by Kaffee Bitte on Thu Nov 01, 2007 7:14 pm
I am going to focus on how to increase your speed, since there are innumerable posts on this site about improving the shots themselves.
The single most important part of speed in a commercial setting comes down to the way the equipment is set up. The best setup is to have grinders set on one side of the machine (if there is only one steam wand it should be the opposite side), and the milk cooler and cups on the other side. This setup provides the best efficiency for two people working at the machine. One person will stand on the grinder side and focus mainly on pulling shot after shot after shot. The second person stands next to the cooler and steam wand and focuses on steaming milk, preparing cups and putting the finishing touches on drinks. The adding of flavors, when indicated, can be done by the steamer or can be performed by the puller. Two experienced people working the machine in this way can run it at near it's maximum capacity without interfering with the others tasks. The maximum capacity of the machine will depend on how many groups it has and it steaming power. 2-groups are usually capable of 50-100 drinks an hour, with 50 being the more truthful figure. A 3 group will be close to the 100 drink/hour mark and a 4 group will be near 150/hour. Steaming power of the machine is often the limiting factor, though most professional machines will have few problems running at or near capacity.
Here are some things I did to increase my output at work. It took me about a year to really start to come near the maximum capacity of the machine. In this time I was basically training my muscles to perform the required tasks repeatedly (muscle memory takes 3,000 or more repetitions to set in). If I had been more efficient at the start I would not have had to retrain myself to increase my speed, so I will continue from here with some tips that I later found to help me, that would have decreased my learning curve to start with. Just in friendly warning about the next bit, I am rather anal in how I aim to increase my efficiency, so take these suggestions only as far as you feel is sensible for you.
On the shot pullers tasks. To start with time yourself (during slower periods at work) from the end of one pour all the way to the beginning of the next pour. If you find that it is taking you longer than 30-40 seconds to clean the pf, dose, level and tamp then lock and pull, you should focus on the next few steps. If you are within 30 seconds the next suggestions may still help cut more time off, but don't expect as much time savings (probably a maximum of fifteen seconds total). The number one thing you can do here is practice, practice, practice. This alone will do a lot for you.
Otherwise the first thing to focus on is setting up your area. Next to the espresso machine and in front of the grinders draw an imaginary square. This square should contain everything that you need to setup shots, such as your tamper, a towel, the knockbox, extra portafilters etc. Set these objects in the square where they are most comfortable for you. Once you have them where you want them, train yourself to ALWAYS set them in the same spot. Given some practice at this you will automatically reach for the required item without having to look for it or even think about it. This will also set you up to allow fluid movements from each stage of preparing the espresso.
Next you should start timing yourself again. Now though you should focus on how long it takes you to perform each separate task. What you are aiming for here is to get rid of any bad habits you may have formed, that only slow you down. Are you doing things to show off or make yourself look good? (showing off can come later once you are fast and efficient) When you remove the portafilter to knock it out and clean it, are you doing so with the fewest movements possible? Are you doing these two tasks in a fluid movement using one hand on the portafilter and one hand armed with a towel? Sometimes it can help to have someone else watch you to help spot your bad habits, so if you can, make use of a co-worker.
The next area to focus on is dosing, leveling and tamping. How quickly can you perform these tasks? While performing them are you moving fluidly between them with no stopping? Most people will pause between leveling and tamping. If you are doing this try to practice leveling and reaching immediately for the tamper. At this point your imaginary square is your best friend, so practice, and practice. I have moved to using a light tamp as opposed to tamping down with inhuman force. This has several advantages. First off, you will have much more stamina due to the decreased energy required and secondly a light tamp is faster with less chance of severely damaging the puck.
Overall these tips should at least get you thinking about how you can increase your efficiency. In a shop selling large amounts of coffee the most efficient barista will make more money for the shops owner and usually their paycheck will show it. This isn't to say you should sacrifice quality, by all means still dump shots that pour substandard. An experienced barista can work quickly and still make a quality drink.
As far as the steamers tasks go, steam enough milk for the same number of drinks as there are groups. So for a two group machine steam enough for two drinks, three group- three drinks etc. This will keep your steaming timed to the shots that are ready and only the shots that are ready. In between steaming, ready cups for the next drinks with flavors added, then prepare the next round of milk. Another time saver in a rush is to refill two or three steaming pitchers so that you are ahead. It is a good idea to time how long it takes to steam set amounts of milk (2, 16 lattes, or a cappuccino and a latte etc). This will give you an idea of how much preparation will go into each drink and with some math tell you the maximum number of milk drinks you can make. If the steaming is cutting down on the total output of both people delegate set tasks to the puller, such as the puller sets up the cups and adds any flavors needed.
When starting my shift I always try to discuss what tasks each person will do so that there is no confusion during the next rush. A little bit of preplanning goes along way. It is also in your best interest to switch sides if you are feeling tired. Switching tasks can relieve strain on muscles that are fatigued. Also remember to COMMUNICATE with the person next to you. Tell them when you have such and such shots done or this amount of milk ready. Doing so will help to keep both people focused on the task at hand and not focused on how many customers are waiting impatiently for their drinks. A speedy barista who makes decent drinks will almost always make better tips than a slow one making near perfection every time.
Well hope this ramble helps. I would love to hear more about your experiences in your neck of the woods. It's always nice to talk shop.
Lynn G.
LMWDP # 110
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