Quick answer: To judge a coffee shop, order a drink that shows off the beans and the barista’s skill: a straight espresso, a pour-over (if it’s on the menu) or a cortado. These have nowhere to hide sour or bitter coffee behind milk and syrup. Watch how the barista works, too: scales, clean equipment and care are good signs.
On a first visit to a coffee shop, you want to taste the beans and the brewing, not milk and sugar. Sweet specialty drinks can mask poor coffee.
If it’s your first time at a new coffee shop, here are the drinks you should order to make sure you’re getting a quality bean & properly brewed coffee.
How do you judge a coffee shop?
You can learn a lot about how a shop is run and what you can expect out of your cup of coffee by watching the baristas. Keep a close eye on them as they make your coffee.
You’ll learn if they use the proper technique and if they care about the coffee they serve. This is true for an espresso shot and a pour over. By watching this you will learn a lot about the overall business as well as the coffee.
This works best at independent specialty shops. Large chains are built for speed and consistency with automated machines, so there is less barista technique to judge.
The best coffee shops will have specific training regimens for their baristas and have proper technique across all their locations. Typical barista skills include:
- How to grind and brew drip coffee and make simple syrup for lattes
- How to make pour-over and french press coffee
- How to make espresso drinks (Latte, Cortado, Cappuccino, etc.)
- How to calibrate and pull espressos for specialty drinks
Different shops can specialize in different drinks. If they specialize in espresso order the espresso and if you hear they have great pour-overs order the pour-overs. Some local shops may have really high order volume, and they simply don’t have the time or staff to do proper pour-overs but have great espressos. Try to play to the shop’s strengths when ordering to give them the best chance of impressing you.
Why order a straight espresso?
Espresso shows the beans and the dial-in with nothing to hide behind. It is not easy to extract the flavors out of a lightly roasted coffee bean as an espresso shot. Many places brew unacceptably sour espressos that are unpalatable.
Lighter roasts are popular and taste brighter, but when brewed incorrectly can result in a sour face puckering experience. It’s harder to brew correctly and has a narrower dial-in window to brew a balanced, sweet espresso.
If you are currently in the learning process or want to learn about espresso this is a great way to compare different espresso to determine what your preferred taste profile is. When ordering an espresso there are a few things you can look out for.
- Look for a scale to see if your espresso is being properly dosed
- Check the bean hopper to make sure it is properly cleaned and there isn’t old coffee oil and residue left on it
Drink your espresso soon after it is served. The crema and aroma fade quickly, so a shot left sitting is harder to judge fairly.
Espresso styles vary around the world. Many specialty shops pull doubles at around a 1:2 ratio (for example, 20 grams of grounds for about 40 grams of espresso), while a traditional Italian single shot uses a smaller dose. Keep this in mind when comparing shops while traveling. If shots keep tasting sour, our guide to why coffee tastes sour explains why. Want to pull café-style shots yourself? Compare our picks of the best espresso machines for home.
Is a pour-over a good test of a coffee shop?
Pour-over coffee is a great way to judge the quality of a coffee shop. This is only if a pour-over is listed on the menu for that specific coffee shop. If a pour-over is not listed on the menu please do not order a pour-over to “test” how good the place is. You’re just setting everybody up for a bad time.
A single-cup pour-over usually takes around three minutes. If it takes longer than that they may have ground the beans too fine or the barista does not know what they are doing. If the pour-over takes less time they may have ground the coffee too coarse.
A well-made pour-over should be smooth and flavorful. It is a good test of both the barista and the beans. Learn the technique yourself in our V60 brewing guide.
Why order a cortado?
If you are judging a shop for its overall ability to deliver good espresso drinks, good coffee beans, and trained baristas, a cortado is the right drink to order. A cortado requires steaming milk, pulling an espresso, milk texturing, and portioning. You can also still taste the beans because cortados only have a small amount of milk. Once you can steam glossy microfoam, try our beginner’s guide to latte art.
A cortado is typically about equal parts espresso and steamed milk, around 2 oz of each, so it normally comes in one size. If a shop offers small, medium and large cortados, it may be serving something closer to a latte.
Well-steamed milk tastes sweet and silky. This is an important part of brewing great espresso drinks and cortados allow you to evaluate this without overpowering other parts of the espresso.
Frequently asked questions
What should I order at a coffee shop for the first time?
If you want to judge the coffee, order a straight espresso, a cortado or a pour-over if it’s on the menu. If you just want to enjoy yourself, order what you like; our guide to different types of coffee drinks can help.
What is the best drink to test a barista?
A cortado tests espresso, milk steaming and texturing in one small drink, while you can still taste the beans. A pour-over tests grinding and brewing technique.
How can you tell if a coffee shop is good?
Look for baristas who weigh their doses, clean equipment, and fresh, well-extracted espresso that isn’t harshly sour or bitter. Shops that tell you about their beans and roast dates usually care about quality.
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I just moved to a new town, so I want to find a new go-to coffee shop. It’s good to know that trying a shop’s espresso will give you a good feel for their quality. I’ll also have to try a cortado as that’s my favorite drink.