Once you are confident extracting espresso, and aerating, swirling and pouring milk you can practice making the recipes from Section 2.

Before serving espresso coffees to the customer remember the following:

• Prepare the required sets of saucers, spoons and accompaniments before preparing the espresso so it can be served immediately.

• When preparing milk-based espresso drinks:

  • steam the milk at the same time as extracting the espresso shot to make sure the espresso is still at its best when it is incorporated into the drink and the milk does not separate in the jug before being poured

  • ensure the aerated milk has reached the required 68°C.

• Prepare milk-based drinks first because the hot milk and greater volume keeps them warm while the non-milk drinks are made.

• Prepare non-milk espresso drinks last so they still have their crema, aroma and flavour when they are presented to customers.

Presenting espresso beverages

1. Pre-heat cups and glassware

• Serve in pre-heated cups and glassware to ensure that the coffee will keep its optimal temperature as long as possible.

2. Serve immediately

• Serve immediately because the crema disappears quickly and the espresso will lose much of its aroma.

3. Clean and stain free

• Cups and glassware should always be clean and stain free.

• Never use chipped or cracked vessels.

4. No drips or spills on saucer

• Check that there are no drips or spills in the saucer.

• If some of the drink has spilt, dry the outside of the cup or glass with a clean cloth and replace the saucer.

Latte art

When you have good consistent aerated milk, and are confident with pouring it, you can try to make patterns in the crema using the properties of the milk. Remember the lighter foam part of the milk tends to float and as it separates in the cup it breaks the surface of the crema and makes a white pattern.

To create latte art a barista needs:

• an espresso shot with a good, thick crema

• perfectly textured, glossy milk

• a milk jug with a well-shaped pouring spout

• lots of practice.

The patterns are created by gently shaking the jug from side to side as the milk is poured into the espresso, keeping close control of the spout. The cup should be held on a slight angle, tilted towards the barista and the spout as close to the coffee as possible for maximum control.

Accompaniments

Popular accompaniments served with espresso beverages include:

• biscotti (Italian for biscuits or cookies; usually describe a long, dry, hard, twice-baked cookie with a curved top and flat bottom designed for dunking into coffee)

• chocolate coated coffee beans

• small wrapped chocolates

• Jaffas (a small round sweet, consisting of a soft chocolate centre and hard orange-flavoured confectionary covering)

• marshmallows.

Not all establishments provide accompaniments with drinks. If yours does, make sure you have enough product available for service.

Activity 10: Practice making popular espresso beverages

Note: This activity will help you prepare for your assessment.

1. Practice making the following beverages:

• long black

• short black

• flat white

• latte

• cappuccino

• mochaccino

Use the recipes in Section 2 of this Student Learning Material or use your establishment's recipes that you noted in Activity 5.

2. With your teacher/tutor:

check the coffees for appearance, flavour, body, aroma, temperature and presentation

• if the coffees are not right, talk about:

• what went wrong

• why you think this happened

• how you could correct it.

Activity 11: Serve and present three espresso beverages

Note: This activity will help you prepare for your assessment.

Here is a potential order from a customer. Make these drinks and present them to your teacher/tutor as if they were the customer.

• Before you begin, think about:

• the cups or glassware you need

• what drinks you need to make first

• the way will you present the drinks.

Here are some tips to help you plan.

You need four shots of coffee for this order. That’s a double shot on one group head for the long black and another double on another group head for the flat white and cappuccino, which can be extracted at the same time.

• The cappuccino is full fat milk and the flat white uses trim milk so you need two different types of milk. This might mean using two jugs or cleaning and reusing one.

• The cappuccino has one third foam which is mostly air and won’t hold heat as well as milk.

• The crema on a long black tends to dissipate quickly after it’s been extracted.

• Don’t forget to clean the steam wands and portafilters after use.

Try and do as much as you can by yourself, but don’t be afraid to ask if you’re not sure.

Your teacher/tutor can give you advice and tips to help you.

Remember:

• If you don’t know, ask!

• If you’re not sure, ask!

• If you make a mistake, don’t worry, just think about what you could do better next time and try again.

• Speed comes with confidence but confidence doesn’t come with speed, so try not to rush.

• Ask your teacher/tutor what you did well and what you could do better next time.

• Practice makes perfect!