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There are ton of factors that need to be considered, but what's happening at your shop is unfortunate. It really sounds like it's one of those situations you should probably remove yourself from because it will take a lot of time and effort on your part to change the system and you'll likely see no reward for it.

Claiming you can pull a delicious shot in 5 seconds is like saying you can cook a full turkey in 30 minutes. Please don't get caught up in "It should be within 25-30 seconds" or whatever you may hear. Just your dose alone will change that a ton. So will roast profiles, ratios (ristretto is a ratio, not a time btw), grind size, roast date, etc.

You asked for resources though and I think to get a relatively unbiased opinion you should get the Scott Rao books The Professional Barista's Handbook and Everything but Espresso. Scott Rao isn't a cafe owner like Schomer or the Blue Bottle crew so the theory and methods aren't based on his own company's coffee. A lot of resources out there that say how a shot should be pulled are more specific to their coffee and the machines they use. I recommend these two books to everyone who wants to really learn coffee theory objectively aside from any one company's methods. Plus, this information will help you when moving from one shop to another since the theory stays the same.

Hope that helps!

This scale is only $10, & ought to fit under a cup in your drip tray if your owner is uber tight-fisted; it's not water proof & doesn't fit the whole portafilter on it, but you can make it work if you're careful--I bought one myself to use @ work (and at home, and traveling, and with yarn...) 'cuz it was easier than getting my boss to both invest in one & get around to remembering to order it; and it's served me pretty well for dialing in. (now to teach everyone else how to do it....)


Also remember that bottom line is what tastes good, even if that doesn't fit into what's done "typically" & to have fun experimenting. =)

From The Flavor Bible, these are the flavors that go particularly well with coffee & espresso:

• almonds
  
• amaretto
  
• anise
  
• bananas
  
• barbecue sauce
  
• beverages (What the… ? —Ed.)
  
• bourbon
  
• brandy
  
• caramel
  
• cardamom
  
• cheese, ricotta
  
• cherries
  
• chicken
  
• chicory
  
• CHOCOLATE, ESP. DARK
  
• chocolate, white
  
• cinnamon
  
• cloves
  
• COCOA
  
• coconut
  
• cognac
  
• CREAM
  
• curry
  
• custards
  
• dates
  
• fennel seeds
  
• figs
  
• game birds
  
• gravy
  
• ham (e.g., with red-eye gravy)
  
• hazelnuts
  
• honey
  
• ice cream, vanilla
  
• Irish whiskey
  
• lamb
  
• lemon
  
• lime
  
• liqueurs, coffee (e.g., Kahlúa, Tia Maria)
  
• macadamia nuts
  
• maple syrup
  
• milk, including sweetened, condensed
  
• nutmeg
  
• NUTS
  
• oats
  
• orange
  
• pears
  
• pecans
  
• persimmons
  
• pork
  
• prunes
  
• raisins
  
• rum
  
• star anise
  
• SUGAR: brown, white
  
• VANILLA
  
• vinegar, balsamic
  
  avoid: lavender
  
  recommended flavor affinities:
  
  
• coffee + bourbon + cream
  
• coffee + caramel + chocolate
  
• coffee + cinnamon + cream + lemon + sugar
  
• coffee + mascarpone + rum + sugar + vanilla
  
  Hopefully, you find some inspiration in here. (Maybe a signature latte with mascarpone, BBQ sauce and chicken?)
  
  If you're comfortable in the kitchen, I highly recommend this book. It's not a cookbook — you look up an ingredient and it suggests complementary flavors.
  

It's hard to beat the affordable and durable Hario Mini Mill or Hario Kerton hand grinders. They aren't the best grinders around, but for below $40 and a little work, it's well worth the minor investment.

If you happen to choose the Mini Mill, check out the mods that are easily installed and your grind consistency will improve significantly.

I liked this one, Curious Baristas Guide to Coffee

Not only is it a good book, it is a gorgeous coffee table ornament!

For espresso, we use these and they're great. They have a .1g resolution, fit comfortably on a drip tray, and they're backlit.

This book has a whole picture guide to the move. Start with elbows out, and twist your distribution hand as you bring your elbows toward your body- this is a crappy description, but I hope it helps.

Shop owner here. Depends on your county's Health Department regulations but I don't know of any that only allow you to use Stermine. Most will let you use a tiny bit of bleach water as a sanitizer for dishes as well. The only thing is you have to have different test strips if using bleach instead of a sanitizer. Here's some other sterilizers I've found that are USDA certified so they should be accepted in your county

r/https://www.amazon.com/Bar-Maid-DIS-201-Dishwashing-Sanitizing/dp/B002TDTYEY/ref=sr_1_5_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1540655738&sr=1-5&keywords=sterilizer+tablets

r/https://www.amazon.com/Members-Mark-Commercial-Sanitizer-128/dp/B0787938GN/ref=sr_1_4_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1540655787&sr=1-4&keywords=sterilizer+tablets

We use this...works great.

We did quite a few tests and this worked much better than a spoon.

American Metalcraft SBW10 Stainless Steel Bar Whisk, Square, 10 1/2" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GZZSKXW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_qBtUBbER9CMKM

I have THIS model by Black and Decker. I love it. It does the job nicely for pre-set home coffee when I'm not making lattes at work. I almost went with a different brand because it had higher ratings, but after reading the reviews I saw it required differently-shaped filters, and I didn't want the 150+ filters I already had to go to waste. So that's another plus, it takes normal home-machine filters (which are usually cheapest).

I much, much prefer my thermal carafe to the glass ones more commonly used. There's not only no more "oops, left the machine(burner) on and the glass pot has coffee sludge burned into it AGAIN" issues, but as a fellow barista, you probably also understand that continually cooking your coffee messes up the flavor. I firmly believe there's nothing wrong with a good percolator for home use, especially for the convenience of programming it to have your coffee ready when you want it. A solid coffee will survive being percolated, never fear.

Gimme! Coffee's Barista Manual is good. The Blue Bottle Craft of Coffee is even better.

When I make mochas at home I just put in two heaping scoops* of unsweetened cocoa and six of sugar, then pull the shot and mix it before steaming/stretching and pouring in the milk. YMMV.

There was a good recipe for making syrup on here or /r/coffee a couple months ago, but maybe it'll be reposted.

.* Those spoons are tiny. The cocoa mounds up while the sugar doesn't, so it isn't 1:3, probably more like 2:3.

Being a chemist, I use a 600mL laboratory Pyrex beaker. It retains heat surprisingly well and since it is Pyrex, it doesn't have the tendency to break when temperature changes drastically. They're cheaper than the decanters too:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004DGIII8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_PgoGybGTBWC5G

...Also, let's be real, it looks so cool.

>the seals are a little leaky around the group head.

Do you use a group head brush to clean the gasket?

Grinder: https://www.amazon.com/Baratza-Encore-Conical-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B007F183LK/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=encore+grinder&qid=1554328450&s=gateway&sr=8-3


Kettle: https://www.amazon.com/Hario-VKB-120HSV-Stainless-Stovetop-Original/dp/B000IGOXLS/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=hario+kettle&qid=1554328475&s=gateway&sr=8-3

http://www.amazon.com/The-Professional-Baristas-Handbook-Preparing/dp/1605300985

Hario made a red plastic one in collaboration with Hiroshi Sawada a couple of years ago. I don't think they're making them anymore, but you might be able to find one on ebay or suchlike.

Rattleware also makes these.

Non-mobile: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003669G7S/ref=pd_aw_sbs_sg_17?refRID=071C7HSS7PVQW6HY9122

^That's ^why ^I'm ^here, ^I ^don't ^judge ^you. ^PM ^/u/xl0 ^if ^I'm ^causing ^any ^trouble. ^WUT?

i don't get why people compain about customers ordering iced cappuccinos, just get a milk frother.
http://www.amazon.com/HIC-Brands-Cook-Stainless-14-Ounce/dp/B000X7GF40/ref=sr_1_6?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1409114447&sr=1-6

> I haven't seen anything related to being able to load your own coffee into one of those pods

There are solutions.

try one of these out if you are trying to push into serious freepours, highly reccomended for the price.

6lbs Tcho 60% chocolate
2 quarts heavy whipping cream
250ml simple syrup (1:1 water:cane sugar)

Bring the cram and simple syrup to a simmer over low heat while stirring constantly.
Then dump that over the chocolate (which is in crumbles) then stir like crazy until incorporated. Keep refrigerated, use within 10 days.)

Serve in something like this
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003669G7S/ref=pd_aw_sbs_sg_17?refRID=071C7HSS7PVQW6HY9122