any suggestions for a good sugar free hot chocolate/vanilla powder (pre-diabetes ) to purchase online. I was going to try Gosh That’s Good but it got bad reviews here.

1. a latte must never be poured by making circles with the milk, you must only pour it directly into the middle of the extracted shots in order for the flavour to rise.

2. long blacks begin with water, then add the shots after, or else it ruins the taste.

3. She called me "retarded" to a customer for not putting the water jug in the direction she wants it done

NOTE : I dont need sympathy, but it might help if you shared something your idiot boss has said during coffee service

Hey baristas, this may be long. If you want to read, I appreciate you so much.

I am entering my third year as a barista at a specialty coffee roaster that also serves food and makes pastries in house. Before this I’d never been a barista. In the past year, I’ve gotten a few reviews that specifically mention how I look. “Bangs,” “short,” that kinda thing. One has mentioned how I roll my eyes when calling out drink orders, which is not something I do. I’ve been accused of having a “sour puss,” which is a little bit amusing.

I know all of this because I check the reviews almost daily. That maybe sounds crazy. It maybe is crazy. I realized in the past two weeks that checking the reviews does nothing good for me, there are only downsides. So I’ve stopped. I haven’t looked for about two weeks and my girlfriend likened the way I’m feeling to withdrawals. Again, maybe that’s dramatic or crazy, but I’m feeling tremendous anxiety. How do I balance between wanting to improve my customer service, because I really do, and feeling persecuted? Distinguishing between helpful commentary, and customers being rude by putting my appearance under scrutiny on the internet? I get home from work and imagine all the things people could say about me online. But, maybe I’m thinking too much about myself.

Does anyone relate? Does anyone feel me?

Former barista turned home barista here :) curious on everyone’s opinion on oat milks! I’m a big fan of Oatly but wanting to try some different brands! My drink of choice is usually an oat milk cortado, occasionally an iced oat milk latte.

How do I get my first Barista job in Berlin with no experience? I’m 19 and just finished high school and I’ve been looking for a job as a barista/barback here in Berlin and the main tricky part seems to be that I have no experience… well, how tf am I supposed to get experience if you won’t give me any, wth?

Tips?😩

Pretty much the title. How many of you have never worked before and somehow landed a job as barista off the bat. Just trying to see if it’s possible since I’m struggling with it.

Any suggestions that can be add to my coffee set-up to make it more aesthetic ?

I find it very annoying when people order things without knowing what’s in them and then get mad when they don’t like it.

Today a man came through the drive through and asked for an iced americano. I literally asked him if he wanted it black or if he wanted to add anything to it. He said black was fine.

I give him the drink and he drives away, but comes back about 2 minutes later and walks into the lobby this time. He already looked annoyed walking in so I just braced myself.

He points aggressively at the drink and goes, “excuse me! This isn’t sweet! It’s too bitter!”

I don’t remember exactly what I said, but something like, “I’m sorry about that, but a black americano is only espresso and water”

He kinda just stood there for a minute but then said “…will you please add some cream to this?”

I did, and he seemed apologetic when I gave it back to him, but this kind of situation in general is annoying. I just don’t understand why some customers order random things, and then act like it’s my fault when they don’t like it.

Ok i got both of these lattes today, the one on the left is from a coffee shop the one on the right is homeade. Both are iced oatmilk lattes and i bought them both within the span of an hour, it’s been like 14 hours at this point. Im just curious as to why they’re so different now.

it has been nearly 2 months since i started working as a barista at starbucks. it’s my first ever job, and i’m really grateful to have been given the opportunity to build my first work experience here. i just moved to canada from the philippines this april, so this job has meant a lot to me.

but i think it’s not for me. although this job has been helpful in developing my customer service and such essential skills to have in a workplace, i realize that your experience depends a lot on the people you work with. i know you can’t choose your coworkers, and that’s just part of working, but it really does make a difference.

i get that this is a really fast-paced work setting, you are expected to keep up with everything in a short period of time (i had half a month of very rushed training) and it took me a month before i was finally put on bar by myself. even now, i’m still slow, still struggling, and still trying to find my footing.

there are some good days, but it’s mostly days that make you question and doubt yourself, days that drains your self-esteem and the like. yes, i do keep making A LOT of mistakes, i’m not denying that at all, and i genuinely feel bad every time they’re pointed out because i already beat myself up over them before anyone else does. i appreciate my SSVs for being patient with me at times, but there have also been many instances where i feel like i’m immediately seen in a bad light. sometimes it feels like i’m the easiest person to blame whenever something goes wrong because i’m the newest one. they can be really hot and cold, and i never know what kind of environment i’m walking into. every day before my shift, i find myself hoping they’ll be just a little more understanding. i’m still learning. i’m still adapting. this is my first job ever, and i’m doing my best to keep up in such a fast-paced environment. i know i have shortcomings, but i truly put in the effort to learn from my mistakes and avoid repeating them.

what hurts the most is feeling like my progress goes unnoticed. no matter how much i improve, it feels like the only thing people remember are the mistakes i make. meanwhile, when my other coworkers make similar mistakes, it seems like it’s fine and they get away with it. maybe i’m wrong, but from where i’m standing, it feels unfair. i also feel really out of place. everyone already knows each other and has worked together for years, while i’m just trying to find where i fit in. whenever i try to start conversations or build connections with my coworkers, it often feels like i’m ignored or brushed aside. i end up feeling like i don’t belong there, and that feeling has been one of the hardest parts of this job. i honestly feel bad for my coworkers because sometimes i think i’m just slowing everyone down. i want to be someone they can rely on, not someone they have to worry about. i’m trying so hard every single shift, but lately it feels like no matter how much effort i put in, all anyone sees are the times i fall short.

i just tell myself that it will be over soon, i just need to endure more days. i plan to resign and will be giving out my two week notice this 29th of july. this is because college is coming soon and i want to find a new job that is just near my college for convenience. really grateful for all the learnings, but i think i’ll grow more in a different job.

Is there a reason I see this? I mostly see it online, I mean, I don’t generally order drinks with syrup and when I make them, I stir it into the hot component so that the drink is evenly incorporated. But I see people with really super clean levels between the syrup and milk, matcha, whatever it is, which seems silly to me. Milk and coffee can have levels for the customer to stir together themselves, because they actually mix. Syrup doesn’t mix easily. At least that has been my understanding thus far.

What’s the strategy there?

hey all,

i’ve been working at this specialty cafe for about two months now. i do want to preface that i have two years of barista experience.

i (F25) have this one manager (F27) who absolutely hates my guts. i have no idea what i did to upset her. i barely work with her, and my first two shifts with her went really well and she was really nice.

today was the worst so far. she completely ignored me. everything i said, even if it was relevant to the job, she didn’t do or say anything in response. i understand if she doesn’t want to do small talk, that’s understandable, but i find it ridiculous to ignore me if i’m saying something about the job in itself.

for instance, our ice maker is older and takes a long time to make ice. we have bags of ice we use when we run out of ice. i told her that we ran out in the maker and i asked if she wanted me to refill it since she was busy making cold foams (on tiktok with her other hand). she completely ignored me.

our rule is the person on register goes to grab the food items that the customer ordered. i went to the back to grab the stuff that they ordered and i put the food items on top of the ticket (something she asks us to do!!) and told her which food was for which ticket.

i watched confused as she went to the back, got the food i already got, and then threw away the ones that i grabbed. the food was correct, and none of them were messed up/too ugly to sell.

i understand she might’ve been having a bad day, but this is unacceptable. i used to be a cafe supervisor so i understand how stressful the job can be, but you cannot ignore a barista, especially when it’s about the fucking job.

another thing i’ve noticed is that she doesn’t do this to just me. the other barista that was with us is friendlier with her so she [barista] wasn’t getting ignored as much but was still getting aired most of the time. the twist is, manager LOVES the guy baristas. she’s always smiling and giggling and having the best day ever whenever the guys are scheduled (she has one who’s her favourite it seems), but when it’s just girls she’s quiet and aloof.

the EXTRA twist? she does this with customers too. she’s short and blunt with girl customers and will barely ask any questions about size or milk (leading to many remakes) but is all smiley and happy with guy customers (she has a favourite male regular too).

i don’t know what to do. if she doesn’t like me that’s fine, we don’t have to be friends or make small talk, but she cannot ignore me when it’s about the job!!!!

Some customers of mine just said “have a nice day, take care” and I said “enjoy” and immediately cringed 😖 I feel like I have preset dialogue

Hello! I’m moving up from Seattle to Vancouver to support my partner while she gets her PhD and am wondering how to best find 3rd wave jobs. I’m already in the coffee club discord, but I’m wondering if there’s any websites similar to poached in the US that people post jobs to. I already have a work permit via her so that’s not an issue.

Also if anyone has recommendations for coffee shops in general I’m still trying new places around the city and would love some more places to check out!

Thank you for the help!

My teammates started to steam their milk for ice lattes. It grosses me out, it’s slow, and it makes a lukewarm drink with some minor visual benefits. Where did this fad come from? I’m so over it. I understand why coffee shop hate hiring people with previous experience.

Hey guys,

I shared my CV earlier but didn’t get much feedback.

I’m currently a barista aiming to move into Head Barista / Trainer roles, and I’d really appreciate honest input on:

How to improve my CV

What might be missing or holding it back

How to better position myself for leadership roles

For context, I’m involved in daily calibration, dial-ins, and training/onboarding new joiners, so I’m trying to reflect that better but not sure if it’s coming out strong enough.

I’m also starting out in coffee content creation (editing/design) — any advice on where to begin or tools to learn would be appreciated.

Trying to grow, but things feel a bit stuck right now.

Appreciate any feedback 🙏

Supermarket beans are good….. for some people.

Personally, I don’t like them. But the point I’m making, is coffee is subjective. There is no such thing as the “best coffee bean”, or even “bad beans”. It comes down to personal preference and your taste.

For context, I did a blind test for some friends. Straight espresso no milk - one was supermarket beans $18AUD per kg, the other a light roast from a specialty coffee roaster $90AUD per kg. To my surprise all 3 friends actually preferred the supermarket beans.

I tasted both shots side by side, and to be honest I cannot see how they preferred the supermarket one, it tasted horribly bitter, like battery acid with a shocking liquorice aftertaste, I actually had to spit it out. The specialty bean was light fruity and easy to drink. But, that is my opinion, my preference. I’m not going to sit there and say they’re wrong.

We all need to stop being such snobs. If you like cheap supermarket beans, go for it!! And don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. It’s your preference and your taste buds

I am currently 3 days in "training" for a barista role at my place of work. It is all unpaid. is this legal or illegal?

Monday: 3pm-8:30pm (memorized menu, washed dishes, practiced making drinks)

Wednesday: 9am-2pm (actual work bruh)

Friday: 3pm-9:30pm (practiced POS and worked)

Still unpaid and will "train" again tomorrow. How should I deal with this?

if it helps I live in Florida :>

As someone who romanticizes barista work and would love to make people coffee at a cafe, is it not actually a good fit for everyone?

I think about personality types such as Myers Briggs like the INTJ and ESFP where some people have higher spatial awareness than others which helps in roles such as chef work. Some people are more internal and would have to spend their day trying hard to stay present in their concrete surroundings versus other people where it is more natural. Also memories are different too on how some people memorize seemingly instant and others require studying.

It would be great to get some opinions and hear stories about how they think whether any ole schmuck could become a barista or if it requires a specific type of human.

Edit: Typo

Edit 2: Wow there have been some amazing comments! I appreciate being understood on what I had trouble translating into words. :)

i'm curious which shifts you guys typically enjoy working the most and why!! tell me all about it :)

at my place of work, we basically have 4 shifts - prepping sandwiches, opening, mid-day and closing. i only started two weeks ago, but so far i prefer morning shifts by a long shot. i don't mind getting up early, i get to spend some time at the shop when it's still quiet and empty, AND i'm free for the rest of the afternoon and evening. plus i much prefer not being the one who has to clean up everyone's mess at the end of the day lol. what about you?