There is the possibility that we all are little too close to the "bean"........ we congregate here for a reason.

Having been in the food-service business for over 20 years- Chefs bemoan the same apathy on the part of the masses....... food really ranges the gamut from Michelin and more stars than you can ever want to greasy spoons the world over. Organic , macrobiotic, vegan,.......... and Big Mac's that still outsell them all. People don't always flock to or even care to flock to what is the best. They are willing to accept mediocre and poor because they are in a hurry and live in a disposable world-

People own granite laden kitchens with more gadgets than is even reasonable- do most of them even use their Wolf and Viking ranges to cook on? And those appliances really cost big money! I try to only buy espresso at the only 2 shops in Portland that I really -really like( when not making my shots at home) As much as a fan as I am- I still buy many on the run in airports , campgrounds( yes - campgrounds!) after business lunches, hotel lobbies and *$'s - they all suck most of the time- but they kept the headache away. They are inferior but fare no worse than the cardboard I was served on my last flight.......

It is a big ship to turn and it will be incremental at best to get the public to slowly stop patronizing inferior shops and vote with their billfolds. Convenience is a tough roadblock to tear down in the "lowered expectation" world.

Maybe like the change in the auto technician field ( and others) in the last 30 years... shops that only have Licensed or trained baristas ( and display that fact at the door) could give somebody a heads up that the person behind the machine is capable of knowing what they serve and making changes when things are not right. On Their own! You could have barista's all trained and competing and owners that care enough to pay a "trained / licenced / certified barista more and the awareness in the consuming public will still lag far behind.... it just takes time. The commitment to the higher pay and better beans has to start making a difference to owners or there is little to incent a shop to "be better". How to keep the publics attention.........

So, we and the barista's are in line behind many many chefs and other food professionals. Don't give up- all of the venues and efforts on behalf of a better coffee experience will slowly turn the ship - but we will need them all and perhaps more efforts like them to make the day ours.

I drag my soap box with me - sorry to spout on so

HB wrote:I'm not sure I agree with your premise. It may be that barista competitions are benefiting from roasters/baristas response to discerning and outspoken consumers, not vice versa.

Dan, Dan, Dan...

Not to discount "outspoken consumers" or anything but I think is very possible that it is a synergy thing. Both sides seem to have an uncontrollable enthusiasm, passion and energy for quality these days. Regardless of how it started they could possibly be fueling each other's fire at this point.

hey I think this is a great thread.


I don't think we have to look at the way coffee passion has spread as coming from a single origin. It has definitely been fueled by passionate people on all sides. There are many people who have contributed to my knowledge and passion over the past 4 years, and I don't think I could tell you how many were consumers, or roasters or baristas etc.


However I am seeing barista competitions slowly affect coffee culture in Texas. After our first regional this past June, many people now have heard of the competition. Also shops see another coffeehouse in the news, because their barista won, and want to get the free publicity themselves.

I agree that while barista competitions aren't on the level of awareness that we all want them to be. They are being paid attention to by the people who matter.

It is easy for us to say that many of the baristas who compete are only carrying the banner of the employers, or roasters etc, but what other banner should the be carrying? who is it that probably inspired them to take this coffee the way too seriously in the first place?

the fact that the baristas are competing, and being exposed to baristas from other cafes, roasters, etc. only means that their passion, knowledge and experience grows. Hopefully that translates to a better cup of coffee for you the next time you frequent their coffeehouse. It also promotes the barista craft as a profession, and not a job for some minimum wage PBTC that we all seem to loathe. We all understand that it takes someone who cares about the coffee behind the counter to get a great shot of espresso, or perfect cup of coffee. Why don't we work together to make being a barista a more viable profession for people.

I can probably go on but I have to get back to work.....

Nicely put...

Well said, Dan.

I have one thing to say about that, though.

"Free Publicity"? Man, there's so much fine print involved with that.

It's not about the publicity for a shop. It's not about the single origin being used, or the nifty tamping technique, or the technical aspects of the winner's performance.

It's about the coffee, and spreading the gospel, and sharing it with colleagues.

Competitions light a fire under the bellies of everyone involved, and this translates into a more intense passion, and hopefully, an overall improvement via the trickle effect.

Jason,

I agree with you wholeheartedly. I was however more trying to highlight how some coffee shop owners look at it. Many of these don't "get it" yet, but if they get involved they will be more likely to be interested in how to make their coffee better.

Most business owners are interested in profit first, and they need to see that a better product =higher profit.

Dan Streetman wrote:Jason,

I agree with you wholeheartedly. I was however more trying to highlight how some coffee shop owners look at it. Many of these don't "get it" yet, but if they get involved they will be more likely to be interested in how to make their coffee better.

Most business owners are interested in profit first, and they need to see that a better product =higher profit.

Indeed. I don't need to tell you how much of an uphill battle that is.

I think we are missing one important point (at least it was the point that jumped out at me). The slow change in the type of coffees that are used, there has been a shift from the deep chocolate cookie cutter blends to lighter roasts, single origin, and zesty blends. I for one have grown beyond the coffee flavored chocolate bar, just cant bust it, safe blend. I find myself searching out more challenging blends that have a unique cup quality. For a lack of a better term, my tastes have matured.

Baristas have used these safe, monochromatic blends in past competitions (from what I have read and remember). Now the roasters and Baristas are starting to break out of that 'espresso must taste like this' wall and we are all benefiting. For years the home roasting brotherhood has been experimenting with single origins, light roasts and bright blends. Now those qualities are becoming more desirable to the masses and that flavor dogma of old is breaking down. Just look at the variety of blends being offered by roasters including several single origin espresso roasts.

cannonfodder wrote:I think we are missing one important point (at least it was the point that jumped out at me). The slow change in the type of coffees that are used, there has been a shift from the deep chocolate cookie cutter blends to lighter roasts, single origin, and zesty blends. I for one have grown beyond the coffee flavored chocolate bar, just cant bust it, safe blend. I find myself searching out more challenging blends that have a unique cup quality. For a lack of a better term, my tastes have matured.

Baristas have used these safe, monochromatic blends in past competitions (from what I have read and remember). Now the roasters and Baristas are starting to break out of that 'espresso must taste like this' wall and we are all benefiting. For years the home roasting brotherhood has been experimenting with single origins, light roasts and bright blends. Now those qualities are becoming more desirable to the masses and that flavor dogma of old is breaking down. Just look at the variety of blends being offered by roasters including several single origin espresso roasts.

I agree with the trend (which I've been part of in my own consumption during the last 2 years), but maybe not where the direction is coming from. To me it seems like a whole lot of people are moving in the same direction at the same time, like a giant amoeba, as opposed to this coming from on high, from certain roasters and or their competing baristas.

The person who's advice I've been taking the most, over this period of time, is none other than Jim Schulman. He has told me to buy particular SOs close to a YEAR before they started showing up in blends baristas were using in the various competitions.

So, I applaud what these baristas and roasters are doing, but quite honestly it ain't nothing new to other people who have been paying attention, like Jim, who have been aware of these coffees at least as long.

ken

Billy Wilson competed with a single origin, a Tanzanian if I recall correctly, in Atlanta 2004.

I had tried SOs (other than Harars and Mochas, which don't count) before that, but couldn't make them work; I know many others who tried and had failures or mixed experiences. I don't know who first started pulling top grade SO shots; but it was barista competition that became the proving ground for these ideas.

I'm a big believer in lower doses, although not quite as exclusively as Ken. I think Ken rejects the competition partly because the format discourages low dose shots, and none of the top baristas use the conventional 14 gram dose. This disappoints me too; but competition rules are evolving, and if low dose shots do allow a wider choice of high end coffees, the rules will eventually become more friendly to this.