Starbucks Closing All Stores for 3 Hours

All U.S. Starbucks Stores Closing for 3 Hours February 26th from 5:30pm Local Time

Facing up to the reality that point-and-click machines may have resulted in a less-well-trained barista workforce, Starbucks has announced that it will be closing ALL stores in the U.S. for three hours on February 26th from 5:30pm local time to allow for three hours of refresher-training for staff. The stores will reopen at 8:30pm.

The removal of the Starbucks' caffeine fix from loyal customers is necessary to stave off increasing competition, even from McDonald's which is preparing to launch its own specialty coffee shops under the brand name of "McCafe". Starbucks' CEO Howard Schultz, in announcing the surprising all-store closing stated that the refresher for all 135,000 U.S. employees is a push to "renew its focus on the customer".

My recommendation for Starbucks is to throw away all the dial-up point-and-click espresso machines and retrain all staff what it really takes to make a good espresso shot. Of course you know how to do that already by havning studied the extensive online-training in making espresso coffee drinks that I have provided here at EspressoCoffeeSnobs.com.

Espresso Making Education DVD

This June Bellissimo Coffee InfoGroup will release a DVD called "Training with the Champions". The DVD was made over a year at the American Barista & Coffee School in Portland, Oregon and is the first training DVD in which regional, national and world barista champions share their passion and skills one-on-one with the coffee world.

Sounds like it could be a good buy.

Please note that I have no affiliation with any of the parties mentioned above - I am just sharing this information because it sounded interesting. I am neither endorsing the DVD nor will I be paid for any referrals other than possible Amazon.com automated linking from this post.

Correct Temperature when Steaming Milk for Espresso Drinks

The correct temperature when steaming your milk is between 140 and 160 degrees Fahrenheit (60 and 70 degrees Celsius). Once you get above the upper limit the milk will be scalded and the flavor of the drink will be ruined. Everyone of course has a personal preference; some like it not so hot, some like it very hot, but be careful with the very hot end; the flavor of your drink will be ruined by going above 160F.

If you are someone who likes to use soy milk in your espresso-based drinks, then the upper limit is 120F degrees (50C).

Most experienced baristas can judge when the milk is at the right temperature by the feeling the sides of the pitcher, but if you want to learn where your "sweet spot" is, get a milk thermometer.

What to do if espresso coffee extraction is too fast

If when you are extracting espresso, the water is passing through the ground coffee too quickly, you will not achieve good crema and the coffee will not pick as much flavor from the beans. There are essentially two things you can adjust: the fineness of the grind, or the pressure used for tamping. Either of these steps will create greater resistance to the water passing through. Tamping should ideally be around 30lbs of pressure (practice using some scales to find out how much weight you need to put behind your tamper). The grind for espresso is fairly fine, but you should use a grinder that has multiple grind settings so that you can adjust it till you find the right grind. The extraction should take about 20 or so seconds. If it's happening faster than 20 seconds and you aren't getting good crema production, then vary either or both of these things.
Hint: Did you know that once you open your coffee beans, unless you are storing them in a vacuum container, they will quickly start to dry. As they dry, you should adjust the setting on your grinder to be more fine as the beans dry - that way you will still be able to produce crema. The other thing is to use your beans up quickly!

Making Stove Top Espresso

Making espresso without an espresso machine using a stove-top espresso maker Can you make espresso without an espresso machine? Yes, there are stove-top espresso makers like this available from stores and online at Amazon.com. The name for these stove top espresso makers is "moka" which comes from Italian. The pot is divided into a lower and upper chamber which screws apart at the center. You put water in the lower chamber and then place the piece that holds the ground coffee with the stem down into the water. Finally screw the top chamber in place securely. When the pot is put on the stove and the water reaches the correct temperature, it is forced up through the coffee grounds into the upper chamber. It is best to place the pot on medium heat and on the smallest burner you have. You need to keep an eye on it and remove it from the heat as soon as you hear the last of the water coming into the top chamber. You'll soon know when this is happening by the sound that the moka pot is making. Consider the size before you buy. You don't want to buy one that is any bigger than the number of cups you are typically going to make. Use good beans and grind them to a medium grind, not the fine grind you use in an espresso machine. As always, use high quality espresso beans. Unfortunately, you won't be able to make crema like you do in an espresso machine when using a moka pot, but if you are using good beans, you will still have delicious coffee to enjoy.

Cappuccino Recipe per the Italian Authorities

The recipe for cappuccino according to the National Institute for Italian Espresso (as reported by The Guardian)

Ingredients:
125ml milk, no warmer than 3-5C, containing a minimum of 3.2 percent protein and 3.5 percent fat
25ml shot of hot espresso coffee

Directions:
Add coffee to a 150-160ml capacity ceramic cup
Froth milk with steam to a temperature of 55C, and add to cup
Add sugar and stir gently

Some interesting things to observe in this "official" recipe from the land from which the cappuccino originated. First, it's not clear whether "add coffee to...ceramic cup" means extract the espresso directly into the ceramic cup. My "golden rule of espesso making" is to extract directly into the cup - do not extract into a pitcher and then pour the espresso into a cup as you will leave a good amount of the crema behind. For more details, read my "golden rule for making espresso".

Second, note they say "ceramic cup". American coffee shops take note; ditch your paper cups! And we, the customer, should be demanding it. Coffee in a "real" ceramic cup tastes better. Serving it in a paper cup conveys the sense that coffee is just another fast food to be consumed on the run. Stop, take a breath, and enjoy your coffee in a ceramic cup. Oh, and join with some friends in doing so.

Third, the milk is added to the espresso. That's certainly how it should be - extract the coffee into your cup, and pour the milk into the espresso. Not the other way around. Again, pay attention America!

Finally, add sugar and stir. Hmm, I don't have sugar with my coffee, whatever kind of drink it is. Interesting that the Italians consider it essential to a cappuccino. This I would definitely say can be left to personal preference. In some countries, such as New Zealand and Australia, a cappuccino is typically served with either ground cinnamon or chocolate sprinkled on top, something I've never seen as an option in the U.S. Also, I note in New Zealand, that a cappuccino is often accompanied by a chocolate candy, typically a chocolate fish.

Make Your Own Blended Iced Coffee

The heat wave stretches on throughout the U.S. Well, actually here in Southern California we're actualy experiencing a respite from July's heat wave. Starbucks announced their monthly sales figures today which weren't as good as expected. What got the blame by the company? The heat! Supposedly sales last month were off because of an unexpectedly high demand for frozen drinks such as the Starbucks Frappuccino in the morning instead of the hot espresso drinks they usually sell during their A.M. rush. The frozen drinks take longer to make, which affected how long people had to wait in line, which affected how many people were willing to wait in line. Perhaps so, or maybe it was that so many people learned how to make a frappucino at home courtesy of EspressoCoffeeSnobs.com!