Becoming a barista is something that you learn, however, being a successful and good one is closely related to having the right tools and equipment with which you can create magic. With the needed knowledge, practice and the use of good and quality cafe equipment and supplies, you'll be able to stand out from the crowd and show off your skills. Speaking of cafe supplies and tools, there's a list of some of the most essential ones that can help you become a professional and good barista.
Coffee Shop Supplies
While these supplies might not fall into the actual category of cafe gear, still without them, you won't be able to make your drinks. This type of fancy and quality cafe equipment will play a huge role in the taste of your drinks, so choosing them wisely is important in order to meet different customer needs. If you plan on serving all customers and meeting their different needs, you'll have to invest in ingredients that will meet their expectations. That being said, your cafe should be stocked with everything you need to meet the taste of the artisan coffee lover and vegan to the robust tea drinker.
Having this in mind, as a barista you should have both regular coffee and espresso for the different coffee lovers. While some love the idea of drinking strong espresso so the caffeine could kick in faster, some people want a coffee with lower caffeine in it. Plus, the chosen coffee for your cafe should be from different roasts and flavoured varieties to give the consumer different opportunities. As a good cafe, you should also offer one of the simplest, sweetest and tastiest drinks of all time – hot chocolate. This beverage is loved and preferred by many but mainly by children, so having it on the menu is a must.
Tea bags, loose tea and chai should also have a place on your menu since there are a lot of people who prefer tea and chai over coffee. Even those who love to consume caffeine for waking up in the morning could replace the good-old coffee with a caffeine tea from time to time. And in the end, your cafe should also have milk as the staple ingredient for making lots of drinks, flavouring syrups and sweeteners of course.
Coffee Equipment
Espresso Machine
Aside from the coffee itself, the espresso machine is the most important type of gear for your cafe. The right espresso machine will allow you to transform the chosen coffee beans into the tastiest espressos, lattes, mochas, cappuccinos, etc. With their heavy taste and smell, these coffees will draw in more and more customers and they'll improve your ROI in no time.
Coffee Tamp and Mat
The coffee tamp is another essential type of tool that you should use as a barista since it affects how your espresso pours. Even though stainless steel tamps are considered the ideal tamp for home use, commercial spaces like cafes use calibrated tamps since they allow you to set a pressure threshold. That way you can be sure that all of your cups of coffee have been made with the needed amount of pressure when tamping. This, on the other hand, will avoid the overuse of your wrist and will reduce your wrist injuries.
Aside from the tamp itself, you'll also need a tamp mat which is used for tamping coffee. The tamp mat itself is mainly a thick rubber mat designed to absorb the heat from the portafilter as well as the pressure that comes from tamping the coffee. These mats are essential for keeping the benchtop in perfect condition.
Milk Jugs
Milk jugs or also known as pitchers are used to steam milk. They're available in a large selection of stainless steel options, as well as ones coated with Teflon which are designed to produce micro-foam. Generally speaking, these jugs are available in 360ml, 600ml and 950ml.
Milk Thermometer
A milk thermometer especially one that allows for the milk to be steamed at least at 60 - 65°C is ideal for achieving a perfect caramelisation of the sugars and proteins in the milk. Thermometres who work at 70°C or higher temperatures risk burning the milk and going bubbly.
Disposable Cups and Coffee Glasses/Cups
If you plan to offer coffee on the go, then aside from the regular cups and glasses, you should also have a range of disposable cups. That being said, it would be great if you have:
Plastic Cups and Lids
These cups and lids are the perfect to-go option for iced and frozen drinks. Make sure to have them in different sizes and thicknesses in order to meet different needs.
Paper Hot Cups and Lids
As the name implies, these cups and lids are specially designed for hot beverages. They're designed to keep all types of hot beverages warm and secure when on the go.
Some Other To-Go Supplies
If the paper cups don't have an additional layer of protection around the cup, then it would be a great idea if you offer your customers custom coffee sleeves that will protect their hands from getting burned. Being custom-made means that you can use these sleeves for promoting your logo and brand.
Having straws and stirrers is also a much-needed type of supply since a lot of people add sugar and creams to their coffee. So having them at your disposal will help them blend their drinks.
