Are Barista Courses Worth It?
Thinking about being a barista but have no experience?
We've all been there – and that's okay!
If you would like to work in a coffee shop as a barista but have no experience, you may benefit from taking a barista course.
To be sure, there are plenty of barista courses to choose from. Every year, there seem to be new training opportunities for those interested in entering the coffee business.
Yet, it's fair to ask, “Are barista courses worth it?”
This article will discuss whether or not it makes sense to take a barista course. And if so, which barista course is best.
Are Barista Courses Worth It?
There are two equally essential avenues to learn to be a barista. The first is to gain a necessary knowledge base. This includes knowing barista terminology, barista tools, coffee equipment, and drink building. The other important avenue is hands-on training—both are equally important.
While the second avenue (hands-on experience) will be necessary to do the job, you need to know the basics. This starts with developing your coffee knowledge. Therefore, we believe that learning about coffee is an essential first step before stepping behind the coffee bar and immediately serving customers.
Why Is Barista Training Important?
Like other training programs, barista training is essential to provide the necessary foundation of knowledge to understand what you are doing.
On a mental level, training provides you with an understanding of how everything works together to develop the best coffee drinks and customer experience. On a practical level, training helps make you more efficient and effective. Your training can help you reduce your energy output with better outcomes for everyone. When you know how to brew coffee well, you can do it literally with your eyes closed.
Additionally, training gives you more confidence. Because you're not simply guessing how to make coffee drinks, you'll serve your customers consistent, delicious drinks. Furthermore, your confidence will allow you to thrive behind the coffee bar as you develop your style. On the other hand, not having any training, you'll be more likely to struggle, be overwhelmed when things get busy, and you'll produce less tasty coffee drinks.
Having the confidence gained by barista training will also allow you to interact with customers better. This interaction will enable you to enjoy your barista position and boost your tip or gratuity income. Finally, going through a barista training course may also help you land the barista job you want. Having some general knowledge will make you a better barista job candidate.
How much does it cost to train as a barista?
There is a wide variety of barista training programs. With this variety comes a broad spectrum of costs and benefits.
Barista training program costs can range from $10 to $500. Why the huge price range for barista courses?
There are a couple of factors:
- Quality & depth
- Online or offline training
The quality of a barista course matters. A barista training course should cover all of the terminologies you'll likely encounter. This includes coffee equipment and maintenance, coffee brewing, coffee extracting, and drink building. Additionally, it would help understand the nuances of coffee – taste profiles and coffee roasting profiles.
Today we have to either take an online barista training course or get offline – or in-person – barista training. Both can be important and useful.
Online Barista Training
First, online barista training can provide you with a wide variety of knowledge. This is because an online barista training course can dive deep into various elements of coffee that aren't always practical to cover with in-person barista training.
This allows you to learn a broader and more profound amount of coffee information at your own pace.
At this point, you will have the foundation to start learning how to dial in coffee and extract the perfect espresso shot.
Finally, because it's online, this amount of time provided for a wide berth of knowledge will only be a fraction of the cost of hiring an online barista trainer or coffee educator for $100 an hour.
In-Person Barista Training
In-person barista training may be ideal in some situations. However, before serving their first customer, everyone must have the training and experience working with a grinder, espresso machine, and other coffee equipment.
However, each coffee shop or café is different. Each may have their style or method that they would like to see. So, in-person training at one coffee shop may not be ideal if you work at another.
Whichever coffee shop you work at, it should be the expectation that you will get some time to train on their coffee equipment.
Can you do a barista course online?
Yes. You can take a barista course online. A well-developed online barista course can provide you with the knowledge you need to get your first job as a barista.
An online barista course can give you the flexibility to learn at your own pace and on your schedule. In addition, an online barista course can often provide you with many advantages not possible during an in-person training course. For example, as mentioned earlier, an online barista course can deep dive into essential topics for you to know, allowing you to pause and restart conveniently.
What should a barista course offer?
Simply put, a barista course should provide you with the foundational knowledge and experience to start working as a barista in any coffee shop.
First, it's essential to know about the various barista terminology you will use as a barista. Of course, some language varies from country to country (and coffee shop to coffee shop), but mostly you will find an agreement of terms used.
Understanding the workflow of a coffee shop will be necessary. For this understanding, you will need to know the basics of each piece of equipment.
Learning about the grinding and extracting process will be a cornerstone to being an effective barista. Dialing in the perfect espresso shot is an art and science but can be effectively shown online. How to steam milk properly can also be demonstrated online on video.
Once you know the vital information behind these elements, you will be ready to step behind the coffee bar to start your in-person training. Your training “on a machine” will help you practice the fundamentals you've learned about online.
Learning Latte Art
The best way to learn latte is through doing it, and therefore it's essential to get that in-person time behind the bar. We've previously written about the importance of latte art in coffee shops and why it could help you boost your barista tips. Aside from making the customer experience more memorable, pouring latte art is just fun!
Yet, before you get to mastering latte art, you need to know the foundations of serving coffee, pulling the best espresso shot, understanding roasting profiles, steaming milk, and other aspects of coffee.
Of course, you can learn the theory of steaming milk and pouring latte art online. But it might not be as easy when you find yourself behind a coffee bar. So, after you learn the basics, it's definitely worth having hands-on training with an espresso machine.
Perfecting your latte art comes with many milk spills and wasted coffee drinks. But it's okay. It's a learning process. Unfortunately, many coffee shops expect that when they train their new baristas.
Is taking a barista course worth it?
Barista courses can be worth it if they thoroughly prepare you to succeed at your first barista job. This means providing you with the knowledge and confidence to serve customers with the best coffee beverages possible.
The baristas that have taken online barista courses have all been told that they benefited a lot. Among the main benefits they mentioned:
- Comprehensive curriculum
- Effective learning
- High quality
- Flexibility and convenience
- Individual approach
- Developing basic skills
- Motivation and confidence
- Future career opportunities
Future career opportunities may include starting your own coffee shop business. For example, you may decide to setup your own coffee truck business. In which case, knowing how to pour and serve coffee will be essential.
Barista Training Academy aims to provide you with the knowledge you need to start your barista job confidently.
Brought to you by Barista Training Academy, “The Beginning Barista,” Your Ultimate Prep Guide to Getting Your First Job as a Barista” is an ultimate resource that is available online. It is affordable for anybody looking to start a career in the coffee industry. For more information, visit our blog.
