It is the Machine, Barista or the Coffee Beans?

by Bikie Jovie
(Australia)

QUESTION:

Is it the Machine, Coffee Beans or Barista that make the best cup of coffee?


ANSWER:

This feels like one of those trick questions I was asked back at school!

The answer is, all three. Sometimes.

The starting point is the beans. If the beans are of poor quality, badly roasted or stored incorrectly or for too long after being roasted, you’ll get a bad cup of coffee. Neither a great barista, nor a wonderful coffee machine can deliver a great taste if the roasted coffee beans are of low quality.

If the beans are perfect, and the coffee machine cost you only ten dollars and has a couple of chips and cracks, you can still get a terrific cup of coffee. Get the grind right and soak the grinds for the right length of time, with water at the correct temperature, and that is all it takes. By all means spend a few hundred dollars on a coffee machine if you want. But a ten dollar French press will probably make coffee that is just as good.

Now for the barista. Helpful if you want an espresso-based drink, sometimes. Not necessary if you want a regular cup of coffee.

So, if you are making coffee with a French press, you don’t need a barista. If you use a fully automatic espresso machine, you don’t need a barista. But if the espresso machine is either manual or semi-automatic, the barista can make a big difference.

To summarize, all three elements have a part to play. But you’ll never get a great cup of coffee if the coffee beans are of low quality, poorly roasted or stale.