The Matter of Macchiato

Apart from my espresso, when I am in the mood, I love a good Macchiato.

In my humble opinion, I would therefore like to vote for an attempt to keep a standard on them as much as possible. That is not to say I do not mind a bit of creativity, in its right place; however.

I have had many discussions about what defines an Espresso. Each of those defining characteristics (e.g. 30ml poured in 25-30 sec) means that it will taste just so. This means that if every cafe in the land ground their beans just so their pour lasted between 25-30sec, there is a very good chance I would get a close to ideal Espresso everywhere.

Why would I not like just the same for my Macchiato?

To quote:

'Macchiato (Short), or Caffé Macchiato served in a glass (70-90ml). An espresso stained with a dollop of foam and/or dash of hot or cold milk; a 5mm thick crema.'

Definitions may differ, but everywhere I went in Italy for coffee and ordered macchiato, I was always asked if I wanted hot or cold milk - so it seems the European understanding allows for hot or cold.

So what's your opinion on this matter?

Coffee Cupping

Coffee conoisseurs from the casual coffee drinker to the professional barista enjoy expanding their minds and palates to a better understanding of what makes for good coffee. This is why fun and enlightening coffee cupping classes are popping up around the country.

Coffee cupping classes are a cultural experience. They are a staple on the northwestern coast of the United States where the coffee industry is king and specialty coffee making is a craft and artform.


Coffee cupping is a tasting technique in which one learns the evaluation methodology for determining coffee quality and regions of origin. Comparative analysis is applied to many different coffee types so that one can distinguish one from another after the coffee cupping experience.

Coffee cupping gives coffee lovers a breadth of knowledge that helps them to articulate their coffee passion. It's a class that is equally appealing to the professional and non-professional barista alike. An added bonus is it's a great way to meet interesting people that share an affection for coffee.


Texas Coffee School has on-going coffee cupping classes in Austin and Dallas, visit: Barista Training and Coffee Schools for more information.

My Favorite Barista Training Course

My favorite barista training course is the Comprehensive 3-Day Coffee Business and Barista Training Workshop offered by Texas Coffee School . They offer this course in both Austin and Dallas, Texas.

This barista training course is amazing in that you learn all the artistry and technical skills to become a top knotch barista in just 3 days. This is perfect for the coffee connoisseur or anyone wanting to train for a new burgeoning career.

In addition to learning how to be the a great barista, you learn all the facets of owning and operating your own coffee shop. Owning a coffee shop is the ultimate dream of almost every barista. Fortunately it's a very attainable dream and the Texas Coffee School offers lots of expert advice, consulting and business plan preparation to help make it happen.

Barista Classes

There are Baristas training all over the world right now. The coffee industry is a big thing, and it's growing all the time. Baristas can train in various ways, different forms of learning suit different people. One form of training as a Barista is to take Barista classes. These classes can be expensive though, which is a big reason many people choose not to travel halfway across America to take them. If you don't live in the USA then chances are unless you are in Australia or the UK you will have to pay a lot of money to travel half way around the world, hence why online courses are popular too.

Barista classes cover all a Barista will need to learn usually over a number of hours. Chances are you will be in groups up to 20 and with 2 instructors teaching the group. If you are in a larger group it can be hard to take in everything you need to learn, and time on the machines can be limited due to time constraints.

The standard of Barista classes varies on who you choose to learn with. As with most things the more you pay the better the course will be. Having said that the over all standard of courses is dropping as more and more people are setting up so called academies and churning out classes. If you do decide to take Barista classes try and do some research first, ask people who have taken the same course what they thought and try to get as much info about the course as possible. http://www.BaristaTrainingCourse.com

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Barista-Classes&id=3551274] Barista Classes

Barista Training Course - 3 Reasons to Learn to Pour Latte Art

You may be wondering what's the big deal withe caffe latte art and in a business where every second counts, why bother? The fact is that caffe latte art gives adults the same giddy feeling they got when they would receive a balloon as a little child. Yes, it's fleeting but there's something grande about such an expression. A foamy heart or smiley face on top of your specialty coffee may not be a big deal for some, but for most it's simply thrilling!

#1 - Marketing
Latte art has become an important component in marketing a coffee business. Customers REMEMBER your business when you serve them artistic specialty coffee drinks.

#2 - Steamed Milk
In order for your baristas to create latte art they must steam milk correctly. Steaming milk properly is a must in order to create works of latte art. Soon your customers will realize the huge difference between the drinks you serve and that of the large chains. Not only will your specialty coffee drinks look better but they will taste far superior with the wonderful wet foam mixed with a rich shot of espresso unlike the large chains with the dry large-celled foam scooped on.

#3 - Pride
The more "Wows!" you hear from your customers the more pride you will generate in your baristas. In addition, more dollars will flow to your bottom line and tips to the pockets of the baristas.

Barista Training Course

Start Up Costs Coffee Shop

How to Spot a Good Barista

The skilled and professional maker of coffee in a speciality coffee house is correctly known as a barista.

The term originates from Italy where it is a coveted title and requires significant apprenticeship. No one can assume the title of barista unless he or she can profess to have dedicated much time and practice to this art. The title barista has been somewhat diminished outside Italy where the term barista seems to apply to any coffee machine operator regardless of their skill - however unskilled - is usually referred to as a barista.

There are a few simple ways to discover if the maker of your coffee is a true barista or not. The first thing is to ask him or her about the coffee they are serving. Where does it come from? What bean is it? How is it roasted? If he or she answers, 'Our suppliers, 'dark roast', 'in a roaster' - or simply 'dunno', I think you can safely determine that he or she is not a true barista.

If, on the other hand, the response to your queries is met with much enthusiasm and detail about the country of origin, type of bean and roasting technique, you will almost certainly be in the presence of a professional barista.

If you don't want to converse or perhaps if the operator doesn't speak much English, you can simply observe how they go about the job of preparing your drink.

A dedicated barista will grind the coffee freshly each time, will ensure the china cups are preheated, will ensure the group handles (the part where the ground coffee is put in, are kept in the machine and not left lying around, will only use fresh milk from the fridge and froth it at the machine, and will tamp (flatten) the coffee in the group handle using a fair amount of pressure (not lightly pressed).

The result of this attention to detail is a lovely cup of coffee, which will be worth every penny.

You wont be surprised to know that the National Barista World Championship is held annually in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, but what you might well be surprised to know is that the current world champion is not from the States nor from Italy, but from Yorkshire.

Author: Fenton Wayne