Originally posted by 634C465B220 link=1305299687/13#13 date=1305451462
I have been making coffee for 10 years, in that time I have made hundreds of thousands of coffees. Up until this year I didnt really have as much understanding as I thought I had.
Sure I can balance a couple of jugs of milk under the steamers and 3 groups at a time for hours upon end.....definately what you will have to do if you get work in a high volume cafe......and you will have to do it fast without panicking.
But ask me about the characteristics of coffee, roasting etc....well this is something that I have only just began to start learning(and alot from this forum) as most of my working life I have been to flat out pumping out coffee for the masses to stop and answer questions of that nature....which most of the time I winged it by just quoting what the coffee bag said.
Learning about the complete package... the coffee itself,the machines ,the flavours ,aromas, techniques, etc etc thrown in with the ability to take the customer away from there busy day for just a minute with a joke or the like is what being a barista is all about for me
This might be something you might want to think about, If you get a job in a high volume cafe where you are pedal to the floor all day, all of a sudden 10 years have got behind you(sounds like a line from a floyd song).
Only this past couple of months have I had the opportunity to get expert training and really start to learn about this wonderful and interesting profession. My new boss calls me a good barista and I study her barista skills very carefully, If I could get to half of her skill level I would be a happy man......I will never stop trying to learn new things.
I wish you good luck in your journey...wherever it may take you....all the best!

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that there are training institutions handing out "Prep. & Serve" on the basis of 4 hours of training. When I taught it at Angliss, it consisted of 2 days in the training room, significant on the job training in a cafe plus written and practical assessment.
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