The New Barista Coffee Guide:
How to Be a Barista (And Not Be Intimidated)

Becoming a barista might sometimes be intimidating, especially if it’s your first job ever. We want to assure you – there’s nothing to be afraid of! Being a barista is one of the most awesome jobs you can find. Mixing your love for coffee with incredible job opportunities and a wonderful working atmosphere – isn’t it a job we all dream about?! 

Like any other job being a barista requires some basic knowledge. You might want to take a few barista classes or download a barista coffee guide. Any background knowledge on coffee would increase your chances of employment in a coffee shop.

Let’s consider a few things you are expected to know when you arrive for your barista job interview.

Discovering the World of Coffee

When you start reading about coffee, you’ll soon realize that coffee is an amazing world of discovery. It will never stop to impress you. It’s easy to say about coffee: “The more you know, the more you know you don't know.” And this is exactly what makes coffee so incredible.

Barista Coffee Guide: History of Coffee

It is believed that coffee first appeared (or was first discovered) in Ethiopia nearly a thousand years ago. In the 17th century, the coffee was transported to Europe by the Dutch, and from there, it spread to North America. By the 1870’s Americans consumed about six times more coffee than Europeans.   

What is Espresso?

The name gets kicked around a lot – so what is espresso? In essence, espresso is a brewing method. Today, espresso is referred to as the coffee that comes out of the espresso machine. Espresso brings out the very best of coffee in a concise period of time. Most of the drinks you will be making are based on espresso mixed with water, milk, or syrups.

Equipment You Will be Working With

Most elements of a barista workstation can be found in any coffee shop. For example, we can assume that any coffee shop will have one or two grinders, an espresso machine, a tamper, a few pitchers of various sizes, cups, and towels.

We are talking about it in greater detail in our The Beginning Barista coffee guide.

Grinding for the Perfect Espresso Shot

Without a good grinder, your espresso machine can’t pull great espresso shots. You should only grind your coffee just before extraction because if you pre-grind your coffee, it might spoil the final taste of your espresso.

Dialing in Espresso

Dialing in espresso means setting the variables to get a great-tasting espresso shot. This means having the right grind, testing the temperature and extraction flow rate, and making sure you reach the coffee's desired taste.

Barista Coffee Guide: How to Serve Espresso

Usually, espresso serves well with sparkling water. As you serve your coffee, mind that the cup handle should be on your left so that a right-handed person can drink it right away without turning the cup.

But remember, the most important thing is to serve your drinks consistently well.

Working With Milk & Steam

Milk is one of the most important ingredients for the most common coffee drinks. As a barista, you’ll be working with it a lot. Milk steaming might seem complicated initially, but if you follow a few simple rules, you will soon master your skills.

For a start, remember a couple of things: always keep your milk cold, don’t re-stream it, and always purge the steam wand.

You can’t expect to create perfect latte art patterns on your first day at the coffee shop (unless you already know how to do it), but it’s a skill to be soon learned.

Pouring Common Coffee Beverages

Before going to your barista job interview, try to look at and memorize the coffee shop's menu. The most common drinks are espresso, americano, cappuccino, latte, café mocha, flat white, iced coffee. Each coffee shop also serves its signature drinks or seasonal drinks. Some also have a brew bar to serve manually brewed coffees with brewing tools at Aeropress, Chemex, Kalita, etc.

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 who is looking to start a career in the coffee industry. For more information, visit our blog.