What makes for a Great Barista?

To use Kiley's lingo, I think you have to be a Renaissance Man (or Woman) to be a Great Barista. You have to have so many qualities, be so versatile, it takes an extraordinary person to be a great barista. People think that being a Barista is easy. It's not. It takes skill. It takes more than skill. Here's what I think it takes:

Sense of Humor
You gotta be funny. Even if, like me, you have to rely on bad jokes that you learn from your 8 year old. Humor is what pulls all of the other qualities listed below into a complete Barista package.

Speed and Physical Agility
When there is a line out the door you need to be able to move fast. People are cranky if their caffeine fix is delayed too long. So every motion counts. Filling the portafilter, tamping, fixing the portafilter in the brew basket, bending down to get the milk out of the cooler, each motion has be precise and rhythmic and correct, so you won't bump into your co-worker and so you won't spill the drink you just poured and so that you don't waste any time.

Sensitivity
The Barista has to be able to sense the mood that the customer is in. What kind of small talk or joke would work? When Tina took the liberty of scratching the Starbucks logo off a customer's travel mug, it's a good thing her Barista sensitivity was working, because the customer thought it was hilarious. He could have just as easily been offended.

Intelligence
Also known as Common Sense. Often manifests as wit when combined with savvy and speed. A good barista just has to be smart. Otherwise the coffee just doesn't taste good. Also, you need to know math, and history, and chemistry and sociology and economics and physics and the reigning laws of the universe in order to be a Great Barista.

Resourcefulness
Shit happens. The power goes out. The water goes off or starts coming out of the tap looking brown. The cash register stops working. We run out of milk. Someone calls in sick. These things happen and a great barista has to think on his or her feet and solve problems quickly.

Creativity
This quality overlaps with the above-listed Resourcefulness. But creativity is what is in action when a Barista creates a new drink. There are many ways to combine espresso, coffee, milk, spices, chai, flavor syrups, and the other myriad of flavors that are already in the cafe. Sometimes a Barista will come up with a drink that incorporates a new ingredient, maybe something unexpected. And then comes up with a good name for the new drink. Or comes up with a great idea for a new promotion or event for the cafe.

Taste
The ultimate test of the quality of the espresso shot you just pulled is how it tastes. So a Barista needs to be able to distinguish the qualities of body, astringency, bitterness, acidity, chew, fruitiness, overextracted or underextracted, the quality of the crema, the texture of the milk... tasting espresso and texturing milk requires keen sensory awareness.

Attention to Detail
The microlattice that forms the velvety foam that is necessary for making latte art requires extreme attention to detail. Was the pitcher cold to begin with? What was the temperature of milk? What is the position of the steam wand relative to the milk? What direction is the milk moving in the frothing pitcher? How rapidly is it moving? How big are the bubbles? Are they getting bigger or smaller? After frothing, did I wipe the steam wand? Did I empty the espresso puck out of the portafilter? Did I eject steam from the wand before and after using it? Was there a breeze near the machine when the espresso was extracting? Did I tamp harder this time than I did for the last shot? Which shot looked better? Which shot tasted better?

Ability to Work Under Pressure
Are you just as cheerful when there is a line out the door as when there is one customer in the store? Can you fill a large order quickly without making mistakes? Is your hand steady when you are pouring the milk? Do you get clumsy and messy when you get stressed or can you deal with the pressure? A Great Barista thrives under pressure and finds a way to engage the customers while they are standing in line. That way everyone has fun. A Great Barista doesn't snap at co-workers when under pressure, since that only makes things more difficult anyway.

Do you have what it takes?