Atelier19g Blog

How to organize the perfect barista workplace

organize the perfect barista workplace
Photo by Eric Parks on Unsplash

Any business can be compared to a collection of parts that form a single mechanism. The effectiveness and, ultimately, the survivability of the enterprise depend on how well the individual units interact with each other. A coffee shop, bar or restaurant is no exception.
In this article, we would like to consider the barista's workspace: how to organize it, what equipment is needed and how it can be useful for the venue itself.

The first thing we would like to focus on is the aesthetics of the venue. Coffee is a hedonistic product; people use it for pleasure, enjoyment. At the same time, a person can do without coffee without changing his diet, and the body will still receive the substances necessary for life. Thus, "drinking coffee" turns into a small ritual, the components of which, in addition to taste and service, are the exterior and interior of the place where it happens. In the latter lies the main aesthetic component. This is not only the design of the room, but also how well the equipment and inventory itself fits into the overall picture. Therefore, when choosing the latter for the long term, the “lowest price with the required functionality” approach is not always correct.

Below we provide a table/list of equipment/inventory, what it is intended for, and most importantly, what benefits it will bring:

Coffee grinder

Grinding coffee beans to make a drink

Photo by Adi Goldstein on Unsplash

Contrary to popular belief that an espresso machine (hereinafter referred to as EM) is the main factor among equipment for good coffee, we decided to start with a coffee grinder.
The logic is this: no matter how cool EM is, it will never be able to bring the maximum (not in quantity, but in taste) if the beans for it were ground on a coffee grinder with a very heterogeneous grinding. It is the uniformity of grinding that is the main criterion for the quality of a coffee grinder. The more homogeneous it is, the more evenly the espresso is extracted, which means that the barista will be able to make it tasty. Therefore, due to a good product, you can earn. When choosing a coffee grinder, we do not recommend saving money, because often the price of coffee equipment is directly related to its quality and durability.

Espresso machine

Preparing espresso-based drinks, frothing milk for milk drinks

Photo by Kevin Schmid on Unsplash

There are a large number of espresso machines and their analysis is not the topic of the article. But if we synthesize all their characteristics, then we get two parameters in order of their degree of importance: 1) stability (temperature and pressure); 2) functionality. And here everything is quite simple.
In the first point, if the EM keeps the temperature in the boiler constant, despite the constant flow of orders, other things being equal, the coffee will taste the same both in the first and in the 101st cup.
This is a very important point, because if the number of cups of coffee per day is incorrectly calculated (there are more than planned) and an espresso machine is put into operation that is not designed for such a quantity, the quality of the drink will suffer and, as a result, this is a loss of money for the business.

The second point includes all the "upgrades" aimed at automating the preparation and improving the convenience of working with an espresso machine. For example, the ability to program each working group separately or the availability of an automatic backwash program.
The list can be continued and it will expand. The diverse functionality of EM makes it possible to simplify the work of a barista, which allows him, for example, to devote more time to communicating with a guest or concentrate on fulfilling the following orders (when there are a lot of them and they are all different).
Ultimately, when choosing an EM, you need to proceed from the predicted order flow with an expectation for growth.

Water purification system


Coffee is 99% water, so you need to take care of its quality to make it. Good water results in 1) delicious espresso; 2) more durable service of the internal components of the EM.
In both cases, this is a “profit” for the business. In general, filtration systems vary in the degree of water purification, so we advise you to proceed from the quality of the product you want to get at the output.

Refrigeration equipment

Storage of ingredients

When choosing refrigerators, perhaps, they proceed primarily from their size, since there is often a shortage of free space in working areas. The second point is the energy-saving class. Given this factor, you can take care of reducing costs in the long run.

Temper and tempering mat / Autotemper

Formation of a coffee tablet in a portafilter (“basket” of a holder)

Photo by Noora AlHammadi on Unsplash

Despite the ease of use, there is a wide variety of tampers, differing in size, shape, and materials. But the universal characteristics when choosing a temper are the following:
1) it is matched to the size of the portafilter;
2) wear resistance (stainless steel and various anti-corrosion coatings are famous for this);
3) ergonomics - includes handle height, weight, finish, shape, etc.
4) appearance.
As for the mat, it is needed for three reasons:
- it provides grip of the holder with the fulcrum;
- it protects the surface on which the barista tempers from mechanical damage by the holder;
- it protects the tamper base from scratches.


Auto tamper is a device that allows you to temper ground coffee in 1-2 seconds with a programmable exposure force. The advantages are:
1) reduction of time needed to pull a shot of espresso;
2) stable impact force.
This is an indispensable thing in places with high traffic, since the process of “tempering” is reduced by several times.
The ability to maintain a constant level of pressure allows the barista to change among themselves within the working area without changing the taste of the drink. This is explained by the fact that even the same person cannot continuously temper with the same effort. What can we say about two different people?

Pitcher

Preparing milk foam and hot drinks

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

When choosing a pitcher, in our opinion, the shape of the pitcher and its nose matter. The first will affect the quality of the foam, and the second will affect the ability to make beautiful and high-quality drawings (latte art). Also, under the interior design, you can pick up pitchers of a certain color, which will be pleasing to the eye of the guest.
And if you use pitchers with non-stick coating, it will speed up the work of the barista a little, associated with polishing and removing drips and imprints. Rinsers help with quickly rinsing pitchers and preparing them for the next orders.

Scales

Weighing coffee and ingredients

Scales are an extremely important tool in the barista's craft, as it is necessary to "tune" the grind to achieve the optimal taste. And any change in 0.2 g will already affect the taste of the drink. Therefore, care must be taken to ensure that the measurement error is no more than 0.1g. In addition to accuracy, the second important parameter is durability.
Our experience shows that the choice in favor of the most budgetary scales is obviously erroneous, since they serve for a relatively short time, and when weighing, problems often arise (inaccuracy, delay, freezing, etc.). In this case, you still have to buy new ones after a short period of time. For this reason, we advise you to pay attention to the products of specialized brands (Brewista, Tiamo, Acaia, Timemore, Hario) with a built-in timer, which have already proven themselves in the coffee world.

Rinser

Rinsing pitchers or other work utensils


A necessary thing in any venue even with little traffic, as it reduces the time to remove the remnants of milk or a cocktail (if we are talking about a shaker) at least twice and allows you to keep work utensils clean. Especially relevant if the sink with a tap is located in another part of the working area. In this case, the round trip time is added to the washing time. At first glance, this may not seem like much, but if you calculate this figure per year for each employee, it will show the downtime of your business. In addition, according to our observations, the consumption of water during rinsing “under the tap” is greater than under the jet from the rinser.


An additional benefit is that the rinsersimultaneously cools the pitcher due to the temperature of the supplied water. And high-quality milk foam is obtained if the milk and the pitcher were pre-cooled.
Some models also have a nozzle for use under blender jugs, which also greatly simplifies the work of a barista or bartender.
The main criterion that you should pay attention to is reliability, which is expressed in high-quality assembly from wear-resistant materials. Buy Rinsers with a lifetime warranty here.

Knock-box / Knock tube

Collecting used coffee residues


This is an extremely important inventory, because it allows you to keep the workplace clean and speed up productivity due to its location as close as possible to the espresso machine.

These tools were invented for a reason, because in their absence, “used” coffee will have to be thrown into a regular trash can. Firstly, it is not aesthetically pleasing, and secondly, due to the lack of a rubberized partition, the discharge will be carried out due to a sharp movement, which is fraught with a scatter of coffee residues around the workplace.


The difference between a knock-tube and a knock-box is that the first is placed on the floor and can be easily moved around in your workspace, while the knock-box is located (with a bottom) on the table or is built (without a bottom) into it.


What to choose from this? Everything is individual and depends on the location of the elements of the working area and the availability of free space.
The main criterion in the choice of "knots", perhaps, is wear resistance. This is facilitated by stainless steel and impact-resistant plastic.

Water boiler

Water heating for tea and long-black coffee

A common mistake is to pour water to make tea or long-black coffee from the espresso machine. We do not recommend doing this unless absolutely necessary for the following reasons:
a) the temperature of this water reaches 120 degrees, which will be uncomfortable to drink and “burn” the tea leaf, especially green and white varieties;
b) it will accelerate the formation of limescale inside the espresso machine boiler;
c) this will reduce the steam supply pressure to the steamers in case of a simultaneous intake of a large amount of boiling water (for example, 2 or 3 teapots with a volume of 550 ml each), which will not allow preparing high-quality milk foam until the pressure returns to the required indicator.
Thus, the presence of this equipment will help maintain the quality of drinks, save time and extend the life of your espresso machine.

Microfiber towel

Cleaning the Portafilter, Steamer and Work Surfaces


There are a number of characteristics of microfiber that make it recommended for use: good absorbency does not leave lint (especially important when cleaning the steamer after use), does not shed, is easy to clean, strong and durable. All these make it possible to keep the workplace clean without fear that lint particles will get into the drink.

Cleaning brush

Workplace cleaning


The thing is necessary for obvious reasons, since it is most convenient to sweep away particles of ground coffee with a brush, and not try to wipe it with a rag, because they like to stick to the latter.
You can use different brushes, up to paint brushes, but is it beautiful? Unlikely. Therefore, we recommend selecting cleaning brushes for a specific work area.



Coffee distributor

Even distribution of ground coffee before tempering

This tool helps to achieve a uniform extraction by preventing the appearance of channels in the coffee tablet. Again, this is a question of the quality of the final drink. 
Of course, if you do not use it, this does not mean at all that channels will appear and the coffee will be less tasty. But you can reduce the probability of this by using a leveler.

Espresso machine workgroup cleaning brush - ESPAZZOLA



Removing coffee particles from hard-to-reach places in the working group
In the process of brewing espresso, particles of used coffee accumulate in places near the rubber seal and on the side of the group shower screen. They negatively affect the taste of coffee, because exhausted and already "burned out". For this reason, the use of these brushes allows not only to maintain the quality of the drink, but also the cleanliness of the workplace.


Espazzola is a professional workgroup cleaning tool. It inserts like a portafilter and uses the hot water from the machine to thoroughly and comprehensively remove coffee residue from all surfaces. Instead of painstakingly cleaning the group by hand, the machine will almost clean itself. Thus, not only cleanliness is maintained, but the barista's time is also saved.

Summing up the above, each tool or device, due to its features, allows you to save a certain number of seconds, but it is they that make it possible to free up reserves for additional growth of the business. It is they who allow employees to perform more tasks, or to do them better. Therefore, the choice of equipment must be approached consciously and with the understanding that the purchase of a particular tool is not only an expense but also an investment in the future of your business.
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