Skillful baristas will always reign supreme and the purist of them will rely on their senses to pour the perfect espresso shot, but more and more are becoming open to tools that not only save time but keep up with the most demanding of customers.
One of the reasons for this is the rise of speciality coffee and its relation to the perfect brew, because what’s the point of having great coffee if you cant brew it well. As with many businesses consistency is king and this is no different when pulling espressos, which is where volumetrics comes into play.
What is a Volumetric Espresso Machine?
A volumetric espresso machine is one that can be programmed to dose a certain level of water when pulling a shot automatically. The machine can detect the water running through a coffee puck to keep coffee to water ratios consistent and avoid the need to judge by sight and touch that can lead to human error and time wastage.
As a modern feature on coffee machines made famous by big brands such as La Marzocco, its popularity has grown exponentially in recent years, but that’s not to say it’s perfect or necessary. The feature is made from electrical parts meaning that over time it can malfunction. It’s also more suited for coffee shops that have a low selection of coffees and a high stream of customers or even those looking for less hassle behind the coffee bar.
That being said many believe a barista using volumetrics has the upper hand vs. a barista without. For more insight check out the video Man vs Volumetric brought to you by the main man Matt Perger below.
