How to get the best service at a coffee shop

How to get the best service at a coffee shop

In Tbilisi, Parsek1 Merges Comic Books with Specialty Coffee

We take a look at how this innovative café has changed the face of comics and coffee in the capital of Georgia. BY VASILEIA FANARIOTISENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Photos courtesy of Parsek1 When it comes to coffee and comic books, Japan is a longtime leader in the field. Manga cafés have been around for decades, combining […]


Test Drive: Update Your Grinding With More Comandante Grinder Accessories

The popular hand grinder has more to offer with a new line of tools and accessories now available. BY TANYA NANETTISENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Feature photo by Tanya Nanetti To brew the perfect cup of coffee, it’s important to choose the right coffee equipment. One essential is a reliable coffee grinder. Most coffee lovers start with a […]


Study Shines New Light on the Complex Arabica Coffee Genome

Researchers in Italy say they’ve shed new light on arabica coffee’s large and complex genome, which may ultimately help breeders seeking desirable traits such as high quality and disease resistance….


Weekly Coffee News: EUDR and Africa + More Celebrity Coffee

Welcome to DCN’s Weekly Coffee News. Keep up with all the latest coffee industry stories and career opportunities by subscribing to DCN’s newsletter. Tell our editors about your news here. Report: Small-Scale Farmers in…

How to get the best service at a coffee shop

Why it’s easier for wealthier producers to grow specialty coffee

It takes money – and sometimes a lot – to grow specialty coffee. Producers not only need to continuously maintain and improve quality and yields, but they also have to invest back into their farms. Whether it’s replacing equipment and machinery or planting more resilient varieties, producers need to turn a profit to operate their […]


Don’t Skip the Budding Specialty-Café Culture in Quito, Ecuador

Introducing the specialty cafés of Quito, a city worth exploring on your coffee quest. BY JORDAN BUCHANANSPECIAL TO BARISTA MAGAZINE Featured photo courtesy of Stratto When traveling across South America, Ecuador can be forgotten between the high profiles of Colombia and Peru. Similarly, coffee from Ecuador may be overlooked due to its giant neighbors, including […]


From Malawi to Edinburgh: The MF Coffee Project

We take a trip from North Carolina to Northern Malawi to Edinburgh, exploring the roots, roasts, and impact of the MF Coffee Project. BY VASILEIA FANARIOTISENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Photos courtesy of the MF Coffee Project In the quaint village of Manchewe, Northern Malawi, a story unfolded when Cameron Mcallister made the life-altering decision to relocate […]


Book Review: From Nerd to Pro, by Patrik Rolf

From Nerd to Pro: A Coffee Journey is an autobiography by roaster, café operator, and coffee competitor Patrik Rolf sharing his coffee journey. BY TANYA NANETTI SENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Featured photo by Tanya Nanetti I’ve read plenty of books on coffee over the years: manuals on how to brew great coffee at home, books on […]

How to get the best service at a coffee shop

4 Cool Cafés to Try Out in Bologna

Bologna, the Italian city home to the world’s oldest university, is traditionally famous for its food and drink—and it has some stellar specialty cafés. BY TANYA NANETTI SENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Featured photo by Annie Spratt via Unsplash Bologna is home to the oldest university in the world and is the unofficial “capital“ of the porticos […]


María Andrée Is Honing Olfactory Skills in Antigua 

A sensorial class in Guatemala at Artista de Café teaches how to use your nose for the ultimate coffee experience. BY JORDAN BUCHANANBARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE Photos courtesy of Arista de Café Walking into a specialty café in Guatemala, your nostrils are infused with aromas from the best coffees in the country. Your nose recollects the […]


Joven and Atucún Join Forces to Empower Young Farmers

The two brands have collaborated to create a unique coffee bar and support young farmers in the coffee and cacao industries. BY VASILEIA FANARIOTISENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Photos courtesy of Joven Coffee  For their first-of-its-kind bar, Joven Coffee and Atucún Chocolateria combined coffee beans, extracted cocoa butter, and organic cane sugar. Committed to supporting young farmers […]


Coffee News Recap, 2 Feb: Applications open for Australia’s Richest Barista 2024, De’Longhi reports 4.6% revenue increase after La Marzocco move & other stories

Every Friday, Perfect Daily Grind rounds up the top coffee industry news from the previous week. Here are this week’s coffee news stories. The word of the week is: expansion. Mon, 29 Jan AeroPress launches limited-edition Clear Pink brewer. The coffee brewer is made from the same Tritan material used in the standard Clear model. […]

How to get the best service at a coffee shop

How to get the best service at a coffee shop

minimum dose size?

Jan 31, 2024 |

I use the Hario switch to brew my coffee and am trying to reduce my caffeine consumption. Hence I would like to brew smaller cups of coffee. I am currently using 10g of coffee with 160g of water. (1:16 Ratio) I am wondering if there is a minimum amount of coffee...

How to get the best service at a coffee shop

9 Tips From a Barista

Now, we can all agree that buying and brewing your own beans is the way to go. Some days, though, it’s nice to see what the coffee shops have to offer. We’ve all been there. We order one thing, we get another. We say room for cream, and alas, the coffee is filled to the brim. Now, you can accept your fate, or you can change it. Here’s how you can get the best service possible… and maybe even make the day of the person that helps you wake up: the barista.

1. Know what you’re ordering before getting in line.

It’s easy to get distracted when waiting in line, but once you get to the front, you’d better know what you’d like! There are people behind you that would like to order too, and the faster you order, the faster you can drink your delicious morning brew. If you are having a hard time deciding between a couple options, feel free to ask the person behind the counter (they often know what’s best).

2. Don’t use your cell phone.

This should be a given, but you’d be surprised. There’s nothing more frustrating than the guy on his cell phone, trying to have two conversations at once. We understand that there could be an emergency … in that case, can’t the coffee wait?

3. Speak up!

It’s okay to get a little loud with us. Baristas don’t have super-hearing, and sometimes the coffee grinder can be a little bit louder behind the counter. Make sure that you’re getting exactly what you want—and you’re not going to get that telling secrets into thin air.

4. Have your form of payment ready.

You may worry that you’re inconveniencing those behind the counter by having us make a change. It’s OK, they don’t mind! It’s part of the job. Making people stand behind you while you dig for exact change and pocket lint or counting pennies is far worse than breaking that 50. 

5. Don’t hover over the pick-up counter.

We will call out your drink when it’s ready. Take a load off and grab a seat for a minute or two. Hovering over the pick-up counter has caused unspeakable accidents, arguments—maybe even divorce. There’s nothing worse than accidentally spilling scalding hot tea all over a perfect stranger.

6. Tip your barista.

If you received excellent service, throw a quarter or two into the tip jar. Now, if you’re simply bringing a bottled juice or muffin to the checkout, no worries. A thank you will hold up just fine. But if your barista washed out your travel mug for you and steamed up your latte with love … show your appreciation. They’ll remember it next time.

7. Use one chair.

Yes, we understand that it’s tempting. You see that other empty chair and decide that it’d be a perfect footrest. Perhaps it would … but let’s agree it’d be better off not to. If you’re putting your things on a chair because you’d rather sit alone (we can all be a little anti-social some days), try moving the chair to a different table instead. Win-win.

8. Use headphones.

Don’t be “that guy.” If you want everyone to know about that awesome new local band, try buying their merch instead. (Who doesn’t like a new t-shirt?)

9. Clean up!

The firestorm has come, and if you don’t get out of the coffee shop as fast as possible, you will be turned into a goopy mixture of ashes and blood! Just kidding, it’s beautiful out, and you have time to bring your trash to the rubbish bin. 

Related: How to fit coffee into your budget

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How to get the best service at a coffee shop

Perfect Little Beans

Chinmey Hill Coffee uses specialty-grade beans with zero primary defects (such as black beans or sour beans) and less than five secondary defects (such as broken beans). This is important because primary defects will greatly affect the taste of the coffee. Having zero defects allows the coffee to be the most optimal flavor.

Window for Optimal Flavor

Chimney Hill Coffee ships our coffee the same day it was roasted, so you will receive it before it enters the window of optimal flavor.  This means you’ll never miss the opportunity to enjoy the coffee’s peak flavor.

Coffee Ratings

Coffee undergoes many scoring processes by professionals who achieved their Q Grader certification. Coffee is first graded when it’s green. If there are defects the coffee is determined to be “not-specialty grade”. For those coffees that pass green grading, they are sample roasted and cupped. (Cupping is the official term for critically tasting and scoring coffees. The official cupping form is standard worldwide, and where the 100-point scoring system comes from.) A coffee’s dry fragrance, wet aroma, flavor, aftertaste, body, acidity, balance, and overall impression are taken into consideration while uniformity issues and defects, will lower the overall score.

Specialty Coffee

Specialty coffee, coined by Erna Knutsen in 1974, refers to a coffee that receives a quality grading score of 80 percent or higher. While “premium” or “gourmet” seem like they’re synonymous with “specialty,” they simply are marketing terms with no defined standards. Specialty coffees are grown in specific and ideal micro-climates, and have distinctive and unique flavor profiles, with little to no defects.

Third-Wave Coffee

We’re currently in the third wave of coffee. The first wave of American coffee put pre-ground, vacuum-sealed cans in kitchens across America. The second wave started with the late ‘60s introduction of Peet’s coffee (by Alfred Peet) through the proliferation of Starbucks. The third wave of coffee focuses on origin transparency, nuanced flavors, and artisan roasting. The term “third wave” is synonymous with specialty coffee.

How to get the best service at a coffee shop

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