Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Joseph Robertson on July 30, 2010 at 1:27am

Some other method? What would that be?

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Kathy Fadorsen on July 30, 2010 at 4:26am

We are using the pumps now and I like them better than the pour spouts which is what we used before. Pros to the pumps are they are closed nothing can get in. We had a problem with bees crawling into the bottles to get to the sugar. Cons on the pumps if your not careful you get sprayed in the face.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Brady on July 30, 2010 at 4:31am

We use pumps for consistency's sake.

Syrup pumps require just a little cleaning effort to continue to work well. They hold up pretty well too. I dislike sauce pumps - they don't seem to hold up as well, require much more effort to clean, and often drip.

Is there a particular issue you are trying to resolve? What is the other option you are considering?

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Jonathan Morrison on July 30, 2010 at 9:31am

We are debating between pumps and pour spouts we have even thought about those spouts bars use for portion control but that seems a little excessive. Our major problem with the pump is that they leak and are so labor intensive. However we want to keep things consistent and some people say spouts can be just as consistent as pumps.

What do you use for sauce?

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Brady on August 3, 2010 at 6:08am

Jonathan Morrison said:

We are debating between pumps and pour spouts we have even thought about those spouts bars use for portion control but that seems a little excessive. Our major problem with the pump is that they leak and are so labor intensive. However we want to keep things consistent and some people say spouts can be just as consistent as pumps.

What do you use for sauce?

If your pumps are leaking and labor intensive to maintain, I think your solution is new or better pumps. We use the standard Monin syrup pump and I've never had one leak - some have been in service for more than 2 years. We have had to begin replacing some due to inconsistent dispensing issues, but only the most heavily used ones. All the rest still perform beautifully with the only effort being regular cleaning.

Sauce pumps are a whole different kettle of fish. Again, using the one supplied by the sauce manufacturer. They drip, develop issues, and require cleaning far more often. I'd love to switch to one of the quality stainless-steel ones, but haven't taken that $tep just yet. I know some places just use plastic squeeze bottles for their housemade caramel and chocolate sauces.

Hope this helps.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Jason Haeger on August 3, 2010 at 9:00am

I agree with Brady.

Pumps all the way. (on that note, I hate the stock sauce pumps too. The metal bucket/pumps don't suffer the same issues.)

It's consistent. Pour spouts "can" be as consistent, but it takes more effort. I'd rather the barista pay attention to the shot than have to pay attention to get a consistent syrup pour. That's one less thing to have to think about.

Also, they are very easy to maintain, and they last for a very long time. Very cheap insurance, if you ask me.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Jeff Hoeppner on August 3, 2010 at 9:18am

Our shop currently uses DaVinci for everything. We have not had any major problems with dripping or anything. We do on occasion get drips from our sauces, but it's only a couple drops once in a while. We have a couple of syrups that we don't use very often, so some of the sugars start to harden in the spout of the pump, and if you're not aware of this, the syrup rockets out of that spout, which usually results in you wearing some on your face and/or arms. The only thing that causes problems, is user errors. We just need to be aware of what we're doing and being diligent in maintaining a clean working area in order for this to pose no issues.

As far as my opinion, pumps are great. All you have to do is operate the pump. With those control spouts, you actually have to pick up the bottle and pour into your cup. If you're a busy shop, this may disrupt flow a bit, or add time onto drink prep. Those spouts, as far as I know, portion out in one ounce. If you want less than an ounce, you most likely would have to eyeball it. The syrup pumps we use portion out 1/4 ounce at a time.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Brady on August 3, 2010 at 10:24am

Jeff Hoeppner said:

...We have a couple of syrups that we don't use very often, so some of the sugars start to harden in the spout of the pump, and if you're not aware of this, the syrup rockets out of that spout, which usually results in you wearing some on your face and/or arms...

We too have this problem. While my preferred solution is to eliminate those flavors :), what we've done instead is to add a quick inspection to the open checklist. At some point before the morning rush, the barista dispenses a small test pump from every bottle in the rack - 1/2 a pump max. Any that are even slightly blocked get pulled immediately from the rack for cleaning. This keeps us from having to stop to clear a blockage in the middle of a rush.

Incidentally, you can sometimes clear that sugar plug by hitting the top of the pumper, the burst of pressure usually shoots it right out. However, this sometimes results in the tip of the pumper shooting off instead - often landing in the middle of your shirt, followed shortly by half an ounce of syrup. In the middle of rush, of course :)...

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Jason Haeger on August 3, 2010 at 10:51am

...and on the eighth day God said, "let there be aprons." And God saw the aprons, that they protected the baristas from syrup missiles, and it was good.

Brady said:

Incidentally, you can sometimes clear that sugar plug by hitting the top of the pumper, the burst of pressure usually shoots it right out. However, this sometimes results in the tip of the pumper shooting off instead - often landing in the middle of your shirt, followed shortly by half an ounce of syrup. In the middle of rush, of course :)...

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Brady on August 3, 2010 at 5:55pm

Jason Haeger said:

...and on the eighth day God said, "let there be aprons." And God saw the aprons, that they protected the baristas from syrup missiles, and it was good.

Brady said:

Incidentally, you can sometimes clear that sugar plug by hitting the top of the pumper, the burst of pressure usually shoots it right out. However, this sometimes results in the tip of the pumper shooting off instead - often landing in the middle of your shirt, followed shortly by half an ounce of syrup. In the middle of rush, of course :)...

:)

Guess I need to upgrade my apron. I opted for the oh-so-stylish lower-half-only apron. Great protection against those low-flying "steamwand scorchers" though.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Jason Haeger on August 3, 2010 at 8:21pm

I hear that. Function trumps fashion. Well, it does if you're a man. ;)

Brady said:

Jason Haeger said:

...and on the eighth day God said, "let there be aprons." And God saw the aprons, that they protected the baristas from syrup missiles, and it was good.

Brady said:

Incidentally, you can sometimes clear that sugar plug by hitting the top of the pumper, the burst of pressure usually shoots it right out. However, this sometimes results in the tip of the pumper shooting off instead - often landing in the middle of your shirt, followed shortly by half an ounce of syrup. In the middle of rush, of course :)...

:)

Guess I need to upgrade my apron. I opted for the oh-so-stylish lower-half-only apron. Great protection against those low-flying "steamwand scorchers" though.

• ▶ Reply

▶ Reply to Discussion