I have actually been doing this for about 6 years ever since I was 14, but the first year was more of training and the last year I have not been as active as I want to be.
I have had many requests on how to make a drink or tips on foaming ect. From lattes to frozen to tea!
So I decided to write a guide and give my opinions on the best way to perfect drinks and of course tons of recipes from holiday drinks to alcoholic drinks.
This blog will most likely never end as every day I learn something new and well if this blog does as well as my last one I think all of you will stay for a while (my last blog had 240,000 hits in the 8 months it ran)
I have another blog you can check out located on blogger at evilchurchfun.blogspot.com, this is more of a rant and rave place where I can express my feelings towards my staff and customers.
It is funny and yet abusive! I LOVE IT J. It is perfect for coffee house gossip J
LETS START
You have decided to become a Barista, or at least dabble in the arts of gourmet coffee, tea, and frozen drinks like many others? What made you decide this? Did you see the Dutch Barista challenge? Did your cat die and now you have nothing to do?
Well maybe it’s a life long journey that has brought you here and I hope that’s not the case, anyways lets start off with a few basic things to help you understand the coffee and drinks you prepare.
Espresso is a concentrated coffee beverage brewed by forcing very hot, but not boiling, water under high pressure through coffee that has been ground to a consistency between extremely fine and powder. This produces a thick consistency rather then a drip coffee, it also produces 2x the caffeine then drip coffee! It is best used when mixed with mochas, lattes, and other drinks that may be iced or include alcohol!
This is all important as there is a rule you must follow with espresso! After it is done brewing you have about 10-15 seconds before it changes colors and flavors. The espresso cools off and becomes something else. You should mix the espresso as soon as possible to achieve the greatest taste and look! TRUST ME LOOKS IN MY DRINKS = TIPS (or phone numbers) then who knows what else I can use that caramel sauce for J o I am bad ahah!
Now the heating/steaming of the milk and the art of foamingJ
Ok first thing first I have found that only the more updated and more expensive espresso machines actually make a decent espresso which is the essential ingredient to any drink weather hot or cold! (don’t get me wrong I do love some of the older machines but the new ones make life 100x easier)
Along with this is the newer steam wands which are the other essential part of the machine and why they are so expensive.
When I first started we had a thermometer in the milk we steamed to see the temp.
NOW we have a digital machine that tells us exactly where we are and it automatically stops so we don’t burn the milk, which was a common mistake when I first started.
To be honest I have a 4000$ espresso machine that I use at work and a 2000$ one in my home..
Anything under 600$ is not even worth looking at these days.
Common issues I have found is the turn piece won’t secure all of the way or the steamer puts water into the coffee...
IF you are serious invest into something that will last you a while and comes with a warranty!
LETS START
I fill my glass steam cup up half way and stick the wand into the canister, and then hit the steam button.That amazing noise of the frehhkkkkkkk starts going and you know your on the right path.
I normally start off in the middle of the canister THE REASON WHY IS MY MACHINE HEATS THE MILK UP first then foams up at a higher temp better then if you just attempt foam first.
(also when your getting to the end of the steaming process I put the wand back into the middle it gives the exact temp and prevents burning milk as well)
EXAMPLE
When it starts to heat up I move it to the side of the canister and pull it up to the top just so the wand is a half inch under the the milk. I normally do this until the desired amount of foam is there.>
TIP 1: you will know you have done this correctly if you are able to pour the milk out WITHOUT any of the foam going with it :) There I go with colors again...<
>Tip 2: I have found sometimes my bubbles are to big in my milk due to improper steaming, so I gently tap the canister onto a hard surface to help get rid of them!
Now I am using whole milk most of the time! I have found soy milk is a great alternative and foam easier so play around with it until you have perfected it, same goes for skim milk! Once you have mastered the steaming of whole milk you can generally steam anything :)
I have also been quite intrigued with the designs of free pour which I will talk about when I wake up in 3 hours ;)
Be back soon I hope this peaks your interest!!
0 comments:
Post a Comment