Learning to Make Good Coffee, Suggestions?
I have this dream of opening up a cozy coffee shop one day in my neighborhood.
I have the baking part down (my own personal skills and recipes are good, although I am taking classes to hone them), and I make good coffee with steamed milk at home, but I don't know how to make a good espresso based beverage- latte, mocha, cappuccino, etc.
Does anyone have an suggestions for learning such skills? Are there good books on the topic of coffee in general?
I live in Boston and would love if anyone knew of classes I could take in the area. Would anyone in the area be willing to teach me?
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18 Comments:
google "coffee blogs"
more than you would ever need
I don't think the level of knowledge would require a class.
I do know that it is absolutely necessary to have a very high quality coffee grinder (not the kind you probably have in your kitchen now) and a very high quality espresso machine.
The grinder turns out to be critical.
derosa at 10:44AM on 07/16/09
an idea for your shop-small personal sized french presses for people drinking the coffee there. (jeni's ice cream does that here in c-bus & it's the best)
you need a realllly high quality espresso machine-i used to work at a little coffeeshop in college & she had an italian brand which was over 10 grand,
it makes all the difference in the world-particularly when it comes to a steam valve.
gastronomeg at 11:00AM on 07/16/09
Taking a part time job at a coffee shop that trains their employees, cares about their product, sells quality coffees, and as close to the type of shop you'd like to one day run would probably be ideal. Then again, I'm a hands on learning kind of person.
Cassaendra at 11:20AM on 07/16/09
Is there a barista school in Boston?
finsbigfan at 12:07PM on 07/16/09
Heard something once about chickoree root?
Apparently, It rounds out the bitter flavors and adds a depth not found in regular coffee bean brews.
hungrychristel at 12:15PM on 07/16/09
I'd start by visiting some coffee shops to get an idea of what you want to achieve. Sadly, I haven't found a coffee shop in Boston that consistently offers an excellent shot of espresso or a cappuccino (I'd start with Diesel cafe in Davis square - which is decent). My favorites are intelligentsia (in Chicago) and blue bottle coffee in SF - in fact, if you want to serve blue bottle they actually come in and train you on how to pull shots with their coffee...
The equipment is important, though I think practice and proper technique trumps having a super expensive machine. I'd suggest getting lower end model (Rancilio silvia is great) and a good burr grinder (rancilio rocky or mazzer mini) and start playing around and pulling shots. Or you can find a part time job as a barista somewhere and hone your skills that way.
misterhee at 12:18PM on 07/16/09
Recommended fiction reading: The Various Flavors of Coffee by Anthony Capella. Sensuous historical novel about the growth of the coffee trade, set in Victorian England and plantations in Africa. Atmospheric, informative, intoxicating. Capella's earlier book, The Food of Love, does the same for Italian food.
mother91 at 12:52PM on 07/16/09
I'll second the idea of having a french press available for your patrons.
joyyy at 1:59PM on 07/16/09
Practice and a thermometer. I have a small, low end machine at home. Every morning I steam milk, grind coffee and make a cappuccino (what Starbucks calls a latte). In the beginning my results were haphazard, but now they are pretty consistent. Start with cold milk and at about 100 degrees F. lower the milk so that the nozzle is at the surface of the milk. After a while you don't really need the thermometer, your finger on the metal and the sound will tell you what you should be doing. Clean your machine regularly.
By the way, my low end machine works for me, but add my husband into the mix and the poor thing is stretched. If you plan to have a shop be sure to get a good machine that can accommodate the traffic.
LearP at 5:16PM on 07/16/09
Step one: Read everything you can by david schomer
Step two: visit the epicenters of coffee -- Blue Bottle, Philz, ritual in san fran, Stumpton in Portland, Vivace in Seattle, Intelligentsia in Chicago. Barrington Coffee in Lee (I know I'm forgetting places, sorry). In NYC, Gorrilla, Grumpy, Joe, Gimme, 9th Street, Abraco.
I'd also highly recommend a class on espresso and milk frothing. Joe in NYC offers such courses ...
johnkeenan at 5:58PM on 07/16/09
Not to depress you but I had the same romantic dream and then I read:
http://www.slate.com/id/2132576/
Should definitely read that as you consider opening a cafe.
Nehna at 7:07PM on 07/16/09
@ honeybunches.... email me. TaintedHalo0028@aol.com. (psychos and nutcases, back up off me). I have successfully opened 2 coffee houses from ground up.
ChelleyD01 at 6:39PM on 07/17/09
One factor others haven't mentioned - filtered water. Get as much of the polutants out [and every city has a different mix of minerals and stuff] and you'll get a better product down the line.
Nursie at 1:49AM on 07/18/09
One thing to keep in mind, if you're using flavored syrups for your coffee, make sure to get a good brand, and make sure that you throw them away after they've been opened for more than a month! I've had some awesome lattes and mochas that have been ruined by rancid syrup: tasted like spray paint. This has always been at smaller coffee shops, who try to stretch their syrups too far.
Tally at 4:47PM on 07/19/09
There are some newer good shops in Boston. Absolute top notch are Simon's in Cambridge simonscoffeeshop.com and Fixe in Brookline cafefixe.com - they are both very, very serious about coffee. For a local roaster who has his own shop and has begun to distribute, check out http://www.barismo.com/blog/, owner is Jamie.
baillieul at 12:15AM on 07/20/09
i love adding cinnamon into my coffee grounds - just adds a really nice flavor.
YummyInTheCity at 1:55AM on 07/20/09
wow, guys, thanks so much for the advice!
honeybunches at 12:28PM on 07/20/09
Have you tried cold-brewing coffee? It's much better than just cooling hot coffee...much more flavorful. The NY Times did an article on it a while ago, but I found it through Smitten Kitchen's post: http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/08/cold-brewed-iced-coffee/
Sooo easy and so good!
katieelby at 8:25PM on 07/20/09