Good Coffee

Before I worked in a coffee shop one summer in high school, I had never tried a cup. It often smelled too strong, and for me the same held true with taste.

But summer of my sophomore year that all changed. I worked at an Italian cafe, my boss speaking limited English- but he definitely knew his coffee. Although I began completely inexperienced, within three weeks of trial and error on the espresso machine I was working my way to being a legitimate barista. A month behind the counter I had gained my boss's approval, and from there I knew I would be successful in the art of making coffee.

The key to coffee is not only the taste, but the smell. Too much in the machine results in a burned smell and a bitter taste, and not enough means a watery espresso. When making the coffee, it's about how it feels- you know when the porta-filter is just filled enough, when to level it off and how hard to press it into the head of the machine.

Six days a week in an environment of only coffee makes it hard to resist. When I knew what a "good cup" of coffee smelled and looked like, I was confident enough to try a cup. I know now that a coffee shop is good when they can make skim-milk extra foamy for a cappuccino- thus, this has been my test for new coffee shops. (The fat is what makes the milk foam when combined with the steam).

Having been on Smith for about a month, my favorite coffee shop so far would have to be The Roost. They know how to make a solid cappuccino. My favorite way to drink it is with Raw Sugar and Cinnamon on top- it tastes more like dessert than coffee.

Here's a video some of my old co-workers made with latte art, something I never quite got the hang of!