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BY PAN DEMETRAKAKES O
can be frustrating because of the potential for variability, with diff erent baristas making the same drink diff erent ways—with diff erent tastes. Th e right tools can keep the craſt smanship but cut down on the variability. Th e tools of the barista's trade—grinders, tampers,
scratch. It's great because it's fun to watch a craſt sman at work. It
ne of the things that make coff eehouses great is what also can make them frustrating: baristas making drinks from
"Th ere are a lot of good coff ees, and you don't need to spend a ton on them," Constantine says. "If you have good equipment, you can taste the greatness from a full range of coff ees."
STURDINESS For barista tools, the main requirement is simple sturdiness.
thermometers, frothers and frothing pitchers, and so on—at their most basic, enable the barista to do his or her job more easily. Beyond that, they can actually help determine how the drink comes together, making it easier to ensure consistency between cups. It all comes down to details, says Bruce Constantine, co-
founder of Espro (www.espro.ca), a designer of barista tools and other equipment. "One big trend is toward greater and greater attention to
detail inside the espresso shops, particularly in the attention to detail of making the espresso beverages,
tools can be as much of a factor as the coff ee itself. He points to a study Espro did, comparing trained tasters' ratings of coff ees on coff eereview.com with the coff ee's prices. Th e correlation was nearly nonexistent.
He maintains that, when it comes to the quality of a drink, " Constantine says. 28 | July 2012 • www.specialty-coffee.com
Like most commercial equipment, they have to stand up to repeated use, in an environment that's not always benign. "I go to a restaurant supply store in New York and buy
these timers where the minute they get wet, they're shot," says Gregory Zamfotis, owner of Gregory's Coff ee, which has four outlets in New York City. "Not to say that every timer can withstand water, but when you're in the coff ee business, things typically get wet." It basically comes down to quality, says George Collins,
quality products," Collins says. "Th ere's so much out in the market that's just cheap mass-produced goods." In barista tools, quality translates to details like the
construction, the fi nish, the precision of the components and their sizing, depending on the tool in question. "For a tamper, it'
design," Collins says. "A tamper seems like a simple product, but s obviously nice heavy feel, an ergonomic
president of Espresso Zone (www.espressozone.com), a supplier of barista tools and other professional coff ee equipment. "Th e main trend that we've seen is just the pursuit of high-
