A Day With Our Baristas

A Day With Our Baristas: The Search for the Perfect Espresso 

There is something slightly misleading about espresso. It looks simple. Coffee goes into the grinder. The grounds go into the portafilter. The portafilter goes into the machine. A few seconds later, there is espresso. But anyone who has worked behind a specialty coffee bar knows there is a lot more going on.

The Day Starts With Calibration

Before the first rush arrives, our baristas need to make sure the coffee is ready. That means checking the grinder, preparing the espresso machine and, most importantly, tasting the coffee. Because coffee is not static. A coffee can behave differently depending on its age, the environment, temperature and humidity. Even small changes can affect how quickly water moves through the coffee. That means yesterday's recipe is not necessarily today's recipe. Our baristas adjust accordingly.

So What Makes a Good Espresso?

There is no single number that magically creates a perfect espresso. 
Dose matters.
Grind size matters.
Yield matters.
Water temperature matters.
Extraction time matters.
But numbers are only part of the story.

The most important tool a barista has is still their palate.
If the espresso tastes sharp and underdeveloped, the recipe may need to be adjusted. 
If it tastes overly bitter or dry, something else may need attention.
If it is sweet, balanced and enjoyable, we are getting closer.

The goal is not to make the espresso follow a recipe simply because the recipe says so. The goal is to make the recipe work for the coffee.

Man Versus Machine

Our machines and grinders give our baristas the tools to work with precision and consistency. But the machine does not taste the espresso. The barista does. That is where the name Man Versus Machine comes in. It is not really about choosing humans over machines. It is about the relationship between the two. The machine provides consistency. The grinder provides precision. The equipment gives us the ability to repeat a process again and again. But someone still needs to make the decisions. Someone needs to taste the coffee. Someone needs to notice that the espresso has changed. Someone needs to adjust the grinder. Someone needs to care about the result.

The Recipe Is Never Really Finished

One of the things we like about specialty coffee is that there is always something to learn. A recipe written on a piece of paper is useful. It gives us a starting point and helps us work consistently. But a recipe should never replace tasting. The coffee tells us what it needs. Sometimes the adjustment is tiny. Sometimes it is more significant. Sometimes everything is already working perfectly and the best decision is to leave it alone. The important part is paying attention.

The Perfect Espresso 

So, what is the perfect espresso? There is probably no universal answer. 

For us, it is an espresso that is balanced, sweet, clean and enjoyable. It is an espresso where the character of the coffee comes through and where all the technical work behind it disappears into the cup.

And tomorrow morning, we will probably adjust it again. Because coffee changes. And that is exactly what makes being a barista interesting.