How to get the best service at a coffee shop

How to get the best service at a coffee shop

Philadelphia’s Café Don Pedro Seeks to Build Up Small Businesses

A Dominican-owned coffee roasting company called Café Don Pedro recently launched in Philadelphia with ambitions for direct trading and boosting more Latino-owned small businesses throughout its supply and distribution networks….


Florencia y Fortunata: A Café Empowering Women in Peru

The Cusco café, founded by Carolina Peralta Minaya, sells coffee from women producers and features women demonstrating their skills behind the bar. BY JORDAN BUCHANANBARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE Photos courtesy of Carolina Peralta Minaya Traceability, sustainability, and conscientiousness are key values pervading the specialty-coffee trade. For many consumers and traders, these values inform their decision to […]


Out Now: The February + March 2024 Issue of Barista Magazine!

In our new issue we feature Lisa Lawson from Glasgow, Scotland, take a look at the newest grinders, explore spring drink inspiration, see how more women are getting involved in coffee tech, and much more! BY SARAH ALLENBARISTA MAGAZINE We’re stoked to announce the release of the February + March 2024 issue of Barista Magazine, […]


Get Ready for The Barista League’s 2024 Season

The Barista League has announced 12 competitions across four continents. BY J. MARIE CARLANBARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE Photos courtesy of The Barista League When The Barista League announces new events, it’s worth paying attention! This year, the schedule will be organized by geographic location, bringing together coffee people in various communities. At The Barista League in […]

How to get the best service at a coffee shop

Cerrado Mineiro Green Coffee Auction Launching Online Jan. 29

From the heart of the Brazilian coffee lands, the Cerrado Miniero green coffee auction is for the first time happening globally online this year. Taking place Jan. 29-Feb. 3, the…


3 Elements Coffee: Supporting Veterans, One Cup at a Time  

The Australian roasting company helps to create opportunities for veteran communities.  BY VASILEIA FANARIOTISENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Photos courtesy of 3 Elements Coffee  Brisbane, Australia-based 3 Elements Coffee, founded by Navy veteran Terry McNally in 2016, has a mission to support the transition of ex-military personnel into the commercial workspace. To help achieve their goal and raise […]


The Caripe Variety: A Groundbreaking Milestone in Venezuelan Coffee Farming

Today, we unveil the story behind the Caripe variety and its significance for the Venezuelan coffee industry. BY VASILEIA FANARIOTISENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Featured photo by Carlos Felipe Ramírez Mesa via Unsplash In the heart of Venezuela, nestled among the picturesque states of Monagas, Anzoátegui, and Sucre, lies a legacy deeply rooted in coffee cultivation. This […]


PRF El Salvador announces speakers and panellists

Following a call for applications in October 2022, Producer & Roaster Forum (PRF) has announced its first speakers and panellists for PRF El Salvador. The two-day forum will be held on 16 and 17 March 2023 at the Salamanca Exhibition Centre in San Salvador. The event is set to return to El Salvador after it […]

How to get the best service at a coffee shop

Out Now: The February + March 2023 Issue

The February + March 2023 issue of Barista Magazine features New Zealand coffee & chef champion Sam Low on the cover. Also inside: a special section on branding, understanding trademark law, an interview with Laura Sommers, field reports from Kansas City, Indonesia, and Hong Kong, and much more. BY KENNETH R. OLSONBARISTA MAGAZINE We’re excited […]


The First Women-Only Coffee Championships Held in Costa Rica

Feria del Café Frailes seeks to increase the gender diversity of coffee competitions. BY SUNGHEE TARKSPECIAL TO BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE Cover photo by Sunghee Tark The coffee industry has come a long way in the past 20 years, with innovations happening in many parts of the world and in different links of the supply chain. […]


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 […]


Breaking New Ground: A Sicilian Coffee Plantation, Part One

The impacts of climate change are starting to be felt in Sicily, but while they’re causing problems, the rising temperatures are also bringing new opportunities. BY JOSEPH PHELANSPECIAL TO BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE Featured image courtesy of Henrique Ferreira on Unsplash The Sicilian love affair with coffee is known the world over. Sicily, the largest of […]

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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