steaming milk - left or right hand?
Anyone have difficulty training employees to froth with left hand so they can multi-task with right?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by The Village Bean on
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Yay! Now that's the skills I'm talking about! You're hired!
Stickman said:When the shop is busy I often find myself dumping the next portafilter and one-handed cleaning it while I'm steaming and 'spro-watching. I can usually get the PF out, cleaned and press the grinder button on the Anfim to grind up the next shot to coincide with the espresso-pouring's completion. I can usually have the first cappuccino poured and trhe steam wand cleaned within 10 seconds of the grinder finishing. 10 seconds fits within my parameters of quality for espresso. Most of the work I'm doing outside of watching and texturing can be done blind...Worst case is my second portafilter sits off the grouphead for an extra 15 seconds and the ground espresso sits for 20 seconds before tamping.
Brady said:I'd love to watch that sometime, sounds like quite the juggling act.
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Permalink Reply by Stephanie Ratanas on
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Maybe we can invent some sort of pitcher holder necklace-harness thing, and then we could steam milk and use both hands for something else, and just bend our legs a little bit to adjust the wand depth. Then we'd have to learn to determine temp through our chest/stomach skin... it would be like one of those harmonica holders that musicians have, but more awesome!
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Then we'd have to pay our employees double time for being double jointed and double productive.
Stephanie Ratanas said:Maybe we can invent some sort of pitcher holder necklace-harness thing, and then we could steam milk and use both hands for something else, and just bend our legs a little bit to adjust the wand depth. Then we'd have to learn to determine temp through our chest/stomach skin... it would be like one of those harmonica holders that musicians have, but more awesome!
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Permalink Reply by Al Sterling on
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I started to reply earlier, but didn't want to take this off topic. So I generated a new discussion, primarily because I'm working on a time-motion issue now. (I'm hopeing for some feedback) Given your question, I'm curious to know how your steaming and frothing is temp monitored. While, from experience, we've got the audio cues and visible bubbling to monitor frothing to "boiling" of the milk, I've always used that other hand as a temp gauge. (maybe you have auto-froth wands?) Also, going through your site material, and seeing how well organized you appear to be, I'm wondering if you've done a walk through of the beverage prep? That frustration you're feeling is what would drive me back to the shop at night for a walk-through with a stopwatch. I looked at your photos, (BTW, great architecture and graphics on the building) but would have enjoyed seeing your beverage prep area.
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Permalink Reply by Wayne Oberholzer on
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You do know that the Simonelli Aurelia Plus has the option of the smart, temp control wand. Where at a push of a button it will froth your milk to the correct temp and cut off the steam once you hit that temp? Ever think about that? This way you would have both hands free to do whatever it is that you needed to do.
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Permalink Reply by nik orosi on
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if you use auto steam, than you are not a BARISTA, you can work in starbucks but not in my caffe...
auto steam...ridiculous....
Wayne Oberholzer said:You do know that the Simonelli Aurelia Plus has the option of the smart, temp control wand. Where at a push of a button it will froth your milk to the correct temp and cut off the steam once you hit that temp? Ever think about that? This way you would have both hands free to do whatever it is that you needed to do.
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Yes, I run the Aurelia although never use it! Can't handle the noise nor not being in control.
Wayne Oberholzer said:You do know that the Simonelli Aurelia Plus has the option of the smart, temp control wand. Where at a push of a button it will froth your milk to the correct temp and cut off the steam once you hit that temp? Ever think about that? This way you would have both hands free to do whatever it is that you needed to do.
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Hail Cheif!
nik orosi said:if you use auto steam, than you are not a BARISTA, you can work in starbucks but not in my caffe...
auto steam...ridiculous....
Wayne Oberholzer said:You do know that the Simonelli Aurelia Plus has the option of the smart, temp control wand. Where at a push of a button it will froth your milk to the correct temp and cut off the steam once you hit that temp? Ever think about that? This way you would have both hands free to do whatever it is that you needed to do.
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Permalink Reply by Jesse -D-> on
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never, no, nope un-uh.
Wayne Oberholzer said:You do know that the Simonelli Aurelia Plus has the option of the smart, temp control wand. Where at a push of a button it will froth your milk to the correct temp and cut off the steam once you hit that temp? Ever think about that? This way you would have both hands free to do whatever it is that you needed to do.
I always held the pitcher with one hand undeneath the pitcher and held my pointer and middle finger away from the pitcher so I could use them to monitor the temp by touching the picher and then pulling them away and repeating ths until the milk was to temp. This leaves your non-steaming hand free to wipe the machine, pull you shot, ready the next cup, etc.
I think the fact that your employees have to use one side of the machine is limiting, people are different so it won't be easy for everyone to use their left hand (or right, I can't remember which you said).
as for the pitcher holding necklace, I want a belt. Get your hips in to it!
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I agree with what you are all saying. I don't think that using the smart wand is always the best option. but would you rather your Barista get your coffee's out in time and at a consistant standard? Or late, over boiled and textured to shit? Which is the lesser of 2 evils? There is a time and a place for training, and there is a time and a place for consistancy.
i know what you are going to say next. that your barista will get lazy and just use the smart wand all the time. However if they were truely keen on the art they would use it only in times of crisis, or until they can truely master the art of multi tasking.
I strongly believe in building ones passion for the art of being a barista. However do we let that drive to improve on ones ability, hinder our business, by producing less than standard coffee?
CoffeeLady said:Hail Cheif!
nik orosi said:if you use auto steam, than you are not a BARISTA, you can work in starbucks but not in my caffe...
auto steam...ridiculous....
Wayne Oberholzer said:You do know that the Simonelli Aurelia Plus has the option of the smart, temp control wand. Where at a push of a button it will froth your milk to the correct temp and cut off the steam once you hit that temp? Ever think about that? This way you would have both hands free to do whatever it is that you needed to do.
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