Took me 8 years of barista work to learn I was steaming milk wrong

I had this moment about 6 months ago when a customer asked for latte art and I couldn't do it. I thought it was just me being clumsy. Then another barista showed me I was tilting the pitcher wrong and letting the steam wand sit too deep the whole time. I had been making bubbly, loud milk for almost a decade without realizing there was a quiet way to do it. Now I can pour a little rosetta and it blows my mind. Did anyone else have that one basic skill you thought you had down but really didn't?

2 comments

2 Comments

jessica_robinson231mo ago

I read somewhere that most baristas actually learn the wrong technique from watching other people in busy shops, not from proper training. That totally explains why so many of us go years without knowing there's a better way.

williamm821mo ago

Learning wrong technique from watching others" - @jessica_robinson23, that explains why I still make coffee that tastes like regret.

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