Skills
Barista Skills & Tools
The technical skills, people skills and tools employers look for in baristas, and how to build and show them.
What skills do baristas need?
Baristas need technical skills such as espresso extraction, milk steaming, and drink recipes, plus people skills like friendliness and speed. They also use tools such as Espresso machines and Grinders.
Technical (hard) skills
- Espresso extraction
- Milk steaming
- Drink recipes
- POS systems
- Food safety
- Equipment cleaning
People (soft) skills
- Friendliness
- Speed
- Memory
- Teamwork
Tools, equipment and technology
- Espresso machines
- Grinders
- Milk pitchers and thermometers
- Brewers
- Blenders
- POS systems
Skills in action: common tasks
These step-by-step guides show how baristas put their skills to work:
How to show these skills on a resume
- Lead your skills section with the technical skills from the job posting, for example, “Espresso extraction” and “Milk steaming.”
- Prove soft skills with results: instead of listing “friendliness,” describe a situation where you used it.
- List credentials such as Food handler card near the top, with the issuing organization and date.
- Use the employer’s vocabulary. Our barista glossary covers the terms hiring managers expect.
How to build these skills
Formal training, supervised practice and certification are the most direct routes. Our Barista training introduces each of these skills with plain-language lessons, procedures and a final knowledge check: a strong foundation before hands-on training or your first day.