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Permalink Reply by Stickman on July 8, 2009 at 8:07am

The spoon wielder you're talking about would also probably an 8 ounce espresso from a single dose. Be careful though, the only thing worse than someone who knows everything is someone who won't admit they don't know everything. That having been said, microfoam is a product of properly stretched milk and it is necessary to create authentic espresso drinks. I don't think it should be held back or scooped on top.

There was a discussion a while back about the no foam latte...Might be worth a search.

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Permalink Reply by Fraser Jamieson on September 13, 2009 at 4:50am

Ah yes...suburbia. "I want an extra hot skim milk no-foam latte. "Decaf."
Were it my shop...but then...it isn't.

For the sake of "THOSE PEOPLE" (skim milk, extra hot, no-foam) I use a stainless steel tool designed for use by makeup artists. It's basically like a metal stir stick which I can use for mixing flavoured lattes, etching into poured shapes for appearance purposes, and finally, holding back foam for Those People.

It's also good for cleaning out my ears...which is just about as gross as no-foam skim milk lattes.

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Permalink Reply by Erin on September 13, 2009 at 3:50pm

I hate customers from the suburbs! They just have no idea!!

Ricky Sutton said:

What is it with people holding back foam anyway?

The problem for me is that too many people seem to view foam as some sort of topping. Like it's an alternative to whipped cream. I've only seen people at starbucks (and independents that do a similar to worse job) using spoons to hold back the foam, then scooping it on top.

FOAM IS A COMPONENT OF YOUR DRINK, PEOPLE!

The irony is that there is no such thing as a "no foam" or "flat" latte. A latte is inherently flat. You're only injecting enough air to sweeten and texture your milk. The purpose isn't to make foam necessarily. A cappuccino is another story, but once again, that's a coffee experience that needs to be free-poured.

Sorry. My shop is in the suburbs and i have to say these things all day long, so it's a sort of touchy subject for me.

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Permalink Reply by Amber M. on September 14, 2009 at 12:14pm

I work at a shop that is in the suburbs (we get a lot of "frappacino" and "caramel macchiato" orders) but I don't think that has anything to do with the fact that each location has one of the spoons this question was originally about. (I'm pretty sure I saw baristas using them downtown also when I was going to school in the area.) We are certainly not forced to use these spoons, and for that matter they rarely get used because we use our regular spoons. The spoons I'm referring to are spoons with a cutout design in the bowl of them. My mom had these in the kitchen my whole life which she used to scoop canned beans and other veggies out of the pot and onto the plate in a scoop-and-strain combo move. They are store-bought, so if someone REALLY had to have one, they're out there. But I certainly don't see them as *necessary*.

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Permalink Reply by illudereludere on September 14, 2009 at 8:33pm

Nice.

Fraser Jamieson said:

Ah yes...suburbia. "I want an extra hot skim milk no-foam latte. "Decaf."
Were it my shop...but then...it isn't.

For the sake of "THOSE PEOPLE" (skim milk, extra hot, no-foam) I use a stainless steel tool designed for use by makeup artists. It's basically like a metal stir stick which I can use for mixing flavoured lattes, etching into poured shapes for appearance purposes, and finally, holding back foam for Those People.

It's also good for cleaning out my ears...which is just about as gross as no-foam skim milk lattes.

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