La Mano, or the Hand of the Barista, with the CoffeeMeister

by Erin Meister, Posted Dec 22nd 2009 @ 3:00PM

Every barista relies on la mano. Photo: Wadem, Flickr.

We've come to the last of the "four Ms" needed to make everybody's favorite concentrated coffee kicker. And the last "M" is the romantic part, the human touch -- la mano, or the hand of the barista. Of course, as a professional barista trainer, I am inclined to think that this last "M" is the most important in the scheme of espresso-making. Call me biased, but seriously, you think this stuff is going to make itself?

The barista's role is perhaps more nuanced and significant even than it seems at first blush. For one thing, there's a good reason we're lumped in with all the fine-tuned mechanical details of the equipment and the blend: The barista is to be part artist, part machine. Just as la macchina is designed to the same thing every time you turn it on, so too should the barista be as consistent as possible. He or she should understand the "how" and "why" behind every step in the process -- from grinding to extracting to drinking.

A good barista can make delicious coffee; a great barista can explain how it came to be that way.

Not only that, but the barista is the last person to see the coffee alive, so to speak: La mano's care or carelessness in the beans' final moments can make or break a cup, even if the ingredients are top of the line. The barista who over-extracts that masterfully sourced and crafted espresso blend is akin to the chef who burns the dry-aged filet. We've all felt that disappointment -- but hopefully we've all also felt the transcendent joy that the perfect cup of coffee brings. Just leave it to the "four Ms."

Erin Meister trains baristas for North Carolina-based Counter Culture Coffee and sporadically maintains the blog Meet the Press Pot from her home in New York City. This is part of a series for the caffeine-addicted.

Do you have a regular barista you know and trust to make the perfect cup every time? Tell us about him or her in the comments.

Filed Under: Coffee
Tags: coffee, coffeemeister, espresso, italian