Any avid coffee drinker can easily tell the difference in taste and quality by a coffee prepared and poured by someone who is trained in the art of coffee, and someone who isn't.
The grinding and preparing of coffee, or more specifically 'the espresso' is an art, and those trained in it are known as a coffee Barista.
The term Barista is Italian for 'bar person' but is more commonly and widely used to refer to Coffee experts that have a passion for great coffee.
In order for a person to be qualified as a Barista they must have undertaken a Barista training course, usually offered to them by a Barista school, which is specifically written and tailored to ensure that they have the knowledge and practical skills in all areas of coffee preparation and the equipment in use.
Many large coffee house chains have in-house training programmes for their employees, also external Barista training courses are available all over the world.
A trained coffee expert, or Barista, will have the skills to be able to correctly grind the coffee beans to the desired consistency, this will ensure that the coffee is extracted for the right mount of time (usually 20 seconds) and the correct amount of liquid (usually 30mls), to form the perfect creamy espresso.
After completing a training course a barista will also be able to complete necessary quality checks and adjust the equipment accordingly to ensure high levels of consistency in the coffee they prepare.
Baristas will also have extensive knowledge on different types of espresso based drinks, for example Caffe Latte, Cappuccino, Mocha, and how to prepare and serve them to a high standard.
Any good coffee connoisseur will be able to tell the difference between a bad espresso and a Barista espresso, so make sure you get a good Barista course to get all the knowledge and skills that are so important and often over looked on bad Barista courses.