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Barista Training: Operation Excellence

This is the first of a series of barista training blogs - the tips below are designed to help you deliver high quality coffee, serve after serve.
How to keep coffee fresh and in the best condition:

  • Don’t overfill the coffee hopper, only fill to the amount you’ll use for the day
  • Only grind coffee to order, this will give the best flavours
  • Only open a fresh bag when required
  • Store the coffee in its original packaging, somewhere cool and dry, avoiding sunlight
  • Avoid storing next to a fridge, strong smelling food or close to steam/moisture sources
  • Don’t leave beans in hopper overnight, transfer them to an airtight container

Do coffee beans go bad?

Coffee beans don’t have a fixed expiry date as such, but a 6-month coffee bean won’t make the same standard of coffee that a freshly roasted bean would make. Here are some guidelines about coffee life and how long it will last before losing its aroma and freshness:

  • A Sealed pack of coffee beans will last up to 1 year
  • Beans in an opened pack will last up to 3 days
  • Beans in a hopper should be okay for 2 hours or maximum half day
Ground coffee should be used as soon as it’s made, it can last up to 1 or 2 hours.

Serving Coffee

Research shows that quality coffee branding supports quality perception, use branded cups with a spoon on a clean saucer (no coffee or milk drips!) and partner the coffee with a small biscuit or chocolate.
Ideally, coffee should be served at around 85°C in cups that have been pre-heated for the best taste experience
When serving coffee in a pot or pitcher, make sure it is clean and not too big! When serving over a liter of coffee, it is better to use multiple pots.

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