Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Julie on March 2, 2009 at 2:02pm

I would totally recommend the American Barista School. I'm a shop owner and I got my training there. I am able to compare it to the training received by my baristas (both on the job and at Starbucks). I have found that my ABS training has enabled me to re-teach my employees, none of whom seem to know how to make coffee when they first come here. My shop, Fairly Grounded Coffee and Tea has earned Best in Reno after being open only since September. Also, there is one other coffee shop here where there is good coffee-Walden's, and its owner also went to ABC! Fantastic school, great experience. I loved it.
Julie Douglass
Fairly Grounded Coffee and Tea
3368 Lakeside Ct
Reno NV 89509

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Permalink Reply by Shari Coia Fulton on March 2, 2009 at 5:52pm

Samantha ~ I attended the ABC Training school in Portland, OR with Matt Milletto and Jared Mockli - I also attended the two day business training with Ed Arvidson...all of them are amazing people who are obviously very passionate about their espresso. I agree with all the other comments posted about them in particular.
I got the best "hands on" training one could have, as I'm Italian heritage, lived in northern Italy for 4 years, and still go back to visit every couple years, so I consider myself very picky when it comes to espresso.

I am opening an espresso bar very soon, and I interned at a local coffee shop that did a great job with their coffee drinks, but I will agree with the previous poster, that unless you can dedicate tons of un-interrupted time without the demands of the daily business, there is only so much you can do. Also - a great deal depends on who you are learning from ....YIKES, there are a few questionable baristas out there.

I would definitely recommend ABC in Portland to anyone - it was money very well spent, and they provide the tools, atmosphere and hands on, one-on-one time to help you through any questions or struggles. Hey, they taught several of us middle aged, control freak females to relax and pour a decent looking rosetta by the end of the week! (Insert MAJOR applause here!)....of course, that was AFTER we learned how to pull an acceptable shot - which is more important than the pretty art in the foam!

Matt and the crew at Bellissimo are arguably the most hip and savvy you will find about the coffee industry, and Portland is likely the best city you could go to for checking out the shops there and other baristas.

Feel free to contact me if you have other questions?!

Shari Coia Fulton
Cool, CA

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Permalink Reply by ray peck on January 11, 2010 at 10:07pm

My experience is positive. Yes, pricey. It is important to go into a class with a mindset for listening for what you don't know. That is where the learning comes from. What we already know doesn't make a difference. A little coffee zen thinking.

Of course whatever education you take will certainly be added to your credibility. Heck, someone might say something that rocks your World and the next thing you know, you have ten stores!

18 years experience and I still don't know squat..

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Permalink Reply by Joseph Robertson on January 12, 2010 at 10:37am

Ray,
Don't cut your self short. 18 years and you now know that you don't know squat. As the sholin(sp) priest would say to the grasshopper, " you must know squat before you can stand" <];^)))

ray peck said:

My experience is positive. Yes, pricey. It is important to go into a class with a mindset for listening for what you don't know. That is where the learning comes from. What we already know doesn't make a difference. A little coffee zen thinking.

Of course whatever education you take will certainly be added to your credibility. Heck, someone might say something that rocks your World and the next thing you know, you have ten stores!

18 years experience and I still don't know squat..

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Permalink Reply by stephanie crocker on January 12, 2010 at 1:11pm

We are fortunate that our coffee vendor offers free training. At first, I used to pay my employees while they went to training, then realized that it is just too difficult to predict how long an employee will stay in my employ. I now have my potential employees go through training on their own time. That way, it is mutually beneficial should they decide to move on.

I also believe experience and training go hand in hand. I now always hire employees with experience, because even with the training, it takes at least 3 months to really be able to make coffee consistently, and I simply can't wait that long.

We are really lucky that Caffe Vita offers training. It is a great way for them to also ensure that their products are being served optimally.

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Permalink Reply by Heidi Rasmussen on January 21, 2010 at 10:57pm

This is a really great point. especially important if you do not have access to a school. the most important thing you have to keep in mind if you go to a coffee school; they will teach you the nuts and bolts oof coffee, equipment and technique, but your coffee company should provide the details of what the optimum formula /parameters are for the coffee. Not all coffees are the same and the parameters are different for each. You should look for coffee companies that offer training.

stephanie crocker said:

We are fortunate that our coffee vendor offers free training. At first, I used to pay my employees while they went to training, then realized that it is just too difficult to predict how long an employee will stay in my employ. I now have my potential employees go through training on their own time. That way, it is mutually beneficial should they decide to move on.

I also believe experience and training go hand in hand. I now always hire employees with experience, because even with the training, it takes at least 3 months to really be able to make coffee consistently, and I simply can't wait that long.

We are really lucky that Caffe Vita offers training. It is a great way for them to also ensure that their products are being served optimally.

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Permalink Reply by Marek on January 22, 2010 at 5:33am

Cost is relative. Our new hires spend three weeks (standing back) as the third person on a shift before we left them (up front)... so three weeks... 120 hours... $1,200 to give them basic training in house... our biggest problem being that we're located in the Cayman Islands... many ... most of our staff are non-American and need Visas to travel to the US...

Seriously thinking about getting ABC to come down here for a vacation and re-tune our staff.

Hrm... trip to Cayman Islands... hotel... beach... airfare... do I pay them... or do they pay me... ????

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Permalink Reply by Simon Ouderkirk on January 26, 2010 at 6:34pm

Sam,

I was lucky enough to attend the recent 'Elements of Espresso' 4-part training at Coffee Solutions' location out in Hopedale, MA - about an hour outside of Boston. My training was lead by Ann Nylander of TampTamp, out of NYC, and I couldn't be happier with my results. I went home well armed with new knowledge, insight and an epic amount of enthusiasm, and I would recommend TampTamp or Coffee Solutions to anyone looking for a training session.

I think it was entirely worth the cost, especially when you go in with an eagerness to learn and a healthy dose of curiosity. I suspect that, with most anything, you only get as much out of a training session as you put in.

SO

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Permalink Reply by Sarah Leslie on January 26, 2010 at 7:54pm

I attended The Coffee Institute out of Muncie, Indiana...I definitely recommend it. I think a barista training school is really vital to building a foundation of knowledge and technical skills...There is no way I would be where I am now (working in a great cafe) without having gone through the school...I'm learning a lot everyday from on the bar experience, but without the fundamentals that the training school gave me I would have been at a disadvantage for sure.

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Permalink Reply by Mush on January 28, 2010 at 5:58am

I was wondering if anyone knew of any schools in Toronto Ontario, Canada area.

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Permalink Reply by Dennis McQuoid on February 10, 2010 at 9:34am

ABC was the worst thing that ever happened to me. I haven't had a good espresso drink served to me at any local cafe since attending - and I try to visit a few every week. Ignorance truly is bliss. Matt spoiled me on day one with his creation of a traditional cappuccino.

My worst experience was with a large, local Hawaiian - based in Honolulu, roaster that has it's own coffee bar and offers tours. Without mentioning the name, I'm sure many of you can figure it out. Their coffee is served and sold in virtually every grocery store, drug store, and convenience store in Hawaii, not to mention several coffee shops. If they can't train their own employees properly, they certainly will not train you or your employees properly.

Here's the case:
I went into their cafe at 10:30 AM and it was empty. To be clear, it is an industrial area and not many people walking around during work shifts. I ordered a cappuccino as this is my standard. First thing I noticed when the young lady pulled the portofilter from the group head was that she did not wipe it off. Mistake 2 - the grinder doser had about two inches of ground coffee sitting inside (remember empty shop) so the ground coffee had been sitting for who knows how long - maybe two hours? Mistakes 3, 4 and 5 - she fills the portafilter, never tapping to settle the grounds, tamps once very lightly, and without wiping the loose grounds off, sticks the portafilter back into the grouphead, (mistake 6) without flushing out the grouphead. Of course the shot took about 7 seconds to completion. Mistake 7, 8, and 9 - she re-steamed milk that had been sitting I guess since the last customer, then added more milk, then re-steamed again (redundancy, I know). Mistake 10 - espresso is served in a "12 oz" take-out cup. Mistake 11 - she filled the cup to the brim with a mixture of over-steamed and under-steamed milk. Mistake 12 - she then served the drink to me.

The roaster's cafe made at least 12 mistakes making 1 cappuccino!

Obviously being a roaster, even a well known roaster does not mean they know how to make and serve drinks. This also brings into question the quality of the roast. Popular and good are not equal terms. I think getting professional training from a school like ABC offers a competitive advantage that really separates you from them.

One thing I found out, by questioning the servers (I would not call them baristas) that made my bad drinks, is that they don't care to learn. They had no idea about what beans were being served. They push a couple buttons, serve a few drinks, grab the paycheck and tips, and go home. That's poor management more than poor service.

So thanks a lot ABC, for taking away my bliss. But no doubt when I open my shop, I'll serve a much better drink than anyone else around here makes, and train my employees to learn more, and share their knowledge and passion with the customers. These are some of the values instilled at a professional school. How much is that worth?

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Permalink Reply by Steve on February 10, 2010 at 1:19pm

I love your reply Dennis...couldnt have said it with any more creativity!!!

Dennis McQuoid said:

ABC was the worst thing that ever happened to me. I haven't had a good espresso drink served to me at any local cafe since attending - and I try to visit a few every week. Ignorance truly is bliss. Matt spoiled me on day one with his creation of a traditional cappuccino.

My worst experience was with a large, local Hawaiian - based in Honolulu, roaster that has it's own coffee bar and offers tours. Without mentioning the name, I'm sure many of you can figure it out. Their coffee is served and sold in virtually every grocery store, drug store, and convenience store in Hawaii, not to mention several coffee shops. If they can't train their own employees properly, they certainly will not train you or your employees properly.

Here's the case:
I went into their cafe at 10:30 AM and it was empty. To be clear, it is an industrial area and not many people walking around during work shifts. I ordered a cappuccino as this is my standard. First thing I noticed when the young lady pulled the portofilter from the group head was that she did not wipe it off. Mistake 2 - the grinder doser had about two inches of ground coffee sitting inside (remember empty shop) so the ground coffee had been sitting for who knows how long - maybe two hours? Mistakes 3, 4 and 5 - she fills the portafilter, never tapping to settle the grounds, tamps once very lightly, and without wiping the loose grounds off, sticks the portafilter back into the grouphead, (mistake 6) without flushing out the grouphead. Of course the shot took about 7 seconds to completion. Mistake 7, 8, and 9 - she re-steamed milk that had been sitting I guess since the last customer, then added more milk, then re-steamed again (redundancy, I know). Mistake 10 - espresso is served in a "12 oz" take-out cup. Mistake 11 - she filled the cup to the brim with a mixture of over-steamed and under-steamed milk. Mistake 12 - she then served the drink to me.

The roaster's cafe made at least 12 mistakes making 1 cappuccino!

Obviously being a roaster, even a well known roaster does not mean they know how to make and serve drinks. This also brings into question the quality of the roast. Popular and good are not equal terms. I think getting professional training from a school like ABC offers a competitive advantage that really separates you from them.

One thing I found out, by questioning the servers (I would not call them baristas) that made my bad drinks, is that they don't care to learn. They had no idea about what beans were being served. They push a couple buttons, serve a few drinks, grab the paycheck and tips, and go home. That's poor management more than poor service.

So thanks a lot ABC, for taking away my bliss. But no doubt when I open my shop, I'll serve a much better drink than anyone else around here makes, and train my employees to learn more, and share their knowledge and passion with the customers. These are some of the values instilled at a professional school. How much is that worth?

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