Hello From Alabama

[jaredgibson87]

I guess I should do the customary introduction thing here

My name is Jared. I'm a barista at a Starbucks in a Target store -- yeah, I'm a classy high-end barista :lol:. I've only been working in the Starbucks area since May, and I'm basically a coffee noob. There are a few Starbucks brand coffees that I like: Guatemala Antigua, House Blend, and Pikes Place Roast, but I'm not much of a fan of their darker roasts. I usually get the 1/2 pound bags and have them ground either for a French Press or regular electric coffee machine because I want to use all of the coffee before the flavor leaves the ground coffee; I can go through a 1/2 pound bag in 3-4 days at the most because I drink some before leaving in the morning and some when I come home at night (I have a bit of trouble going through a whole pound bag in a decent amount of time, though).

I'd like to become more of a knowledgeable coffee drinker and barista. I honestly do like the job, but I'm still a little behind everyone else in my department when it comes to knowing and understanding coffee. But, I an a big tea fan, and I can talk someone's ear off about the varieties of tea we have, so at least I'm good at something! :-D

 

[PinkRose]

Hello Jared

Welcome!

I always thought Starbucks gave their employees extensive training about coffees and regions etc. It sounds like you want to progress quickly, which is always a good thing.

You can do an online search for articles and information about coffee. You can also buy books and basically teach yourself, and you can watch, listen, and ask questions when you're on the job.

I took a quick look at some of the training information that's on the Internet. (by the way, Starbucks web site is a good resource too) Here is one thing that may be of interest to you: Starbucks (Barista Training) flashcards | Quizlet

Feel free to post your questions to the Coffee Forum. We're always willing to help whenever we can.

Good luck with your new career.

Rose

 

[eldub]

Greetings, Jared.As

I've mentioned before, "Home Coffee Roasting, Romance and Revival," is a great book to learn about all aspects of coffee production, roasting and regional differences, imo.

 

[jaredgibson87]

Thanks Pink Rose.

I can work all the machines and know the recipes for the drinks (I can even steam milk well and can coax decent espresso out of the super automatic machine if I can tinker with the coarsness of the grind every once in a while). Unfotunately that's where my training ended here. The only time I get to try a new coffee is when we actually sell it brewed along with pikes place roast; we always have PPR, but we ignore the calender saying when and what other brewed coffee we should have.

I've bought the Kenya, Sumatra, and both of the "blonde" roasts, and didnt care for those too much. I can kinda explain those now, but not to the extent I want to; but I dont wanna drop $8 dollars for a 1/2 pound of coffee I dont really care for. Luckily people that buy whole bean or ground coffee at our store either know which coffee they like or have no clue and will take whatever I suggest (which is usually Guatemala Antigua).

But if a customer comes in wanting to know what kind of tea to buy, I'm the man for that.

Edlub, I'll check it out. Thanks

 

[PinkRose]

Hi again Jared,

It may help you if you take some time to explore the Starbucks coffee pages and read some of the descriptions there. That way you'll become more more familiar with the coffees that they offer, and you'll start to feel better about making recommendations to people.

Coffee | Starbucks Coffee Company

Rose