What Not to Do: Specialty Coffee Edition

By popular demand we are blogging about a few common mistakes in specialty coffee! Read on for some pro tips on what not to do and take your at-home barista practice to the next level.

Common mistake #1: not weighing everything. It may seem over the top when you’re first getting into coffee, but soon weighing everything will become second nature.

Weigh every shot of espresso, both grams of coffee in and weight of coffee out. Weigh every pour over, Chemex, or coffee grounds you put in your drip coffee maker. Weigh your syrups and cold brew. In specialty coffee, there is no eyeballing! This leads to consistency and the ability to dial in your coffee to get the best possible flavors out of it.

Common mistake #2: skipping cleaning. Never skip cleaning! No matter how busy you are!

Here’s the thing: every single piece of equipment your shot of espresso touches has the potential to impart flavor to your coffee. Use a dirty shot glass, and your shot will taste dirty. Skip back flushing your group head, and your espresso will taste off. Clean out that portafilter between every shot! It may seem nitpicky, but keeping your espresso equipment squeaky clean allows the taste of the coffee to shine through in every shot. Dirty equiptment muddies the flavor of coffee!

Common mistake #3: not tasting enough. One of the best ways to become a better barista is to taste!

Taste bad shots, taste shots that pulled too fast or too slow, taste good shots. Go to all types of different coffee shops and taste different drinks and different single origins. The more you’ve tasted the more you’ll be able to recognize when your coffee is dialed in and what makes each different coffee special!

These are some very easy ways to quickly elevate your at-home coffee skills. Avoid these three common mistakes and you’re sure to see improvement in your coffee!

What do you think? Do you have some specialty coffee tips that at-home baristas must be made aware of? Let us know in the comments below!