Doing the best with what you've got..

[William Fendler]

I've been struggling with this ever since I visited a few exceptional specialty shops, and gone to the Minneapolis Barista Jam and have worked hard at becoming a better barista over the last year.

I work at a Dunn Bros, where we roast in store every day, so we have some pretty good, fresh beans, but we use the 'automatic' buttons and one of the lever tamps. So we don't have any control over temperature settings or anything like that on our machine. Our manager allows some of us, who want to learn hand tamping, to use one that he has, but it gets tough with the volume we have downtown. Baristas are moving around constantly from bar to register as well, so it's tough to get things set and then it switches the next minute.

So, what would all of you suggest for trying to become a much better barista in a store setting that requires high speed, where the equipment isn't necessarily the best and some of the baristas just don't care that much.

Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks
-William.



EDIT : Just noticed I posted in the completely wrong category. I apologize.

[Julian Gan]

Hey William,

First off, I'd like to commend your dedication to your job and wanting to improve your skills. I can understand your frustration where you simply don't have the time or the facilities to learn new things; I've definitely been in that environment, before.

Just so I have an understanding of your equipment, when you mean "lever tamper" is it one of those spring-loaded contraptions attached to the front of the grinder, where you just rest the portafilter on the holder and then push down (like this: http://coffeegeek.com/reviews/accessories/autotamper)?

Is your machine a "super-automatic" (like Starbucks) where all the grinding, dosing, tamping and pulling is contained within a single unit? Or, do you grind/tamp separately into a standard portafilter, lock it into the machine's grouphead, and then push the button for single/double shot (i.e. "automatic")?

If you're tamper is like the one I described, and your machine is NOT super-automatic, then I can certainly give some suggestions.

Hand tamping, once you get the general gist of it, doesn't take much longer to do than using one of those lever-press things. It's all about applying the exact same amount of force every single time, so that your technique is consistent. Now, how does one go about learning how to tamp properly? The internet is always a solid jumping-off point; YouTube, etc. have some decent how-to videos recorded by "pro" baristas; however, there is almost always a slightly different "technique." For a more hands-on approach, I'd suggest to hit up one of the local specialty coffee shops: spend some time getting to know the baristas and share with them your interest in learning. They'll most certainly give you some tips to point you in the right direction, and depending on how laid-back the store is, you might even be able to score a lesson behind their counter (but don't ask for it)!
Learning it is dandy and all, but it's all about practice: in a store where you're pressed for time and people are expecting their espresso-based drinks faster than drip, I can see the challenge. My advice: do it whenever you have a window of opportunity where you can spare a couple extra seconds on a drink. Maybe practice before a shift?

Alternatively, you could try a more invested approach, and purchase a small home espresso machine, grinder, and tamper: a complete beginner's set would probably cost ~$500 for anything that isn't something from a department store catalogue. Then, you have all the time in the world to practice at home!

I've even brought my own tamper and cappuccino cup to work even though we do have all of the proper equipment. However, I just prefer the weight and balance of my own tamper, and we don't have any traditional 6oz cappuccino cups. Do my co-workers make fun of me for it? All the time. But I do it because I have an invested interest in being a barista, not just someone in it for some quick money.

Ultimately, if you feel like your workplace environment is holding you back from self-improvement, then it might be time to scout out some other prospective workplaces. Many of us started our barista careers working at a Starbucks or similar joint; it's all a matter of moving up in the ranks.

Rant over :)

[William Fendler]

Julian Gan said:

Hey William,
First off, I'd like to commend your dedication to your job and wanting to improve your skills. I can understand your frustration where you simply don't have the time or the facilities to learn new things; I've definitely been in that environment, before...

Hey thanks for all the advice! This definitely helps.
To answer your questions; Yes, that is the tamper we use. And our machine is similar to this, http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41ku7V6fpxL._SL160_.jpg , sorry about the small picture.
I will definitely check out youtube.

Maybe this will just take some searching online, but at the Barista Jam a few months ago, we were taught a lot using a bottomless portafilter, but we don't use those at my store, so how do you go about noticing things like channeling and whatnot when trying to get tamping down correctly?

The store I am at is actually the headquarters for the company, so our manager cares about coffee a lot and is pretty knowledgeable and has taught me a lot about milk texturing/frothing/latte art, etc.., so that has been a lot of help, but the majority of the staff is still continuing to use a lot of 'shortcuts' and cut corners, so I just would like to hear outsiders' opinions from those who actually practice these techniques and really pay attention to detail, to learn how to do better with what I've got in an environment where people don't really care too much.



Thanks again for the help!

[Christopher Zimmerman]

Julian is right on... Like many other baristas I started in the game at a place where my co-workers didn't care about bettering the quality of their drinks and it was not enforced by management... I love to know that you are trying to continuously improve your skills as I am in the same boat... I just recently moved and gained employment at a great shop that holds quality at an utmost importance... I have learned more about quality in the last 2 months than I could have ever thought important...

As far as learning about your shots and hand tamping, I have to say experiment... And it sucks to say, it's an investment... If you can, get a machine for your place and a decent grinder... I just picked up a machine and grinder for 150 on craigslist... There are good things out there, they are just hard to find... I looked for about a year and a half before I found something I liked and felt comfortable buying...

Going off of what Julian said:
"It's all about applying the exact same amount of force every single time, so that your technique is consistent."
A bathroom scale works great for gauging your tamp pressure... 30-50 lbs is good, the key is the consistency... I have heard that the harder you tamp the less crema you get on your shots but have not played around enough with that to come to any conclusions myself...

As for channeling in your shots... It's hard to tell w/o a naked portafilter... If the portafilter you are using is a 2 spout then you want to look for even flow from both sides for a good shot... And adjust the grind for the proper flow rate... I would recommend timing the "flow" on the machine at your work since the machine is what is timing your shot... I would guess it's somewhere around 30 seconds... So your volume would be around 2oz in that time... If your machine does a predetermined volume you want to do that last exercise in reverse...

The problem with multiple baristas moving from machine to register is a tough one... In a perfect world everyone would use the same grind and dose exactly the same to pull perfect shots... But we are not the same... My only suggestions on that topic are:
1. Have ONE person set up to pull shots... If that's possible...
2. Try and set some kind of consistent standard for all employees to follow as far as dosing and tamp... This is nearly impossible to do BUT if everyone works at it all the pucks will be dosed within a gram or so... (As mentioned this is especially hard to do if the other employees don't care :-(... )

I hope this helps and wasn't too confusing.
Happy travels,
Chris

[Micah Svejda]

William--

I commend your dedication to improving your barista skills. I know that can be hard in the environment where you're at. I moved down to St. Louis last year from Minneapolis, and worked for Dunn Bros. and Caribou coffee up there. I now work for Kaldi's Coffee Roasting Company here. I understand the desire to improve your skills and you probably feel like you're being held back a bit just by the level of apathy of your co-workers and the equipment available to you.

Probably the biggest piece of advice that I could give you doesn't actually involve equipment. I would suggest tasting as many different coffees as you can and encouraging your co-workers and manager(s) to do so as well. Get coffees from roasters all over the country. Try different roast levels, different blends, different origins and (what is becoming even more available) different varietals. Prepare these coffees using as many different methods as you can (French Press, Chemex, espresso, cupping).

Tasting as many coffees as you can with your co-workers will improve your palate immensely (it will happen quicker than you might think). As one's palate improves, one develops a deeper appreciation for all that coffee can be. This will hopefully develop in someone a desire to care about how that flavor can be captured in the cup through their preparation methods.

I'm not sure what your position is at Dunn Bros., but unless you're one of the managers or a store owner, your hands are probably pretty much tied as to changing how your store does things (hand tamping, grinder selection, etc.). So, hang in there and keep improving. And, like Julian said, if you feel like you're being held back long enough, you'll probably want to pursue other, more excellent places to work. There are a few in the Twin Cities area. Go see them and talk to them about how they prepare coffee, too.

[Jay Caragay]

Read, confer, chat, discuss techniques and methods with whomever you can. Practice on your own time. Can you stay after hours to work on your skills? First of all, buy yourself a tamper, then get to practicing. And while you may have "auto" buttons, it doesn't mean you have to use them. Just brew the espresso using the manual button on the keypad, learn how to watch for flow and color change to determine the end of a shot.

Truth is, most baristas don't mess with the temperature or pressure settings on a minute-by-minute basis (or even hourly). The clicker is there for consistent pressure tamps between baristas so each one doesn't have to change the grind each time they switch out. Learn how to consistently hand tamp at 30lbs (presuming that's the pressure of the mechanical tamper) and you can flow in and out without disrupting the flow.

Many shops operate at high speed and still create hand-crafted espresso.

Otherwise, it's time to look for a shop that celebrates the technique you want to learn.

[Joseph Robertson]

William,
Congrats on being a barista that cares and wants to improve his skills. I and my partner own and operate a small Coffee shop in a small town. Just the opposite of the work space you are in. I am still using what Ray above, I think is describing as a clicker, or Espro tamper. I think it is set from the factory at 30lbs. I know many barista's won't touch these because they were raised on using there arm and the "java jedi" feel of 30lbs. For me it was one more variable I could eliminate for now so I could get my shop open and have shots as consistent as possible. I saw this tamper in use at one of the major championships, US or World so I said Ya, I can use this.
Any way, tampers aside keep on the track your on and keep posting here. The guys above and most on this list have way more barista experience than me.
May the best creama flow for you,
Cheers,
Joe

[William Fendler]

You guys rule. This helps a lot. I will definitely be sticking around after shifts more often. I am pretty sure my manager is willing to do a lot to make us all better baristas there, I think it's just discouraging (and understandably so) for him when there is only two or three of 15 who show any interest in it.

Thanks again!

[Paul Yates]

William, I can identify with your desire to improve your skills and take things to the next level. You mentioned attending an event in Minneapolis. I just read an article about a new shop opening up there. Sounds like these people have the mindset for coffee excellence you are looking for. They have been operating for nine years as a roaster and are now going into the cafe side of the business. They're even rocking a Synesso Hydra. http://www.finance-commerce.com/article.cfm/2009/11/10/Bull-Run-Roa...

[Jon Osterman]

I'm replying to Will's thread simply to follow the discussion. He's a friend of mine, and we're in exactly the same spot...both work at DBC, etc, etc.

[Daniel Williamson]

A good friend of mine is working at that place (hi, justin!). Also, check out Kolpin's and Black Sheep (both in St. Paul). I think Aroma is pretty good up there as well, but I haven't been to it. Been at Koplin's and the sheep several times, though. Both are awesome!

Paul Yates said:

William, I can identify with your desire to improve your skills and take things to the next level. You mentioned attending an event in Minneapolis. I just read an article about a new shop opening up there. Sounds like these people have the mindset for coffee excellence you are looking for. They have been operating for nine years as a roaster and are now going into the cafe side of the business. They're even rocking a Synesso Hydra. http://www.finance-commerce.com/article.cfm/2009/11/10/Bull-Run-Roa...