The Skill of a Barista

Some time ago my wife and I went to our local Borders book shop. The store is only about a year old and has a Starbucks upstairs. While we were there we also decided to have ourselves a coffee. On principle my wife will only order a filter coffee from Starbucks as she thinks that at least the quality is more consistent than from their espresso machine, her silent protest against the lack of barista skill from Starbucks staff. In her own words ‘where is the skill in making a coffee on a bean to cup machine?’ I’ve watched them many times myself, and for all the flurry of activity that goes on behind the counter, all they need to do is read the order and press the appropriate button, hey presto, the machine spits out your coffee.

In coffee shops where the espresso machine comes with a portafilter, or group handle, the barista really is the skilled machine operator. There a barista can form a relationship with the coffee drinker because they need to know how to make the coffee the way you like it, not just go and push some buttons. Making a coffee goes beyond science and engineering. There is also art involved in making the perfect cup of coffee. Wouldn’t you be chuffed to bits if the coffee served to you was as good as the ones in this clip?







Next time you buy your cup of coffee; have a look at how your order is being made up. Did you just pay a machine operator or a barista?

‘Art has to move you and design does not, unless it’s a good design for a bus.’ David Hockney, at a press conference for his retrospective at the Tate Gallery, London, 25 October 1988.