How to Make Consistently Good Coffee in a Cafe

Inconsistency is a bad thing for cafés. Yes, you need good drinks. Yes, you need cool decor and good marketing. But your products also need to be consistent. Why? Because consistency correlates directly with your bottom line. In such a competitive industry, inconsistency is often enough of a reason for consumers to take their business elsewhere.

So, the question is: How can independent coffee shops create consistency to produce and retain the life-blood of their businesses - regular customers?

Bean freshness

The best beans to use are those that are freshly roasted. That’s because they contain carbon dioxide and other volatile compounds that, over time, escape the beans, resulting in less flavourful coffee.

Training

As well as standardised new hire training you should try to make the time for regular refresher training for your team, they should know ‘your’ way of doing things; how drinks are finished, served and seasonal specials.

Taste testing

On a regular or semi-regular basis, have your staff make you drinks and see if they taste as they should.

Shift patterns

Have your more experienced baristas work the same shifts as newbies so they can learn the ways of your coffee shop.

Consider capsules

Yes, we know they can be a bit of a dirty word in the coffee industry, but if your business has a high staff turnover or you don’t want to invest heavily in training, coffee capsules could be a better option than serving a sub-standard, inconsistent brew, just make sure they're biodegradable.