Flavor notes are more than just flowery descriptions printed on a bag of beans. They’re a powerful way to communicate the sensory experience of coffee. For baristas, learning to identify and describe these notes is a professional skill that enhances customer interaction and deepens your understanding of coffee quality. When a barista can confidently explain … Read more
Before coffee reaches your grinder, it starts as a fruit—a cherry on a tree. The way that cherry is processed after harvest plays a huge role in how the coffee tastes. For baristas, knowing how processing works is essential to understanding flavor development, origin differences, and how to dial in brews properly. Processing is where … Read more
Espresso isn’t just a drink—it’s a brewing method, a discipline, and for many baristas, the heart of their craft. It delivers intense flavor in a small volume and serves as the base for countless other drinks, from cappuccinos to flat whites and lattes. But espresso is also the least forgiving brewing style. With a tiny … Read more
“Terroir” is a term borrowed from the wine world, but it applies just as meaningfully to coffee. It refers to how the natural environment—including soil, climate, altitude, and local ecosystems—affects the flavor of the coffee bean. For baristas, understanding terroir means recognizing how beans from different regions bring unique characteristics to the cup. This knowledge … Read more
If you’ve ever watched freshly ground coffee react to hot water—bubbling, expanding, and releasing aroma—then you’ve seen the coffee bloom in action. This moment is more than just visual drama. It’s a critical part of extraction that signals freshness, gas release, and brew potential. For baristas, understanding the bloom isn’t optional—it’s foundational. Whether you’re making … Read more
Acidity in coffee is often misunderstood. Some people think it refers to how bitter or harsh a cup tastes, but in the world of specialty coffee, acidity is a desirable quality. It’s what gives coffee brightness, complexity, and a lively mouthfeel. When properly balanced, acidity can make a cup taste vibrant and refreshing rather than … Read more
Baristas often focus on grind size, dose, and brew ratios—but one variable is frequently underestimated: water quality. Since water makes up about 98% of a cup of coffee, its composition can drastically alter flavor, texture, and balance. Using the wrong kind of water can ruin even the highest-quality beans. For a barista, mastering water is … Read more
A bag of specialty coffee often comes with a label packed full of information—origin, processing method, roast date, altitude, tasting notes, and more. While it may seem overwhelming at first, this information is gold for any barista who wants to understand, serve, and explain their coffee with confidence. Knowing how to decode a coffee label … Read more
The history of coffee begins in the Ethiopian highlands, where legend tells of a goat herder named Kaldi. He noticed his goats were unusually energetic after eating bright red berries from a certain tree, prompting him to try them himself. Kaldi experienced a similar burst of energy, and soon the discovery reached local monks. They … Read more
Ask any professional barista what matters most in brewing consistently delicious coffee, and you’ll hear one word: grinder. Even with perfect beans, water, and technique, a poor grind will ruin the cup. Your grinder controls particle size distribution, which directly affects extraction, flow rate, flavor balance, and mouthfeel. Mastering your grinder means you’re halfway to … Read more