If you were training a new barista, how would you teach them to steam milk properly?

What the interviewer is looking for

• This question tests espresso and drink preparation. Explains dialing in espresso, steaming milk to the right texture and temperature, following recipes, and spotting a bad shot.
• Strong answers: Explaining stretching then texturing, wand position, the right temperature, a smooth finish, and letting them practice with feedback.
• Likely follow-up: How do you give feedback without discouraging them?

Another way it may be asked: A new hire keeps making milk that is too bubbly. How do you help them fix it?

A structure to follow: Answer, explain, example, limits

1. Step 1

   Answer

   Give your direct answer in the first sentence so the interviewer knows where you are going.

2. Step 2

   Explain

   Say how it works or why you would do it that way, in plain words before jargon.

3. Step 3

   Example

   Anchor it in something you have actually done or seen, with the detail that shows hands-on experience.

4. Step 4

   Limits

   Say when your approach would not be the right one. It shows judgement.

This is guidance on shape, not a script. Use your own real experience and facts; never invent details to fill a gap. See the STAR guide and answer frameworks.

Common slips

• Reciting a definition without showing you have applied it.
• Using terms you cannot explain if asked a level deeper.
• Claiming experience beyond what you can discuss in detail.

How to practise it

Say the answer in 90 seconds, then answer the follow-up as if it were a new question.

Related questions

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• A customer walks up and says they have never ordered at a coffee shop and do not know what to get. How would you help?
• What do you do to keep the espresso bar clean and safe during a shift?
• When you are on the register, how do you make sure the order and the payment are both correct?
• If you were opening the cafe on your own, what would you do before the first customer arrived?

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