The World of the Barista Coffee Maker

A barista coffee maker is an expert in the field of making and serving coffee in a coffee house or espresso bar. Coffee is not just the everyday, rather synthetic granular stuff in a jar, to which you add boiling water. Real coffee is a drink, like wine, that is open to many interpretations, and is capable of various nuances and subtleties.

The rise of the coffee bars in the 1950’s was a nod in the direction of coffee as an alternative to alcohol as a sociable drink, although the emphasis was on rather bland, frothy coffee.

Some Europeans like the Scandinavians, and particularly the Italians have long appreciated the taste of real coffee, and the Italians invented the espresso machine which forces hot water under pressure, through finely ground coffee to extract the maximum amount of flavour.

Espresso coffee is of a thicker consistency than ordinary coffee, sometimes almost syrupy, and retains many of the oils and chemical compounds from the roasted beans.

The “café espresso” or espresso is the basis for several variations of coffee beverage, such as the latte, cappuccino, macchiato, mocha, and Americano.

The Italians began producing machines to make café espresso at the start of the 20th century, using a lever to operate a spring-loaded piston, hence the term “pulling a shot”. These days pressure is usually generated by steam or a pump.

Although there are automatic espresso machines available, many coffee houses or espresso bars prefer to have a barista coffee maker to take charge of preparing espressos in order to give more control and versatility to the art of preparing drinks to customers’ individual preferences.

A good barista coffee maker can turn a cup of coffee into a work of art

The barista has the knowledge regarding the different types of gourmet coffees, the grinding, the extraction times, water temperature and quality, in order to get the best result from different espresso machines.

They are also skilled in pouring techniques like frothing, and also garnishing techniques such as adding a signature. A good barista knows precisely how much hot water should be forced through the mesh in a machine, and for how long.

If the time is too short the espresso will be weak and watery, while if too long, the result could be unpalatably strong. A barista has knowledge of alcoholic drinks that can be mixed with coffee to form a variety of specialised beverages or liqueur coffees.

The intimate knowledge of a machine’s capabilities makes a good barista coffee maker indispensable to a coffee shop

As befitting their specialist status, some wear a special jacket or uniform. The training might be undertaken at a special school, or might be learned on the job. As with many skills, there is no substitute for experience and this takes time.

A barista can hone his or her skills by competing in national and international competitions. The ultimate is the World Barista Championship, which takes place every year in a different country, and the competitors are drawn from the winners of national competitions.

In America there are regional barista competitions hosted by the Specialty Coffee association of America, (SCAA), and in Europe there are barista competitions at local, regional, and national levels.

In competitions the contestants are judged on the quality and taste of their beverages, and also on their technique and presentation. There is usually a time limit of 15 minutes for each presentation, plus 15 minutes of preparation time.

Each contender has to prepare 4 espressos, 4 cappuccinos, and 4 signature drinks, whilst giving a commentary of ingredients and methods to the judges as if they were customers in a coffee shop.

The signature drink ..

.. is an original creation by the competitor, allowing the display of imagination in combining flavors, and style in appearance. A winner a few years back was able to wow the judges with a unique creation called “Insieme” using raw sugar, egg yolks, curry, bittersweet chocolate, and milk! This is certainly not something that most people would have thought of.

Being a barista coffee maker or “mixologist” requires attention to detail on a daily basis, but is a career with a special appeal to the right kind of person who is able to work efficiently, but also express themselves along the way.

The seeking of the ultimate espresso could be likened to painting the perfect picture, and the barista could be said to be an artist in coffee.

Want to become a Barista yourself? Take this online training course made by a pro.

Return from Barista Coffee Maker to more Coffee Facts