pstam Senior Member Joined: 27 Jan 2004 Posts: 2,121 Location: Beijing Expertise: Professional
Espresso: ECM, SAN MARCO, EURO 2000 Grinder: MAZZER Vac Pot: YES Drip: YES Roaster: YES, HOME STYLE
Posted Wed Apr 20, 2005, 3:41am Subject: Re: Coffeegeek Etiquette & The Ristretto Shot by Aaron De Lazzer
kiwicafehead Said:
That is right on the money. Sure, it's a the barometer of quality however it's far far more frequently the fast track to disappointment. Still, fairytales do exist and if you stop kissing toads, you may never meet the prince.
We are going to do something to promote the good taste of espresso and ristretto, in the world. One day, people will be able to get the espresso and ristretto with really good taste, in most of the coffee shops.
That is what we are going to do.
Peter in Beijing ------------------- http://www.kaffa.cn/ ------------------- I have got a new website, just started to establish. If you have any question or suggestion, let me know and it is mostly appreciated.
MKEspressoNut Senior Member Joined: 3 Jul 2007 Posts: 17 Location: Milton Keynes Expertise: Pro Barista
Espresso: Cimbali M32 Dosatron... Grinder: Mazzer Super-Jolly... Roaster: Soon to get a PopCorn Popper
Posted Tue Aug 21, 2007, 11:58am Subject: Re: Coffeegeek Etiquette & The Ristretto Shot by Aaron De Lazzer
Can I put forward a further way to create a ristretto and please feel free to shoot me down if it is a load of rubbish.
Unfortunately my employer forbids barista staff (I.e. non-managment) from adjusting the grind, which I have tried to explain is going to result in lower quality but ofcourse, the suits don't give two ------'s) due to our training manager being completely inept and not telling them they have to keep the burrs moving when adjusting, but non-the-less it is set that we shouldn't adjust the grind unless performed by a manager and at the moment, even getting my staff not to keep the dosing chamber full is hard as hell so I devised a method to pull a double ristretto which I'm fairly satisfied with.
I take a single shot portafilter with the single filter plate in it and put 14 grammes of grind in there and tamp it extra hard there by the plate increases extraction time by stopping the water getting through too quickly and the extra hard tamp adds to that. I quite like the results of this method.
Just my method. If anyone can think of anything to improve this I would be welcoming of it.
laurelicious16 Senior Member Joined: 14 Jan 2008 Posts: 1 Location: Seattle, WA Expertise: Pro Barista
Posted Mon Jan 14, 2008, 1:01pm Subject: Re: Coffeegeek Etiquette & The Ristretto Shot by Aaron De Lazzer
You should come to Seattle. Your perspective of the ristretto shot would come full circle.
I work for an independent coffee roaster in Seattle. Every barista at my work is required to complete rigorious training programs, be evaluated every six months and we ONLY pull ristretto shots. Every single drink. There's a timer atop our beautiful Synesso machine that tracks our shots. We taste each other's shots on shift, have cuppings every week, and aren't allowed to work the bar until we know our shots inside and out.
I feel the owners require such attention to detail for our customers above all else. I have requests for ristretto shots almost every shift and I feel it's due to our reputation. I overhear customers educating each other on what a traditional macchiato is versus what Starbucks is attemping to pass off as one. When someone asks for a doppio ristretto, customers around him will ask what he's ordered and why it's significant.
To those trying to pass themselves off as educated in the world of coffee, I say rock on, dude! At least they're interested. At least they are challenging what big business is pushing in their faces and trying to connect with this amazing world of artisan coffee. People like us, baristas employed by small business owners are lucky to be exposed to this world of culture and knowledge. Urge your fellow man, and hell, yourself to taste ristretto shots every day, to feel the subtle differences of each espresso blend on your tongue. You're privledged with such information!
Cafetiere Senior Member Joined: 12 Jan 2008 Posts: 129 Location: Milky Way
Posted Sun Mar 23, 2008, 11:09pm Subject: Re: Coffeegeek Etiquette & The Ristretto Shot by Aaron De Lazzer
Sounds to me like an enclave of coffee snobs ensconced in "in group" and "out group" segregation. Why would you expect ANYONE behind the counter at a retail outlet for ANYTHING to know what they're talking about?
They're working their way through college for min. wage. Or else they've dropped out of college and are working for min. wage. The retail market just won't support the arcana. That's simple economics -- supply/demand.
Good coffee is not rocket science. It's WAY more complicated than that!
Rick_Cox Senior Member Joined: 18 May 2009 Posts: 48 Location: Federal Way, WA Expertise: Pro Barista
Posted Fri Aug 14, 2009, 12:03pm Subject: Re: Coffeegeek Etiquette & The Ristretto Shot by Aaron De Lazzer
Fantastic article. I used to go to coffee shops and watch the "barista" pull shots before I ordered. If I saw total casualness when they loaded the portafilter or noticed the shots being pulled in 10 seconds - it was game over. There's absolutely no way I would ever order one of those drinks. I think your buddy was pretty smart to just order a ristretto shot as a test to see if they had a clue. As you pointed out - most don't.
When I'm at home - I don't have to worry about finding a good barista because I make my own drinks on a very high-end machine. But when I'm out and about and can't find a shop with trained baristas, I take it upon myself to give them free training - providing they're open to it. I figure I can either bitch about kids calling themselves a "barista" or I can try to do something about it.
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