It’s hard to believe that, when the café is first built, people don’t expect a lot of variety in the coffee they are served. It was a matter of necessity. When they learned that coffee was sold by grinds, not by a pot of ground beans, people became very leery about the quality of the coffee. After all, it wasn’t just a matter of making sure they got a good cup of coffee, but also a matter of finding the right grinds for it.
A pound of coffee was typically ground in a French Press, and then poured into a stainless steel bucket and left to sit to settle until it hardened into a powder form. The coffee would then be shipped to a warehouse for storage. Then came instant coffee machines and, finally, the powder was added to its formulation.
So what happens when you ask a barista to make good coffee? Do they make a pot of coffee or serve you coffee in the same old container?
Well, it used to be that a “great expert coffee shop” would be an automatic drip machine, but those have gone out of style. Now, almost every single barista will make their own coffee. If you’ve been told that there is no such thing as freshly brewed coffee, then you haven’t been to the right place. They aren’t regular grinders either, they’re espresso makers.
When a barista makes his own coffee at home, he is essentially taking the beans home with him, because he already has his own espresso beans. Many a barista makes a batch of coffee and then opens up the plastic canisters, which are kept in the barista’s cupboard, and takes the beans out for tasting. He then blends them up and brings it back to the station to make sure it was all right.
This has become an art form in many parts of the country, and the best ones will brew their own blends in their own kitchen. This is not, however, as easy as it sounds. This is a skill that needs to be learned, and it takes time.
There are some things that need to be considered when brewing the coffee that goes into the mixture for their own area and/or espresso. The size of the pot matters, of course, because a small pot can be used, a large one can’t. The type of coffee, whether it’s Arabica or a Robusta, matters also.
Espresso beans are special because they aren’t as sensitive to varying temperatures as coffee. Therefore, the pressure needed to get the beans to release their oils can cause some problems. No one wants to wait too long to get their shot of espresso!
After everything is sorted out, the barista will make a fresh pot of coffee and serve it to you with the usual ritual of cappuccino. You’ll probably need some sugar on your coffee before it is served, though that may be a matter of preference. If you’re at a brand new cappuccino place, expect to wait, and be patient, if you want the barista to concentrate on the actual coffee brewing process.
Lastly, the brewing process is an important part of the coffee drinker’s experience. You can’t get a good cup of coffee without having a good shot of espresso. Coffee is supposed to be drunk hot and served in a warm place, and the perfect shot of espresso must be brewed in a good coffee maker, so it is wise to make sure that you know how to do this yourself.
Coffee is supposed to be the ultimate joy of a day. So why not have it right at home, with the same high quality of coffee that we’ve known. Then you can put it to use in everything from lattes to cappuccinos.
