why training decides the coffee
A professional machine gives you stable temperature, pressure and consistent doses. It will not set the grind for the barista, choose the dose in the basket or steam the milk, though. In training I see the same thing: a new machine in a team without a shared recipe makes better coffee than the old one, but it still varies from person to person. Only a shared way of working turns what the machine can do into consistent taste.
The first month is the best time to set these habits. The team is learning new equipment anyway, so it is easier to introduce a recipe, a checklist and a division of work than to change habits six months later. Below is the plan we use, based on our experience. Adjust the pace to your team and venue.
setup day: operation, safety, cleaning
When we commission the machine, we go through its operation with the team on site. Everyone who will work behind the bar should be there, not just the owner. On that day, focus on three things:
- Operation. Switching on and off, group buttons, hot water, steam wands, reading the pressure gauge and messages. Everyone should pull a few shots and steam milk themselves.
- Safety. Hot surfaces, steam, care around portafilters and steam wands. Who calls for service and when, for example if water or steam leaks.
- Cleaning. Backflush, cleaning portafilters, baskets and steam wands, cleaning the drip tray. To a schedule from day one, because habits from the first week stick.
We set out the cleaning schedule in our guide to espresso machine cleaning and backflush. Print it and hang it next to the machine: cleaning schedule (PDF).
first week: recipe and milk
In the first week the team sets the recipe and learns to repeat it. This means working with four concepts that every barista should understand in the same way:
- dose: how much ground coffee goes into the basket;
- ratio: the beverage weight relative to the coffee dose;
- extraction time: from starting the group to the end of brewing;
- grind: the main adjustment tool when taste, time or weight drift from the recipe.
The exact values depend on the coffee and the style of your venue, so agree them together, ideally with the roaster you buy your beans from. What matters more than the numbers is that the recipe is written down and that everyone adjusts the coffee the same way: taste first, then grind, and change the dose only rarely.
The second pillar of the first week is milk. Practise steaming with different jugs and portions until everyone produces consistent foam. A good habit from day one is to purge and wipe the steam wand after every jug of milk.
weeks 2–4: working at peak times
Once the recipe works when it is quiet, it is time to test it at peak times. This is where differences between people and weak points of the station show up.
- Consistency at peak times. Check taste and time several times a day, including when there is a queue. If the coffee drifts from the recipe, adjust the grind rather than changing the dose by eye.
- Workflow on two groups. Decide who grinds and tamps, and who steams milk and serves. With one person behind the bar, one portafilter brews while the other is being prepared. You can work out how many groups your traffic needs in the group calculator.
- Calibration at the start of a shift. The first coffee of every shift is a test, not a coffee for a guest. The barista checks taste, time and weight, and only then opens the bar.
- The station. Portafilters, cloths, jugs and milk always in the same place. At peak times every step counts.
At the end of the month, hold a short review with the team: what works, where the coffee varies, what is missing at the station.
shift checklist: opening and closing
A checklist structures the day and makes it easier to hand the bar over to the next shift. This is our version:
| When | What we do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Opening: before the first guest | we check temperature and pressure, flush the groups and steam wands, clean the drip tray | the machine is ready to work, the first coffee has no surprises |
| Opening: calibration | we brew coffee to the recipe, check taste, time and weight, adjust the grind | the same coffee regardless of weather, humidity and bean freshness |
| Opening: the station | portafilters in the groups, clean cloths, jugs, milk, coffee stocked in the grinder | the barista doesn't have to look for anything at peak time |
| During the day | flush the group before each coffee, purge the steam wand after milk, check the taste regularly | cleanliness and consistent taste as the queue grows |
| Change of coffee or barista | a short calibration and a note of the settings | the next person starts from a tested recipe |
| Closing | backflush with detergent and water, portafilters, baskets, gaskets, steam wands, drip tray, grinders | tomorrow morning the machine and the taste are the same as today |
| Closing: notes | we note the grinder settings and comments for the morning shift | continuity between shifts |
An opening and closing checklist on a single A4 page. Hang it by the machine next to the cleaning schedule.
new team members
Staff turnover is part of daily life in hospitality, so the training plan doesn't end after the first month. A new person should learn from the same recipe and checklist, ideally alongside an experienced barista on a quieter shift. Cleaning and operation come first, then espresso to the recipe, and finally milk and working at peak time.
A written recipe and checklist mean that onboarding doesn't depend on who happens to have time to explain. With high turnover, the machine features described below also help.
how la marzocco machine features help
Some of the work of keeping coffee consistent can be handled by the machine itself. On the La Marzocco machines we offer, this includes:
- shot timer: on the Linea Classic S AV, a digital timer above the group button shows the extraction time, so the barista can see it without a stopwatch;
- programmable doses: volumetric dosing on AV versions gives the same serving from every barista;
- drip tray scales (ABR): extraction stops once the target beverage weight is reached, which makes working with a recipe in grams easier. We explain when the extra cost is worth it in our guide ABR drip tray scales or AV dosing;
- Steam Flush: on the KB90 and Strada X, a burst of steam and a hot water rinse after extraction help keep the group clean;
- La Marzocco Pro App: the electronics of many models are ready to connect to the app, and on the Strada X you manage profiles and settings from your phone.
Features won't replace training, but they shorten the path to consistent coffee. In a specialty café, where recipes change more often, they matter even more. More in our guide specialty café: which espresso machine to choose.
what we do at installation
When we deliver the machine, we set it up in your venue and go through its operation with your team: daily work, cleaning and when to call for service. We also help you choose the machine, grinders and water filtration to suit your menu and volume. If you're still planning your venue, see our guide opening a café: equipment.
Planning a new machine? Let's talk about your venue, menu and team.
frequently asked questions
How long does team training take with a new machine?
We go through operation at installation, but habits take several weeks to form. In our experience, the first month is enough for the team to work to a shared recipe, even at peak times.
Who should attend the training at installation?
Everyone who will work behind the bar, not just the owner or manager. Train new staff later to the same recipe and checklist.
What espresso recipe should you start with?
It depends on the coffee and the style of your venue. Agree the dose, ratio and time together, ideally with your roaster, and write them down. What matters more than the numbers is that everyone works the same way.
What is calibration at the start of a shift?
A few test shots at the start of a shift: the barista checks the taste, time and beverage weight and adjusts the grind before serving coffee to guests.
Do drip tray scales make training easier?
Yes, because they track the beverage weight, so a new person sticks to the recipe sooner. The scales do not replace learning to grind and steam milk, though.
How do you train a new barista?
To the same recipe and checklist, alongside an experienced colleague: first cleaning and operation, then espresso, and finally milk and peak-time work.
read also
- Linea Mini or GS3? Which one for your home?
- Which espresso machine for an office? Does a traditional one make sense?
- Linea Micra or Linea Mini? Which one for your home?
- Grind-by-Sync: how La Marzocco controls a Mahlkönig grinder
- How to make milk drinks faster in a café
- Espresso machine for a roastery or showroom: how to show off your coffee
- 10 mistakes when buying a café espresso machine (and how to avoid them)
- Espresso machine for a bakery or patisserie: selling coffee alongside your bakes
- Is a more expensive café espresso machine worth it?
- Espresso grinder for a café: on-demand or doser, and how many you need
- ABR drip tray scales or AV dosing? When the extra cost pays off
- Espresso machine service: what it covers, how often, and when to call a technician
- Café espresso machine leasing: lease, rent or buy?
- La Marzocco in Warsaw: Tekla, Doza and Wandal
- Specialty café: which espresso machine to choose? What a specialty café needs
- Opening a café? An equipment plan, step by step
- Dual boiler, saturated group, independent boilers: what they change in the cup
- When to replace your café espresso machine? 5 signs
- Water for espresso machines in venues: hardness, filtration, boiler protection
- Espresso machine cleaning and backflush: a schedule for your team
- Espresso machine for a restaurant or hotel: what to look for
- Which espresso machine for a café? A guide to La Marzocco machines
- Linea Classic S, Linea PB, KB90 or Strada? A comparison
- AV, ABR, EE, MP: what La Marzocco machine versions mean
- Preparing your venue for an espresso machine: power, water, drain
- How many groups does your venue need?