Fresh Cup Magazine, providing specialty coffee and tea professionals with unique insight into the trends, ideas, products and people that shape their world.
Issue link: http://freshcup.epubxp.com/i/90134
NINE BARS continued from page 50 grams, is appropriate to the age of the beans. Because older beans tend to be drier, they require a slightly heavier weight—I usually aim for 22 grams on a five-day-old coffee bean. And the same is true for newer beans: They can be dosed lighter (20 to 21 grams is acceptable). Once I've weighed my espresso in the portafilter with a gram scale, I pull the shots. I always aim for 23 to 28 seconds. If I need to, I can adjust the coarseness of the bean on my grinder to get my shots where I want them to be. Then it's time for the taste test. If the shots have a sweetness to them that balances the acidity, I am a happy camper. If not, I need to keep making small adjustments to get it just right. MID-RUSH CLEAN Once we open, it doesn't take long before the day's first rush starts. But even when we're busy, it's vital that we're cleaning the machine between coffees. There are a couple of quick steps I take between drinks. After I call out the name of the customer and deliver his or her drink, I quickly perform this routine: Clean out the portafilters and purge the system. Cleaning the portafilters (knocking out the espresso puck and wiping the 52 Fresh Cup Magazine freshcup.com The point of being meticulous when it comes to scrubbing and soaking is to honor the coffee roasters and farmers who spent their time and effort creating an incredible product. portafilter) is extremely important because then I can make sure my next customer is getting the coffee they ordered rather than the soggy, sad remains of the previous person's espresso. It's also good for the equipment because then we don't get any gross build-up. Purging the group- head is important because it flushes any excess coffee that may have stuck to it from the previous drink. Purge the steam wand between uses. Though the steam wand pushes hot air out, it sucks milk up too. I always make sure to turn on the steam for a brief moment to flush out the milk from the previous drink. And then we of course wipe down the outside of the wand itself. This mid-rush cleanse is important because it maintains quality and consistency. If I never cleaned my steam wand or wiped out my portafilter, the quality of the coffee would steadily decline, as would the loyalty of our regular clientele. MIDDAY CLEANSE This is an underemployed practice at most coffee shops I've visited, but it can be one of the most important. On most days, ANGIE CHUNG