It’s no surprise that I enjoy a good latte, sometimes a lot more than I really should. Some days I can get a little carried away and can drink up to 5 cups .. within a few hours. I just love the taste so much that I need to start getting into decaffeinated beans, even though there is still caffeine in a decaf coffee it will limit the overtake of jitters. Sometimes people get shocked when they hear me say decaf is still caffeinated which made me want to speak of a few things I learned along the way of being a barista 🙂
1.) Espresso has a time limit up to a minute before it “Expires”. Ok now espresso doesn’t expire to the point you can’t drink it or it will get you sick but in a good authentic Italian
Cafe, if you do not get that espresso to the customer within 30-60 seconds, your remaking it and trying again. The golden colour floating on the top is the Crema and in the Crema holds many little microbubbles that pop when hitting your mouth and releasing the flavours it has to offer. Over time that crema will start to separate which leaves you with that dark intimidating colour.
2.)If they warm your milk and walk away, chances are your beverage is ruined. This is actually one of my biggest pet peeves when watching someone make my latte. It would never have been without being a barista myself but 80- 90 % of the time you will receive burnt milk. If I am paying more than $5 for my coffee I want to be able to at least enjoy it. A few signs you can tell the milk is burnt:
– The milk has a sour odour. Milk frothed to perfection will contain a soft sweet smell, if anything.
– You need a sleeve to hold your beverage. A perfect latte should never require a sleeve, you should be able to hold it comfortably and if not then they have over steamed your milk.
– Your milk looks like a Pankake that’s ready to be flipped. The top of your latte should move smoothly and contain a soft velvety look.
3.) The beans do contain a shelf life. Now it’s hard when going to a cafe to actually see the beans that they are using to ensure you’re getting that fresh cup of coffee but you can ask when they last loaded their “hopper”
you want to hear anything under 2 weeks and in most cafes that should be the case. When purchasing for yourself at home you will just want to keep an eye for the expiration dates, in an airtight package they are good up to 6 months, once that package is opened however you have two weeks. someone like me, that’s never a problem I am typically needing a new bag around then 🙂
I recently spent a morning enjoying a lovely Vanilla Latte and an Almond Croissant at Faubourg Downtown I happily add this place as one of my favourite places in Vancouver to enjoy a Coffee. The latte was very delicious, my milk was smooth and velvety which had so much flavour that just sparked joy on the inside. The almond croissant was absolutely delish too and I must go back to try some macaroons!
Hope everyone has a great Week!
XoXo CB
- Stop Dimming Your Light
- Fall/Winter Goal Setting Bucket List
- Summer Checklist
- Learning To Let People In
- My Summer To Do List
Chelsie Breanne 