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Permalink Reply by joel on May 19, 2009 at 1:04pm

man, i really offended people by saying that.
sorry bout that.
what i really meant was that as far as what ive been told, i am pulling 1.75 ounce shots at 25-30 seconds each time using the same amount of pressure. so as far as i know, i ws getting good espresso, therefore i said i "got it down"
ill try to watch my words now.
but i agree, espresso is more important than milk, its just i havent a clue what to do aside from what im doing now. in training i was told 1.75-2 ounces in 25-30 seconds is a good espresso. what else is there? so once i got to be able to do that ever time i decided to focus on milk, which i found to be a lot more challenging.

but yea, if anyone could expand on this whole espresso deal that would be great. like what am i supposed to do and look for (also, we only have one type of espresso blend, so its not like i can really expirament with different blends.)

as for my little slip of tongue, i apologize. can we just forget it? its starting to hurt my feelings a tad. hohoho.

thanks

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Permalink Reply by Cedric on May 19, 2009 at 1:12pm

After being in martial arts for awhile, it has kept me humble. Same thing with being a barista. No matter how much you practice or how good you have become, there is someone else out there that will be a little better than you. There's one thing to say that you're the best, and another when you do your best. No matter how good of a drink that i've made, I always feel that somehow I can make it better.

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Permalink Reply by BoogeyClat on May 19, 2009 at 1:21pm

I have to admit I was laughing while reading this... You remind me of myself, I was obsessed with latte art b/c I would love to see people's reaction to the heart, rosetta, or monk's head pours. But as I learned more and experienced the wbc as a spectator, a new world opened for me. I had an espresso at the event from one of the baristas and it blew my mind. Ever since then I was bent on making the best espresso possible. Tweaking every variable possible to get the blend I was working with to reach its potential. And now the milk is a "sweet" afterthought. So the best advise I can give you is to read, research, experiment and have fun. Also you might want to try purchasing someone elses espresso blends or try single origins. I think a good comparison of the coffee industry relates to yoga. When you think you have reached an understanding of something like a pose or steamed milk, there is always more to embrace and open to. Enjoy!!
joel said:

man, i really offended people by saying that.
sorry bout that.
what i really meant was that as far as what ive been told, i am pulling 1.75 ounce shots at 25-30 seconds each time using the same amount of pressure. so as far as i know, i ws getting good espresso, therefore i said i "got it down"
ill try to watch my words now.
but i agree, espresso is more important than milk, its just i havent a clue what to do aside from what im doing now. in training i was told 1.75-2 ounces in 25-30 seconds is a good espresso. what else is there? so once i got to be able to do that ever time i decided to focus on milk, which i found to be a lot more challenging.

but yea, if anyone could expand on this whole espresso deal that would be great. like what am i supposed to do and look for (also, we only have one type of espresso blend, so its not like i can really expirament with different blends.)

as for my little slip of tongue, i apologize. can we just forget it? its starting to hurt my feelings a tad. hohoho.

thanks

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Permalink Reply by Brady on May 19, 2009 at 1:27pm

joel said:

...but i agree, espresso is more important than milk, its just i havent a clue what to do aside from what im doing now. in training i was told 1.75-2 ounces in 25-30 seconds is a good espresso. what else is there? so once i got to be able to do that ever time i decided to focus on milk, which i found to be a lot more challenging.

but yea, if anyone could expand on this whole espresso deal that would be great. like what am i supposed to do and look for (also, we only have one type of espresso blend, so its not like i can really expirament with different blends.)...

thanks

Now we're talking...

1.75-2oz in 25-30 seconds is a great guideline. The thing is that there are a wide variety of ways to get there. What else is there? Taste! What can you get out of that blend? How can you coax more flavor, body, aroma, sweetness, acidity, out of it? Play with your variables - dose, distribution, tamp, temperature, time, and see what happens. Once you get greatness, work toward consistency so that every shot is great. It never ends.

You have come to the right place to ask that question... as many of us are on that same path. By asking I'm sure most here will forgive the earlier comment :).

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Permalink Reply by BoogeyClat on May 19, 2009 at 1:28pm

N. Freeman said:

I agree with Joel - milk is important and requires more skill. However! I don’t agree with all the emphasis on art. Flavor with any coffee drink is the goal.

As for art in the top of a cappuccino cup, it goes back to flavor. Does the art improve the flavor? The most beautiful cup of cappuccino I experienced was just Southwest of Syracuse Sicily in a small restaurant on a mountain top. They served me a hand lever drawn cappuccino with hot milk that had a dark brown rim of coffee around the edges with a one inch pile of milk foam in the middle- that was art in my mind. Nothing artificial. I try to duplicate that draw, even today, and always let my milk separate and place the foam on top, hoping for the brown rim of coffee around the edges.

I was wondering if you are referring to pouring a monk's head in this post, b/c it is fairly easy. I might be off base from what you are saying, but i pour some caps like this and it has the characteristics of what you explained... Perfect ring of espresso around the rim of the cup and a thick white circle in the center to the rim of espresso. It is very inviting and you have to use more air than you would use to pour a rosetta.

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Permalink Reply by Jesse -D-> on May 19, 2009 at 1:30pm

I wasn't offended Joel. I just want you to realize that, in terms of competition, you will never have the espresso "down". Things change all the time. Definatly get out to as many other shops as possible (high end shops that is). Also, don't be afraid to throw and coffee in the hopper. It doesn't have to be an "espresso blend", in fact 5 of 6 USBC finalists used single estate coffees, not blends. oh and do what Boogey said and buy some coffee from companies that you know are slamming.

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Permalink Reply by Brandon on May 19, 2009 at 2:01pm

Brady and Jesse know whats up. I'd also like to add a little habit that I know we all do. For every shot I pull I literally think to myself what I want to do better next time. It never ever ever ends!
But IMHO i think espresso is much more tricky than milk. It can be so fickle! Changing with the weather!

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