I have a plan to involve myself in
F&B industry, which is a barista. If you ask me why I like that ? My
answer, “ Well, I just like it” !
It is quite hard for a ‘New guy’ like me who knows
nothing about what a barista do. Even though I did read several on the opinions
regarding to how to become a barista, setting up a café, brewing method, ect
ect, it is just a normal reading without any execution. I know I have to start
somewhere. Attending a long-period course will be a bit risky as it involve a
certain amount of money to sign-up for one. In addition, without certain
fundamental understanding of coffee, most likely I won’t understand the
course contents as well.
So, a workshop is what I’ve chosen, A Basic
Barista Workshop and Latte Art Workshop . A Two-Hour-Long workshop. It is a two
separate days for this A Basic Barista Workshop and Latte Art Workshop which
happen on 4th of April and 11th of April 2015. I’ve done for Barista
Workshop and left the Latte Art workshop for next week. I happen to see it at
Groupon offered by Ecciatto group of company. Regardless I will be a certified
barista or end up to be a amateur barista, it is a great kick-start for initial
exposure of coffee world while paying the least.
Ecciatto’s office is located
somewhere at small-medium industry Taman Connaught area. It is hard for me to
believe it is located in such area ( I suppose it should be located at urban
shop lots,haha).
Ecciatto Taman Connaught area
Don’t be judge it by its
external looking. Anyway, within this building still contains necessary
equipments for workshop participants.
Semi-automatic machine are used during
the workshop.
I was the first one who arrived to the
center, and very soon, i got another 14 coffee lovers joined me too, and next,
class are started. !
Our class presentor name is Vincent.
We, he didnt talk much at the beginning,rather than that, he was busy preparing
each of us a latte ! Well, as a welcome drink for us, the latte taste good !
He started to ask us to introduce
ourselves. Each of the participants shares their views in coffee. Some of them
even planned to open a boutique coffee house. Well for me, i just an amateur in
conventional coffee brewing techniques like syphon, and frenh press. Well, i
planned to buy a machine too. That is why i am here.
Vincent introduced us the origin of
coffee. Coffee was discovered by a goat ? Well, until Vincent told us, i dont
even know it was discovered by a goat ! Haha, anyhow, the Mr-Blah-blah Goat in Ethopia, we now have
a cuppa in many coffee house.
In Ecciatto, they follow SCAE
(specialty coffee association of europe) standard, whereby 7g of of ground
coffee will generate 13 ml of coffee liquid under 9 bar extraction.
I was inspired throughout the lesson.
As a beginner like me, i am like an empty glass gilled up by a lot of water.
Vincent shared a lot of his experiences with us. Some general terms in coffee
industry, coffee based beverages, some italians coffee's name. If you wish to
drink a milk-ed coffee, make sure your order a "cafe latte" but not
"latte" when you in Europe country . XD
The most interesting part pf this
workshop is the handling of espresso machine. Well, that is why i am here !
Everytime i entered a coffee house, the
only thing that matters me is the espresso machine. I was wondering when i can use that guy by my own.
Well, today i finally earned it.
Release some water from the brewer
head, operating the grinding machine,
tap ground coffee into the portafilter are the common steps in espresso making.
Well, these sequences often messed up for the first time using this guy. Dont
underlook the sequences because, it may afdect the taste of the espresso or
caused severe damage to the machine. (Well, just because I forgot to flush the
filter holder, it ended with a burnt taste espresso. To uphold the
responsibility for the mistake done, I drank away as lesson.) A hard experience
which I will always remember.
Vincent show one of the participant of the class on machine handling
and there comes Jeremy Tay, who conducted the Free Pour class
The participants of the workshop also
observed the introductory of free pouring, and it was conducted by Jeremy Tay, member of Ecciatto too. It is kinda interesting to see how
those arts like Roselia, Heart shape art formed on top of the coffee. But when
it comes to me who do that job, it end up to be a ‘dot’ on the coffee.
My very first time in pouring milk, and
well, that was a ‘dot’ XD
‘How to land safe when you do a mistake’ is stressed during
latte art. Sometimes when you do a mistake, there are still some ways available
for you to make it presentable with the mistake done. Well, in latte art case,
it is Etching ! gently use a ‘satay stick’ (It is called
etching stick actually) to stir around, it become another thing that is
presentable !
Anyway, I love this workshop
very well. I wouldn’t say that it is a very complete course that teach you A to
Z. As the name implies, ‘Workshop’ , should be very brief and some what like
‘warm up’ for a particular interest. I would say that this workshop reached its
functionality, which really give me a very good insight in exploring more about
coffee. Well, my next target, SCAE certification.
So meanwhile, I got my attendance cert first . Hehe
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