hey everyone! hope you're all as excited as i am about the 2009 Mr. Barista Comp taking place from january 16-18. check out the competition blog for the registration forms and up to date info.
I really enjoy the comments posted on Barista.com. There is obviously more professional baristas here than on HB or CG. I am relatively new at home espresso making and eager to learn and the comments on this site are outstanding.
I have been thro...
I am not a professional barista but I love espresso and caps. I have recently installed a La Marzocco GS/3 Paddle machine and a Mahlkonig K30 grinder. We also have a Nespresso Citiz Milk (urgh) that we use for travel. While its not anything specia...
Lorenzo - I like your thinking! Could you explain in a little more detail how you've experimented with such ingredients? Did you have to stir the chocolate in to the drink after pouring the coffee/espresso?
I'm also very interested to hear more a...
Make your own syrups. You have control over flavor and ingredients.
Finely chopped single origin chocolate pieces are fun for new/different tasting mochas. Add some ancho/chipotle powder for a mexican mocha. Steam your milk with mint leaves (in t...
Earlier today I posted the above post about the strange experience I had recently with polishing an espresso puck. It brought up some more in depth questions than I thought I would have.
As of right now, I still have not had any responses to the ...
I haven't tried honey yet, but it's on the list of to do's!
What about vanilla, mocha, peppermint (for the holiday season)? What about caramel, hazelnut, etc?
I was wondering if anyone has experimented with or uses means of flavoring lattes/other espresso drinks with anything other than syrups?
I'm not absolutely opposed to the idea, but I am a bit turned off by the thought of artificial flavoring. Doe...
Don't take this the wrong way, but based on your photo, I seriously doubt that these other baristas and your roaster, who achieve the same results, understand technique as well.
Your puck has two holes, one hole and I might think that perhaps the...
At my house, I've got a La Valentina E-61 type espresso machine, a Linea 2AV, Linea 4EE and an assortment of grinders to go along with them.
But the truth is that I never make espresso at home. Too much mess and I hate to clean. Easier for me to ...
I've had baristas from other bars come to use our machine with the same result. My roaster had the same thing happen to him. I'm contacting a repair tech from Kansas City to take a look this coming week. The pour takes the time it should, there is...
Your problem is poor distribution of coffee in the portafilter basket as a result of poor (or no) technique.
Water will follow the path of least resistance and your technique offers a bed of coffee with weak/no resistance. Let me guess: your shot...