New York City, being the commercial hub of the US, is an excellent place for you to start a coffee shop, after all, corporate America runs on the stuff. You’ve got plenty of barista courses New York from where you can learn the skills needed to be a skilled barista in the city, but here are a couple of the more prominent barista classes NYC worth looking at.
The American Barista and Coffee School
Situated to the immediate west of Union Square and the Flatiron District, ABC’s Chelsea Training Space is now fully operational. Those who are interested in taking up a program can register on their website or send them an email at info@coffeebusiness.com or call them on their number, 800-655-3955.
According to their latest update (20th of April), the next class is scheduled for May 29th through 31st i.e. Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Space is limited so you’ll need to call early if you’re interested.
Unfortunately, the 5 Day Business plus barista class or the 6 day business plus barista plus roasting class isn’t offered in New York City currently; that can be taken at their institute in Portland, Oregon.
But this 2.5 day class is an intensive experience with lots of practical training to take your barista skills and your concepts of coffee to the next level.
The one-of-a-kind ‘Train the trainer’ method is an ideal blend of drink drills, real world situations and detail focused instruction which get you ready to run a coffee bar with flair, and teach other business members the same.
You’ll learn the following basic skills in these two days:
- Efficiency and organization
- Speed
- Work flow
- Latte art
- Milk steaming
- Espresso Extraction
- Menu development
- Equipment maintenance and operation
The aim of this barista school NYC is that each student be confident and ready to handle their own coffee bar with expertise and flair after having attended the class.
Procreate Coffee
If you’re a fan of coffee, wish to start a coffee shop, be a barista or just want to acquire a new talent, Procreate Coffee is the place for you. The school’s philosophy is that good coffee can be made by any individual, and they’ve made it their mission to make accessible and affordable, the knowledge and skills required for this, to all those who desire to learn.
You don’t have to own the costliest, state-of-the-art equipment, nor do you have to copy drink names, recipes or the belief of others in the coffee industry to be able to make great coffee. Attention to detail, practice and education are the three things you need to make a name for yourself in specialty coffee, and these things will be in plenty at Procreate Coffee classes NYC.
This institute provides the following types of coffee barista training NYC classes:
Barista Workshop w/ Latte Art:
Their most popular class. In its initial three hours, you’ll be comprehensively introduced to everything you should know about pulling espresso and milk steaming. After a half hour break, you’ll be devoting an additional hour for practicing latte art.
The 4.5 hour class costs $150, but if you sign up with a friend, you’ll both get a $20 discount.
Short Barista Workshop:
This is a comprehensive class which is recommended for all those who want to learn everything about espresso and milk steaming with a summary introduction to latte art.
Its 3 hours long and costs $115, with a $10/person discount for those who sign up with a buddy.
The Latte Art Workshop:
If you’re serious about practicing latte art, this is the class to take. This guided workshop instructs, demonstrates and critiques, so that you’re able to improve your milk and pouring skills via milk steaming drills and three separate latte art designs – the tulip, heart and rosetta.
The class lasts 2 hours and costs $96 if taken independently. But if you’ve taken the Barista Workshop, you can add it on as extra training for $45 – this is recommended to enhance what you’ve learned in the Barista Workshop.
In addition to the above, this NYC barista training school also provides a brew class. This class is uniquely important in that it teaches you how to compare the taste difference that results from brewing the same coffee using different styles.
The Introduction to Brew Methods class goes beyond the milk and espresso tutorials provided everywhere. This class teaches you all about the various brewing methods available to you to prepare your coffee at the shop, at work or at your home. You’ll be instructed in the use of the following gadgets in the NYC barista training class:
- Kalita Wave
- Hario V60
- Beehouse
- French press
- Siphon
- Chemex
- Sock pot
- Clever
- Aeropress
And you’ll gain knowledge about:
- Methods of extraction such as pressure, siphon, immersion and pour over
- Methods of filtration like metal, cloth and paper
- Picking out coffee beans for the method you prefer
- Ratios of water and coffee
- Temperature of water
- Size of the grind
- Dialing in
- Pour technique
Besides the schools mentioned here, if you aren’t able to pay for your training, consider taking up the job as a barista apprentice at an NYC coffee shop, where you can pick up free barista training NYC ‘on the job’. Many employers may sign you up for training at a proper coffee school as well, if your performance shows promise.
Going this route may slow your career down, but, on the up side, you’re able to do a dry-run of the barista profession and get paid for it, without having to put in a single dollar as educational investment. If, after your apprenticeship, you find that the profession is for you, you can put in what you’ve earned to gain an official certification and setup your own business.
If not, you won’t have wasted any of your own precious cash!
