If a specialty coffee shop has a bad rating, such as a customer commenting, "Espresso is not as good as last time," then the coffee shop is going downhill.
If a specialty coffee shop makes you wait 15 minutes to serve you a delicious cup of coffee, I think you can't help but complain too.
Brew the same good coffee quickly. This often seems difficult to achieve, and many times coffee shops sacrifice consistency for efficiency, or efficiency for quality.
Coffee grinder
The consistency of espresso is crucial
Andrea Ehrman is Marketing Director at UCC Coffee in Switzerland. He is also an Authorized SCA Coach (AST) and Swiss Barista Champion.
He told me that "consistency is important because the cups given to every customer are the same." They all pay the same price, so it shouldn't be someone paying, let's say, $5 for an espresso that tastes good, the next $5 for the next cup, the coffee doesn't taste good at all...
"Second, when it comes to specialty coffees, I think consistency in the preparation process is important so you can always have a delicious drink."
In other words, without consistency, quality is not possible.
According to Lauro Fioretti, product manager at Simonelli Group, the standard of consistency is much higher in the specialty coffee industry.
"If you walk into a commercial coffee shop, generally speaking, you'll only find one coffee, one blend of coffee. When you go there, the standard customer just asks, 'Can I ask for an espresso?' They're not interested in asking you where your coffee comes from, the taste, or this sort of stuff...
"In the coffee chain, we're educating people, we're trying to explain to people that coffee has a value, like wine, like any kind of food, any kind of drink."
In other words, consistency is also related to the customer's expectations. When consumers buy "a cup of espresso," it's easier to maintain noticeably consistent quality
However, when we start talking about the difference between a specialty coffee shop and a Nari. Colombian and Sidamo, Ethiopian espresso, each small change becomes more pronounced. Small mistakes don't happen in coffee shops, and customers care because they order not just espresso, but a high-quality beverage with unique flavors.
Fully automatic coffee machine
Why have we failed in espresso consistency?
Fioretti said: "There are many variables that affect the extraction process, such as brewing rate, extraction pressure, extraction temperature, and then you have the whole process of dosing, tamping, dispensing coffee. ”
In other words, espresso is complicated. With so many variables, it's difficult to keep them consistent.
However, there are other issues to consider. "If... In the afternoon, you don't have any customers, and it's very easy to extract cup after cup in the same way," Ehrman told me that once it's rush hour, you really have a long queue, people are lining up, they want to have a drink, they want to drink something quickly, just take the money and run, and then it's hard to do it. ”
What's more, cross-selling and up-selling, such as offering coffee and cake, as well as general customer service, can also be costly. "When you serve a cup of coffee, you have to explain, or talk to the customer, and at the same time you have to work on that's where it gets a little bit messy."
How can coffee shops improve the consistency of espresso?
For Fioretti and Ehrman, the inconsistency of espresso boils down to two factors: barista and equipment. What about the solution? There are three main points.
1 training
Without good training, nothing else matters. You can invest in state-of-the-art equipment, work with great roasters, and have the best craftsmanship in the world, but if your barista doesn't know what they're supposed to do, the coffee will still be inconsistent.
Baristas need to be trained in extraction and espresso making techniques. However, that's not the only thing they need to learn.
"What they should do is do a lot of work on their workflow," Eiermann says. When they do things, they should do things the same way. ”
A good workflow allows baristas to do their jobs more efficiently, giving them more time to focus on making drinks. What's more, it will embed positive habits. Baristas reach a stage where certain actions, such as cleaning the filter after each photo, become automatic habits.
In turn, doing things the same way every time improves consistency. For example, baristas like to pound the filter before tamping to distribute the ground coffee evenly. Eiermann told me, "In my experience, this knock does affect the distribution of coffee and the extraction of espresso, so just make sure you always do it the same way... This will really help make your basic barista skills more consistent. ”
café
2 experience
Fioretti also believes that it is important that baristas reach a skill level where certain things are automatic. While inexperienced baristas may be able to manage in quiet times, they struggle to act quickly and effectively under pressure. They will either make mistakes or waste time checking things over and over again, trying to remember protocols, and asking for help.
"I sometimes see baristas trying to follow parameters like brewing charts, TDS, and doing a lot of scientific measurements, [using] balances, things like that. They lose a lot of time, really, and a lot of great coffee," he said.
"For me, they should be more focused on taste and then parameters, which can definitely be a good guideline." But in the end, everything is taste. I think once baristas have experience, they should be able to use their own tools: mouth, nose and skills. ”
3 Device selection
Baristas should be able to rely on their equipment because they know it will facilitate their work and support them in producing consistently good coffee. As Fioretti puts it, "It's very important that your device is able to accurately reproduce your extraction curve each time in a very simple way." ”
He also recommends going to the café owners to check something before investing in new equipment, whether it's a coffee machine or a tamping machine:
Is it ergonomic? If it's comfortable to use, a barista is more likely to use it in the same way.
Is it easy to use?
Was it consistent throughout the shift?
Is it easy to clean? Poor cleanliness reduces quality, consistency and safety; difficulty cleaning equipment reduces efficiency.
Is it reliable in the medium to long term?
Even small differences in device properties can have a big impact on workflows. For example, the steam engine on Simonelli's machine is started by pulling/pushing levers instead of rolling buttons, which is more ergonomic and easier to control.
coffee shop
When should you compromise?
However, even if the tools, training and experience enable your coffee shop to consistently produce high-quality coffee, there are risks here. Sometimes consistency goes too far. Sometimes, you need to be more flexible.
As Fioretti told me, "There should be a compromise between your vision and the needs of your customers, what the customer is looking for." If you want your customers to return to your coffee shop, try to meet their needs. ”
For example, your customers may want good coffee, but they also want fast. When your baristas cook coffee as consistently as possible, they exceed the customer's expectations, or exceed the customer's taste.
"Sometimes, I see people trying to make coffee brewing rates to an accuracy of 0.1 grams, but, honestly, it doesn't have any effect on the cup... We sometimes need to be reasonable. ”
Consistent, delicious and fast-serving espresso: this is what every coffee shop needs to pursue.
And the three golden combinations of efficiency, quality, and consistency can sometimes feel out of reach, which is much easier than it seems. After all, if you can achieve consistency, efficiency, and quality, it becomes much easier.
Choose equipment and processes carefully. Invest in training your baristas and nurture them until they have the experience they need. Also know that when consistency helps you, when you go too far.
Because consistency is not the ultimate goal – the satisfied customer is. And consistency is only a valuable tool for achieving this goal.
Disclaimer: This article by the "Stewart coffee [coffee machine delivery service provider]" to read a large number of coffee literature collation and editing, spend a lot of time and energy, reprint please indicate the source (https://www.stewardcoffee.com/a/news/blog/116.html), this article is intended to spread coffee culture, if infringement please inform the deletion, thank you ~!
More of my articles:
Specialty Coffee | Chilean Specialty Coffee Swims Against the Current
Coffee shops | how coffee shops attract customers after Covid-19
The quality of coffee in coffee malls | supermarkets is slowly improving?