Local coffee shops compete in national brew-off

By APRIL LISANTE
The Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA - It's a typical weekday morning, and you saunter into your corner coffee shop to place your order: "I'll take a decaf, skim, no whip, extra foam, double-shot soy latte, please."

While you wander away to decide whether you want a croissant or scone, what happens behind the barista's counter is nothing short of pure art and science, skill that takes years to perfect , if a barista-in-training ever manages to perfect it at all.

To get your specialty coffee to taste just the way you like it, baristas have two minutes behind an unforgiving, high-tech coffee machine to "flush the group head," "clear the portafilter," "dose and tamp" 14 ounces of espresso grinds, make sure it brews in about 15 seconds, then "stretch" the milk until it reaches 150 degrees.

Sound complicated? It is.

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