A barista prepares coffee and espresso-based drinks, including familiar combinations such as lattes, cappuccinos and mochas. The equipment work is important, but so is knowing what the café is serving. A customer may need help choosing a coffee, understanding a milk option or recognizing how two menu items differ.
At the espresso station, follow the café's measured recipes and the machine's operating procedure. Coffee dose, beverage yield, temperature and extraction time need to be understood together. Traditional examples in an older guide can illustrate the idea of a recipe, but a particular single-shot quantity is not automatically suitable for a modern basket or every coffee.
The job also involves maintaining a usable station, communicating orders and keeping equipment clean between tasks. Learning coffee terminology helps when it supports those actions and produces clearer explanations, not when it replaces them. Describe the role through work that can be observed and taught. A strong barista is not simply someone who enjoys coffee or can recite a list of drink names, but someone who can provide a consistent, considered service.
The conversation
A good question can make a better brew.