This in itself is a science, one that can help you make an informed decision each time you look at moving beyond your olde faithful.
You may be away from your typical cafe (at a meeting, interstate, or on holidays) but one thing never changes—you need your fix!
The obvious solution is to jump onto an app for coffee nerds like Beanhunter, Yelp, or Urbanspoon. Let’s for a second pretend that isn’t an option, and all you have to work off is a bit of instinct and some knowledge.
Here are some questions you can ask yourself to help spot a bad coffee before it even reaches you:
The first part is really obvious. Seriously, look inside the cafe. Are they clean? Is there anyone inside? Is it somewhat inviting? Dont mistake this with a stark fitout or a non-busy period. I mean was this place built in the ‘80s, never loved,and not moved with the times?
Second, what kind of equipment are they packing? You’ll get to know a few of the bigger brands of coffee machines. This is not to say that a coffee machine is the be-all and end-all of getting a good cup of coffee. But the ones you are looking for are: La Marzocco, Synesso, Slayer
Are they grinding on demand? This is very important. Is the coffee being ground for each cup? Fresh is always best! If you head into a cafe and they flick the grinder on and leave it on until it switches itself up (and the coffee grounds fill up inside of the grinder’s dosing chamber) you need to RUN! What you’re looking for is either a push button electronic grinder for each cup, a set of scales, or constant tapping or pulling of the grinder’s dosing trigger
Banners of big companies always deter me. If you need to sing songs of what brand you use to get people in, chances are the coffee doesn't speak for itself
Now that you have your sensory experience rolling, if you can hear a long drawn squealing sound from the milk jug that’s another really bad sign. It basically means that the barista is not stretching the proteins in the milk (usually due to a lack of training) and the milk is spinning around with no air being introduced into it
Some other signs you should be cautious of:
- Large milk jugs (like bigger than two of your fists put together)
- A thermometer on the milk jug (it’s not necessary and it’s a franchise thing)
- Spoons in the milk jug
- Coffee served in giant mugs or corrugated cups
- Syrups on the coffee machine
- Is the barista moving the jug up and down to aerate the milk?
Ultimately, coffee is subjective and it’s really your choice and preference as to what you like. However, with these few tips you can reduce your chances of getting an inferior quality cup of coffee before you order it.