This set focuses on milk alternatives, sensory training, and the economics of the coffee shop.
Article 31: The Rise of Oat Milk in Specialty Coffee
(Category: Barista Skills | Word Count: ~280)
In recent years, oat milk has become the gold standard for dairy alternatives in specialty cafes. Unlike almond or soy milk, which can often be difficult to texture or can overpower the coffee’s natural flavor, oat milk is prized for its “barista-friendly” properties.
Why Baristas Love It:
- Texture: Oat milk has a high fat and protein structure similar to dairy, allowing baristas to create high-quality microfoam for latte art.
- Neutral Sweetness: It has a mild, malty sweetness that complements the acidity of specialty coffee rather than clashing with it.
- Heat Stability: Unlike some soy milks that “curdle” when they hit acidic coffee, “Barista Edition” oat milks are formulated with acidity regulators to stay smooth and creamy even when heated.
The Barista Tip:
When steaming oat milk, you need slightly less aeration (stretching) than dairy milk. Because it is less dense, the bubbles can become large and “soapy” if you introduce too much air too quickly. Focus on a strong vortex to keep the texture tight and glossy.
Article 32: Understanding Coffee Body (Mouthfeel)
(Category: Sensory Skills | Word Count: ~250)
When we talk about “body” in coffee, we aren’t talking about flavor; we are talking about tactile sensation. Body, or mouthfeel, is the weight and texture of the coffee on your tongue.
Common Descriptors for Body: - Light/Tealike: Often found in washed Ethiopian coffees or V60 brews. It feels thin and clean.
- Medium/Syrupy: A pleasing weight, similar to a sugar syrup. Common in many Kenyan coffees.
- Heavy/Creamy: A thick, coating sensation, often found in Sumatran coffees or French Press brews.
What Creates Body?
Body is the result of undissolved solids (tiny particles of coffee) and oils suspended in the liquid. - Filter Choice: Paper filters trap oils and solids, resulting in a lighter body.
- Metal Filters: (like a French Press or Espresso basket) allow more oils and “fines” through, creating a heavier, grittier mouthfeel.
Next time you sip your coffee, try to ignore the taste for a moment and focus on how the liquid feels. Is it heavy like whole milk, or light like water?
Article 33: The Importance of Fresh Water in Coffee
(Category: Brewing Methods | Word Count: ~210)
Since coffee is roughly 98\% water, the quality of your water is just as important as the quality of your beans. You cannot make world-class coffee with poor-quality water.
The Three Enemies of Coffee Water: - Chlorine: Used in municipal tap water to kill bacteria, it leaves a chemical, “swimming pool” taste that ruins delicate coffee aromatics.
- Hardness (Scale): High levels of calcium and magnesium cause “scale” buildup in espresso machines, eventually breaking them. While some minerals help extract flavor, too many make the coffee taste dull and chalky.
- TDS (Total Dissolved Solids): If your water already has too many minerals in it (high TDS), it doesn’t have “room” to absorb the flavors from the coffee grounds, leading to weak extraction.
The Solution:
Always use filtered water. For home brewers, a simple charcoal filter pitcher (like Brita) is a great start. For cafes, a professional Reverse Osmosis (RO) system with a re-mineralization cartridge is the industry standard to protect equipment and ensure flavor clarity.
Article 34: What is a “Peaberry” Coffee?
(Category: Coffee Bean Knowledge | Word Count: ~300)
If you look through a bag of Kenyan coffee, you might occasionally see small, perfectly round beans. These are called Peaberries.
How they Form:
In a normal coffee cherry, two seeds (beans) grow side-by-side, resulting in the familiar flat-sided shape. A Peaberry occurs due to a natural mutation where only one seed is fertilized. That single seed has more room to grow, resulting in a small, dense, pea-shaped bean.
Are they better?
Peaberries make up about 5\% to 10\% of any harvest. Many coffee professionals believe they are superior for two reasons: - Flavor Concentration: Because the plant only had to feed one seed instead of two, it is theorized that the flavor and nutrients are more concentrated.
- Roasting Consistency: Their round shape allows them to roll more easily in the roasting drum, leading to a very even heat transfer and a more consistent roast.
In Kenya, Peaberries are often sorted out and sold as a separate grade (Grade PB). They are famous for having a slightly higher acidity and a more intense aroma than their flat-bean siblings.
Article 35: The Cost of a Cup: Breaking Down Café Economics
(Category: Coffee Business | Word Count: ~380)
Ever wonder why a latte costs what it does? For a café owner, the “Cost of Goods Sold” (COGS) is only one part of the equation. Understanding these numbers is vital for anyone training at Kenya Coffee School with the goal of opening their own business.
A Typical Breakdown: - The Coffee (15-20\%): This includes the roasted beans. For specialty coffee, this is usually the highest ingredient cost.
- The Milk (10-15\%): Milk is surprisingly expensive. A single latte uses a significant amount of dairy or alternative milk.
- Packaging (5-10\%): Cups, lids, sleeves, and napkins. These “disposables” add up quickly, especially for takeaway-heavy businesses.
- Labor (30-35\%): This is often the largest expense. You are paying for the skill of the barista, their training, and their time.
- Overhead (20-25\%): Rent, electricity (espresso machines use a lot of power!), water, insurance, and marketing.
The Profit Margin:
After all expenses are paid, a well-run café usually sees a net profit of only 5\% to 15\%. This is why efficiency and waste reduction are so important. A barista who spills milk or wastes espresso shots is directly cutting into the survival of the business. Training at a professional school ensures you learn the precision needed to keep a café profitable.
Article 36: Mastering the “Heart” Latte Art
(Category: Barista Skills | Word Count: ~260)
The heart is the foundation of all latte art. If you can’t pour a clean, symmetrical heart, you cannot progress to tulips or rosettas.
The Technique: - The Base: Tilt your cup. Pour your textured milk from a height (10\text{cm}) into the center of the espresso to create a solid brown base.
- The Drop: When the cup is half full, bring the spout of the pitcher very close to the surface of the coffee. You will see a white circle appear.
- The Fill: Keep pouring in the center of that white circle. As you pour, the circle will expand and start to look like a “butt” or an apple.
- The Cut: When the cup is nearly full, lift the pitcher back up to a height (10\text{cm}) and pour a thin stream of milk straight through the center of the circle, from top to bottom. This “pulls” the top of the circle down, creating the classic heart shape.
Common Mistake: Lifting the pitcher too late. If you don’t lift before you cut through, the heart will look like a blurry blob instead of a sharp icon.
Article 37: Why We Weigh Everything in Specialty Coffee
(Category: Barista Skills | Word Count: ~230)
If you walk into a specialty café, you will see baristas using scales for every single drink. This isn’t just for show—it is for scientific accuracy.
The Problem with Volumetric Measuring:
In the past, baristas measured espresso by “eye” or by fluid ounces. However, coffee is an organic product. Fresh coffee has more gas (CO_2), which creates more crema. A shot might look like 2\text{oz} of liquid, but it might actually be 1\text{oz} of coffee and 1\text{oz} of foam.
The Precision of Mass:
By weighing the dry coffee grounds (18.0\text{g}) and the liquid espresso output (36.0\text{g}), we remove the guesswork. - Consistency: Every customer gets the exact same strength of coffee.
- Troubleshooting: If a coffee tastes bitter, the scale tells the barista exactly how much extra water went through the puck, allowing them to adjust the grind or the yield.
In specialty coffee, we don’t guess. We measure.
Article 38: The “Winy” Acidity of Kenyan Coffee
(Category: Coffee Bean Knowledge | Word Count: ~290)
The international coffee community describes Kenyan coffee as having a “winy” acidity. For a new student, this might sound strange—does the coffee taste like alcohol? No.
What it Means:
“Winy” refers to a specific combination of tartness, sweetness, and a heavy, lingering mouthfeel similar to a fine red wine (like a Cabernet or Syrah). It is a bright, sharp sensation that hits the sides of your tongue, followed by a deep, dark fruit sweetness.
The Flavor Notes:
Kenyan coffees are world-famous for notes of: - Blackcurrant: The “signature” flavor of Kenyan SL28 beans.
- Grapefruit: A sharp, refreshing acidity.
- Hibiscus/Floral: A delicate, perfumed aroma.
This unique profile is a result of the volcanic soil in regions like Nyeri and Kirinyaga, the high altitudes, and the meticulous “double-washed” processing method used by Kenyan cooperatives. It is one of the most recognizable flavor profiles in the world, making Kenyan beans a favorite among competition baristas.
Article 39: Understanding the SCAA Flavor Wheel
(Category: Sensory Skills | Word Count: ~320)
The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) Flavor Wheel is the most iconic tool in coffee education. It provides a universal language for baristas and cuppers to describe what they are tasting.
How to Use It:
The wheel is designed to be read from the inside out. - The Center: Start with broad categories. Does the coffee taste “Fruity,” “Roasted,” or “Floral”?
- The Middle Ring: If it’s fruity, is it “Berry,” “Dried Fruit,” or “Citrus”?
- The Outer Ring: This is where you get specific. If it’s citrus, is it “Lemon,” “Lime,” or “Grapefruit”?
Why Use It?
Human beings are often good at recognizing that they like a taste, but bad at naming it. The wheel acts as a mental map. By looking at the colors and categories, your brain can more easily connect the sensation on your tongue to a specific word.
For a student at Kenya Coffee School, mastering the flavor wheel is the first step toward becoming a professional Cupper or Q-Grader. It ensures that when you talk to a buyer in London or a farmer in Kericho, you are both using the same vocabulary to describe quality.
Article 40: What is a “Naked” Portafilter?
(Category: Barista Skills | Word Count: ~210)
A “naked” or bottomless portafilter is an espresso handle with the bottom removed, exposing the underside of the filter basket. It is the ultimate diagnostic tool for any serious barista.
Why Use One?
In a standard portafilter, the espresso hits the metal bottom and flows out of a spout. This hides any mistakes you made during tamping. In a naked portafilter, you see the extraction directly. - You Can See Channelling: If you see “spurts” of coffee spraying out sideways, you know your tamping was uneven.
- You Can See the “Tiger Stripes”: A perfect shot will start as dark brown droplets, then merge into a single, beautiful stream of golden “tiger-striped” crema in the center.
- Better Crema: Because the espresso doesn’t hit the metal spouts, the crema is often thicker and more preserved.
While it’s messy if you make a mistake, it is the best way to train your hands for perfection.
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