At Veneziano Coffee Roasters, we want to share our knowledge and experience with you. If you’re just starting out or have had your own espresso machine for a while and just want to learn to get the best out of it, we’ve designed the perfect class to take you to that next level.
In our Barista at Home class you’ll learn all the basics of making delicious espresso on your very own machine. We’ll also show you how to dial in your grinder and some easy maintenance tips to keep your machine running at its peak.
We recently held our monthly Barista At Home course at our new, state of the art training facility in Richomnd, Melbourne and we asked one of our participants, Ryan to take us through his experience:
What made you decide to do the Barista at Home class at Veneziano?
We have a manual espresso machine at home. We have had it for quite a while but did not understand exactly how to use it to get the best coffee possible from it.
Describe the main areas of coffee making you wanted to work on before you did the class?
Equipment knowledge, equipment maintenance, grinding and tamping, as well as the fundamentals of what makes a tasty coffee.
Set the scene for us…
The space is amazing. I loved how I could look out onto the roastery through the floor to ceiling windows. It was really modern and clean, and very well-equipped. There is plenty of room to work individually at your own station, and crowd around another station to view a demonstration.
Take us through the day.
The day started with us introducing ourselves and an explanation as to why we were at the course. Our trainer Erin gave us all a good explanation on coffee basics – something which the home barista may not consider – such as identifying good beans, storing beans, and explaining some operational aspects of our espresso machines. We spent time working on achieving a good grind and espresso shots, focusing on consistency. Only then did we move onto milk, and then had some fun trying our hand at latte art. Finally, we spent some time on cleaning and maintaining our equipment.
What was the most valuable thing you took from the class?
The emphasis on identifying the correct grind and dose and how they relate to each other, then keeping this consistent which I hadn’t even considered before.
What are you doing differently now?
Spending time adjusting grind settings and weighing out the coffee going into the group handle. And ALWAYS using freshly roasted coffee beans!
Can you give any advice to your fellow home baristas?
The course is definitely worth doing for correcting any bad habits you may have inadvertently taken on, and setting you on the right path to good coffee.
Thanks Ryan!
For more information on this course and many others, click here.
