Interview With A Barista

This following interview with a Barista is between The Virtual Coffee Shop (VCS) and Katie, who worked as a Barista for a local Second Cup Franchise.

VCS:  Welcome, Katie and thanks for taking the time to speak with us.

Katie:  You are welcome.

VCS:  I would like to begin by having you share with us some of your experiences as a Barista at Second Cup.

Katie:  I would love to. Thanks.  Well, I didn't start off as a Barista.  It is a process I had to go through. When I first started I received a manual that I had to study for about 3 weeks, at the same time as serving coffee to customers at Second Cup. 

I had to learn about the different types of coffee grinds, kinds of different tastes and how to differentiate amongst them.  So, I study that for 3 weeks and then I was given a test.  Having passed it, I was known as a coffee agent.  The test is based on knowledge and your performance at the store and customer relations. 

You have to be a coffee agent for awhile until you get used to making recommendations to the customers about the different coffee roasts and tastes.  Then you learn how to make the hot specialty drinks on the Barista.  Drinks like:  Latte, Cappuccino, Mochaccino, Chai Latte and Carmel Macchiato. For your experience on the Barista, it was important to develop proficiency and accuracy in creating the drinks to the satisfaction of the customer.  This was important because of the long line ups; more specifically Friday nights and Saturday mornings.

VCS:  Wow!  That sounds like a lot of studying.

Katie:  It was, but it was fun, too.  I really loved meeting the people.

VCS:  You mentioned that you needed to study a manual and learn about the different types of coffee roasts.  Tell us about the different coffee roasts.  I know that there are at least three.

Katie:  Yes.  The basic roasts are light, medium and dark roasts.

VCS: And how do you distinguish between them?  That has always interested me.

Katie:  Roasting refers to the length of time the bean has been roasted.  The lighter roast has the least amount of time roasting and the dark roast has the most time roasting.

VCS:  Does the length of time that the bean is roasted affect the caffeine content?

Katie:  Yes, it does.  The lighter roast, which is roasted the least has more caffeine in it; while the darker roast has less caffeine.

VCS:  Now, isn't that interesting.  Now, what about the tastes.  How do you tell the difference between the tastes of the different roasts?

Katie:  The light roast is mild, soft, and fruitier.  The dark roast has very much more bitter tast, is bold and nuttier.

VCS: What about the medium roast?

Katie:  Well, the medium roast is a mixture of the two. It has a bit more bite than the lighter roast, but less than the darker roast.

Click here to watch the video from Cafe Britt about the process of harvesting the red coffee cherries to roasting and shipping the product.

VCS:  Now, I can hardly wait to ask you these next questions, because you KNOW how I love my latte!

Katie:  Yes, I do!

VCS:  You mentioned making Hot Specialty Drinks on the Barista.  What do you put into the drinks in order to make them.

Katie:  The latte uses one shot of espresso, steamed milk to the top, and then a dallop of milk foam.

VCS:  What is a shot?

Katie:  The shot is 1-ounce of dark roast for the regular size.

VCS:  Now, I know that when I ask for my latte, it's always the same:  grande, no foam, no fat latte.  So, if I change the size of my drink, I usually end up with a thicker drink, because I invariably forget to add the 'no fat' instruction to the list!  <laughing>

Katie:  That's because you have a choice of what milk to use.  The milk that is usually used in the latte is whole milk, so you need to ask for something different if you don't want the whole milk.  The other choices are:  2%, no fat and soy milk.  It sounds like you got the whole milk. <grin>

VCS:  Yes I did.  I noticed the difference in taste, immediately.  Okay, now on to some of the other specialty drinks.

Katie:  The dry cappuccino drink is 1 shot of espresso, plus add up to three quarters foam, and then add a little steamed milk.  This drink is almost all foam. The wet cappuccio is 1 shot of espresso, less foam, and more steamed milk.  Espresso is 1 shot of very dark roast; and the Americano is espresso with hot water.

VCS:   Now, that sounds like a strong drink.

Katie:  The mocchaccino is a latte with a shot of chocolate syrup, whipped dream, and chocolate drizzle to top off the drink.  A caramel macchiato is a latte with carmel syrup, whipped cream and carmel drizzle.

VCS:  That sounds rich!

Katie:  They are.  I just love them!

VCS:  You also mention Chai Latte.  What is that? I know that you introduced me to them a couple of years ago.  I love the spices.

Katie:  Yes, the Chai Latte is not coffee based.  It is steamed milk and chai syrup with tea spices.

VCS:  With all these various drinks, what other things do you notice about people's behaviour and coffee?  Do we tend to buy coffee more during a certain period of the day?

Katie: Yes. I notice that more people are lined up ordering coffee in the morning and during the early evenings they tend to order more of the specialty coffees.  

VCS:  I have often wondered about the regular vs decaf coffee drinkers.  What are your observations about those coffees?

Katie:  There are a greater number that order the regular coffee over the decaffeinated.

VCS: And what about the flavoured coffees.  They are always a nice change.

Katie:  True.  They don't have as many decaf flavoured coffees as they do just the regular flavoured coffees.

VCS: Thanks, Katie.  Now just a couple more questions and then we are done. I have heard a different things on how best to store coffee.  What are your recommendations?

Katie:  That is a really good question.  The best thing to do when you buy coffee, is to buy the beans, rather than have the beans ground.  The beans need to be stored in an airtight container in a dark location.  And you need to "grind them as you need them" because the flavour of the beans will last longer.  Freshness of the ground coffee can only be guaranteed for 6 months.  That is why you "grind them as you need them".  That way, it guarantees the freshest coffee possible.

VCS:  That makes sense.  Do we need to store the beans in the freezer or fridge?

Katie:  It's not necessary.  Just make sure that the container is airtight, and stored in a dark place.

VCS:  And finally, do you have last thoughts? recommendations?

Katie:  Well, what I really enjoyed about being a Barista is the fact that I got to study the different types of coffees and then when meeting the public educating the customers and making recommendations as to the type of coffee they were drinking.  I really enjoyed talking with the customers and making sure that what I was making for them was one of the best experiences that they could have.

VCS: Wow, Katie!  This has been great.  I really appreciate your time and thanks so much for sharing your expertise with us.  Good luck in the future!

Katie:  Thanks.  I've really enjoyed it.

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