/R/BARISTA

I apologize if this is not the reddit for this but y’all seemed like a knowledgeable crowd. Long story short my wife has a late November birthday and then Christmas comes not long after. I have a friend in the coffee business who recommended a grinder and machine combo on a budget to me and I’m asking for advice on whether there’s a slightly(1-200 dollar) cheaper grinder that people might point me towards. Price is not necessarily the obstacle but I also just don’t think my wife will like the aesthetic of the grinder he recommended.

I bought her the Gaggia RI9380 Classic Evo Pro machine and he recommended the Turin DF64 Gen 2 Single Dose Coffee Grinder. She loves her morning espresso and the occasional afternoon one but other than that she’s not using it much if that helps at all. She’s a perfectionist and loves to be good at something so espresso making is an art form she admires and loves but is fairly new at. I hope this is helpful at all and any recommendation to get her the right grinder for her birthday/Christmas would be warmly appreciated.

I realized recently that what should be my gross e-tips on my paycheck before taxes have been consistently $15-$30 under what I am actually earning based on what we report at the end of the day. This means after taxes are taken out, often my tips are closer to $60 under gross. We get paid weekly.

When I asked HR about this, I was told this was because there was a credit card processing fee with Square that gets subtracted from the tips before they are taxed. I feel like the company should be covering the credit card fee. Is this wage theft? If so, what is the best way to address this?

Based in NYC btw

Edit: It looks like Square's cc processing fee is 2.6%, but 20% of my tips have been deducted before taxes.

i worked at a chain like starbucks for a year and now have been in a craft shop for nearly 10 months. my craft shop manager doesn't allow ghost steaming or steaming for more than one drink. in a perfect world, customers would understand that it would take longer due to it being craft coffee.

when i used to ghost steam at my previous chain, i'd first let the air in and then let it sit only for a few seconds at a time and keep checking the temp. during the time i let it sit i'm doing other things but constantly checking the temp with my hands.

i wonder if other shops have the same opinions. i understand it because i've seen co workers ghost steam but do it really poorly, more like as a way to be lazy.

How popular is matcha at your cafe’s in comparison to coffee? Is matcha really that popular as the trend continues to grow larger?

Hi, I currently bus tables in a restaurant in Los Angeles but always wanted to work in a coffee shop, but was curious how the tips are if anyone wouldn't mind sharing what they make as a barista in LA?

Y'all inspired me to practice my latte art.

Anyone know how to fix this? Can’t adjust grind time and I have never seen this lock symbol before… we have an old old MDX simonelli grinder

Hey y'all, I'm a barista/shift supervisor at a local coffee shop in Arizona. I'm wondering how many of you work at a shop where the shop manager also gets tips? To clarify: All of the tips collected in a day gets dispersed out to everyone who worked that day, for however many hours they worked. We see these tips when we get paid bi-weekly. Baristas and shift leads spend their entire shift on the floor taking care of customers.

Our shop manager also gets a share of tips, which is where my concern is. We got a new shop manager earlier this year, and while our old one used to spend more time on the floor, our current one spends 90% of their time in the office. To the point where there are still regulars meeting them for the first time almost 8 months later. Yet they still gets our tips, which upsets all of us because they do not contribute to customer service much at all.

I can't personally bring up concerns to our owner, because I've been speaking up about a lot of things lately and have been getting ostracized, despite working with the company for a couple of years. (No worries, I am looking for a new job).

So, what is the procedure at your store?

TLDR: shop manager who is never on the floor gets our tips as well. What happens at your store, and is this normal?

https://preview.redd.it/vkxu4fmj9qzd1.png?width=2842&format=png&auto=webp&s=2be369136d9485b4e4ad11247e90d43233ef1b74

I use a flow chart tool to draw this. This is before I give the work to the drafter who is working by the hour only.

Basic coffee shop menu including frozen blended drinks.

Some notes:

My menu includes fresh pressed juices. This is all done during off hours to fill 100 x 16oz jars. Should I put this in the kitchen and stow it away when not in use or leave it in the back bar counter to show we have serious juicing game.

Hi baristas, I will be pitching my idea for selling matcha in our cafe to my partner and wanted to know what problems do cafe owners run into when they introduce matcha in their menu. Why are they reluctant to have it?

This might seem like an odd question, but I recently realised that I toss my empty portafilters between my hands a lot. And I don't think I've ever seen another barista doing it, or at least I haven't noticed.

It's not to be flashy or anything, I just find it to be the most comfortable way to readjust them in my hands, to switch them from hand to hand, etc. I obviously don't do it with a puck in them.

I guess I do it because I also toss kitchen utensils around when I cook.

Also, how much do you multitask? I find that in rushes I typically use both my hands to perform different actions at the same time.

I've been a barista for almost 2 months, how am I doing?

What an amazing book...read it for my English class during my freshman here. Still remember the book to this day...

Long story short I was the GM of my store for over two years but I am being demoted, in retaliation for telling the owners they expected too much from the GM position and that I was doing the work of 2-3 people. They've told me that clearly I "can't handle the position" so I am being demoted.

I'm leaving the store altogether here in a few weeks due to workplace hostility, not from my coworkers at all but from the owners. Sad to be leaving my barista era after 9 years, but it is what it is. I have to protect myself and staying in an abusive situation is not good for my health.

If you check my post history I made a post a few months ago about feeling taken advantage of and overworked, and you guys gave me some really great advice that I've been able to utilise through this whole process. It's just a shame that the owners can't see my side and are deciding to turn it around on me.

My question is (purely for closure honestly) is where do you draw the line in the sand between the responsibilities of a GM vs an owner.

I was working 6 day weeks with doubles at one point due to being short staffed and while training new people, and I asked my owner for help covering shifts during this time and she helped out occasionally but not really enough to ease the pressure at all. She's told me in our talks since then that she felt like I had to struggle to be motivated to hire.

Personally, I feel like if the business you own is short staffed, the owner should be stepping in to pick up where needed to keep things moving.

I actually ended up in the hospital with pneumonia shortly after this two month long stint of working so much and I'm certain it's from being overworked.

So, any other GMs here, where do you draw the line? Did I just get the short end of the stick here or is this normal?

Hello!

Anyone have any recommendations for coffee roasters/suppliers that also offer commerical on loan coffee, servicing, training etc. I'm currently looking at will and co but don't want to commit until I've browsed all options. Does anyone also know of any that offer under bench espresso machines as part of commercial on loan via bean purchases?

TIA ☕️

I've been working at my current cafe for over a year now, it's been a great experience but the hours (we're a late night spot) and scheduling have been really getting to me lately in a negative way and I don't see those things changing soon. I've been looking for other openings in my city, and there's one at a shop I'm a regular at. Their hours are much better and I feel I would fit the environment of their cafe much better, but I'm a bit hesitant to apply just due to the fact that I'm a regular. Curious if anyone works or has worked at shops they were former regulars at and what your input is! Would it be weird? Worth a shot? FWIW I will stay a regular even if they say no lol

I'm finally starting my part-time job as a barista after weeks of searching. I'm really excited because as an avid lover of coffee, I just love making coffee and I think this is a job that I'll be really enjoying. While I've heard a lot of good things and bad things about it, I still chose this job because out of all the part-time job options I've had this will be the most I'll enjoy (but tiring too, I guess?).

Anyway, I'm really excited. I was also hoping if I could get some sort of advice on my first day since I'm a bit nervous, too. Anything would be great! :)

because they always take away the mats "to do the floors" , I'm standing on straight tile for 8hrs or more at a time. Lawrd. This is day 2/7 working every day in a row this week (don't ask me why my team wanted me to do this, but I'm already in pain from smiling all day. Being in chaos for 8 hrs straight without sense of order is mentally tiring. My wrists right now feel sharp points in my nerves. Been a barista for almost over 5 years now. AUGGHHHH

So I’m building a custom home in the next year and I’m currently working up all the details for what I need. I have been a barista for a few years and have a huge love for it. In our home I’m building my own little commercial style coffee bar. However, I can’t find where to buy commercial espresso machines, does anyone know of a company that sells them?

The cafe I work at buys pre ground espresso since we only have one bean grinder and I’ve noticed it has a strong smell. Not like the normal coffee smell but different. It’s hard to explain but I thought maybe it was the brand or the fact that it was pre ground and then bagged but I just opened a new bag and it smells fine. Anybody else experience this.

i know it’s not perfect but i have struggled so hard with getting any kind of legible latte art ! 💘 recipient thanked me for the heart and said she needed it today, which i needed today

Hi Reddit,

1. My partner and I recently started a passion project by purchasing an expensive coffee machine. We live in a developing country, and quality coffee shops are rare.
2. We have no prior experience making coffee, though we both enjoy drinking it.
3. We’ve hired a barista, but they won’t start for another 4 weeks. Until then, we need to cover some shifts ourselves to avoid losses.
4. Our main challenges:
   • Learning the basics of making quality coffee.
   • Calibrating the grinder correctly.
   • Avoiding mistakes that could damage our equipment.
5. Most resources I’ve found focus only on recipes, not the practical how-to of running a machine smoothly.

Could anyone share practical advice, online resources, or step-by-step guides for absolute beginners? Any tips for calibrating grinders or practicing without risk would be amazing!

Thanks in advance! ☕

https://preview.redd.it/vgysvugmfizd1.png?width=464&format=png&auto=webp&s=8e02cafc6f0ad63265ec3608601a983926711804

i’ve only ever been a barista for a year. I got hired at a hotel on the spot, with one year of experience. They expect me to work BY MYSELF, no other coworkers or support by my side for 8 hours straight. The barista bar shares the same bar as the bartenders who comes in after my morning shift. I asked my manager how busy it usually is and he says the front lobby is usually packed from 7am-1pm. I said, “packed… as in…” and said a little over 50 guests per hour. I don’t know what that looks like but boy oh boy, wish me luck. I’m a pretty fast and efficient worker so i’m not too worried. Any advice or tips for me before i start next week?!?!

kiddings aside, happy hump day! currently taking adoption applications of american baristas…