drinks. They are quite simply the most important person in the coffee shop.
The barista is more than someone trained to pull an espresso and add hot milk. Like the wine steward, the barista is a highly skilled person who takes their craft seriously. There are competitions, magazines, trade shows and organizations designed just for the barista and their dedication to perfecting their craft. Dedicated baristas know how to make coffee using many different methods and they also stay up to date on the different types of coffees and regions where they are grown.
Baristas who are up-to-date on the different types of coffee are able to educate customers and introduce new coffees to the mainstream simply through these discussions. While making one customers drink the barista can be explaining the newest coffee beans or blends to hit the market. He or she will be able to explain the coffee’s taste, body and acidity. They may also be able to offer a sample. This is just one way in which the barista is a master of coffee art.
A barista’s education is usually old school training by another barista. Coffee shops and houses typically have someone on board who is their top barista and is in charge of training newbies. This training or education doesn’t stop at the coffee shop level. The love of the art pushes the barista to learn more and better techniques for preparing the best coffee drinks. The Internet and videos on the Internet have made it easier to learn more and more about the art of serving coffee and coffee drinks.
The popularity of the barista and coffee shops has also brought some formal education classes into being. Cooking schools have added barista classes to their programs and are helping to advance the training of the barista. These classes help to teach the barista about the many different coffee drinks along with the history of coffee and the many ways to brew coffee.
In addition to learning the different coffee drinks that customers will order, the barista must also learn what the different tools of the trade are, including a multitude of coffee makers from other countries that are sometimes requested. The French press is one such coffee maker that some customers prefer. Other tools are the frother, milk steamer, coffee grinder, and tamper, to name just a few.
A well-trained barista can find a lucrative career pulling shots in the local coffee shop; Skills must be honed and kept up-to-date to stay competitive with other coffee shops. In the end the barista’s biggest critic is going to be the customer. They want more than a hot coffee drink; they want a knowledgeable barista who can advise them on their choices.
-Sharon Chapman
Also, visit AllCoffeeArt.com for more on coffee art!