Starbucks Baristas: The daily grind
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questions i still don’t know the answers to (self.starbucksbaristas)
submitted by oatmealstan
this is just a short list of questions about things i don’t know how to do but i feel like it’s been too long for me to still not know how to do these, so i’m too afraid to ask my coworkers. i’ve been working here for seven months and i don’t want to expose myself for having potentially done these things incorrectly for so long lol.
first of all, how am i supposed to clean sauce pumps? like for mocha, white mocha, chai, etc. do i put the whole thing in the sanitizer machine? do i need to disassemble it? i’ve literally just been filling the sauce container with soapy water and pumping it through the pump until it’s clear and then doing the same thing with sanitizer solution but i feel like that can’t be right.
similarly, how do i clean a keg? it feels too big to go in the sanitizer machine but i don’t know how else to really wash it out thoroughly.
third, how do i clean drains? i haven’t had to do this yet but i live in constant fear of the day my shift says “can you do the drains before you go?” and i have to reveal that after over a half a year i don’t know how to do that.
and finally, how in the world do you know what number of syrup pumps to put into frappuccinos? after all this time this is still the one thing on bar i can never get right. if i’m making a grande caramel frap i know i use the half dose pump on cold bar and do 3 pumps. but if i’m making a grande mocha frap...it’s ALSO 3 pumps? if someone wanted peppermint (which has a full dose pump) added to that grande mocha frap would it be 3 pumps? or 1.5? i have never once been entirely certain that any frappuccino i’ve made has been correct.
thanks in advance to anyone who can save me from the embarrassment of having to ask my coworkers these questions :)
first of all, how am i supposed to clean sauce pumps? like for mocha, white mocha, chai, etc. do i put the whole thing in the sanitizer machine? do i need to disassemble it? i’ve literally just been filling the sauce container with soapy water and pumping it through the pump until it’s clear and then doing the same thing with sanitizer solution but i feel like that can’t be right.
similarly, how do i clean a keg? it feels too big to go in the sanitizer machine but i don’t know how else to really wash it out thoroughly.
third, how do i clean drains? i haven’t had to do this yet but i live in constant fear of the day my shift says “can you do the drains before you go?” and i have to reveal that after over a half a year i don’t know how to do that.
and finally, how in the world do you know what number of syrup pumps to put into frappuccinos? after all this time this is still the one thing on bar i can never get right. if i’m making a grande caramel frap i know i use the half dose pump on cold bar and do 3 pumps. but if i’m making a grande mocha frap...it’s ALSO 3 pumps? if someone wanted peppermint (which has a full dose pump) added to that grande mocha frap would it be 3 pumps? or 1.5? i have never once been entirely certain that any frappuccino i’ve made has been correct.
thanks in advance to anyone who can save me from the embarrassment of having to ask my coworkers these questions :)
baileyjane- 7 points 2y ago
I’ve heard to not put kegs in the machine but idk if that’s right? I usually fill it with soap water then water then sanitizer lol it takes a while though. I like to take the pumps apart to wash them but only if I have time to put them back together because there’s nothing more annoying than trying to find parts because someone lost them when doing dishes. If it’s a hot bar pump I do half the amount (so 1.5 for a grande) definitely for like a mocha or white mocha frap but I also do it if they add a syrup. Idk if that’s right either lol. Drains I basically spray them with restroom cleaner and scrub with the designated drain brush and then pour hot water down. Don’t feel too bad about not knowing these things! I definitely didn’t know a lot at 6 months in and obviously still don’t at almost a year in haha.
oatmealstan [OP] 2 points 2y ago
thank you!! the method you described is how i usually wash kegs so here’s hoping we’re doing it right lol
NotMyElephants 4 points 2y ago
Disassemble pumps wash by hand and then sanitizer machine
Kegs, open up, wash inside by hand then sanitizer (not the machine) drain
Drains remove the pieces that come off/out. Wash and replace
And fraps, pumps/scoops for all bases and syrups : 2 tall 3 grande and 4 venti
Kegs, open up, wash inside by hand then sanitizer (not the machine) drain
Drains remove the pieces that come off/out. Wash and replace
And fraps, pumps/scoops for all bases and syrups : 2 tall 3 grande and 4 venti
sydbey_ 3 points 2y ago
-So for cold bar / frappuccinos syrup pumps it’s 2/3/4 for tall, grande, venti cold bar or “half dose” pumps, but for hot bar or “full dose” pumps do 1/2/2.
-Drains are easy - disassemble and depending on your store use some sort of sanitizing spray and brush to scrub and clean them out / clean the pieces, then rinse with hot water (that was always the best way when I did them often imo)
-Pumps themselves I’m told different ways but personally the best way to me is like you said, pump out extra syrup like you were until it runs clean - you can hold it upside down and just have water/soap run through the bottom and it’ll clean it the same way - try to unscrew and remove the top part that attaches to the base / removing the part you press down to have syrup come out, to clean and run through the machine. There should be clean plays for those on certain days so entirely disassembling shouldn’t be necessary - sometimes when we are really busy or behind we just wash off & pump out until clear and run it through the machine but we clean them everyday
-I’ve never washed a keg 🤷♀️
-Drains are easy - disassemble and depending on your store use some sort of sanitizing spray and brush to scrub and clean them out / clean the pieces, then rinse with hot water (that was always the best way when I did them often imo)
-Pumps themselves I’m told different ways but personally the best way to me is like you said, pump out extra syrup like you were until it runs clean - you can hold it upside down and just have water/soap run through the bottom and it’ll clean it the same way - try to unscrew and remove the top part that attaches to the base / removing the part you press down to have syrup come out, to clean and run through the machine. There should be clean plays for those on certain days so entirely disassembling shouldn’t be necessary - sometimes when we are really busy or behind we just wash off & pump out until clear and run it through the machine but we clean them everyday
-I’ve never washed a keg 🤷♀️
oatmealstan [OP] 2 points 2y ago
thank you, this was super helpful! i didn’t know clean plays ever included washing the pumps – i’m exclusively an opener/morning shift person so clean plays are a whole other world to me lol.
sydbey_ 1 points 2y ago
of course!! I’m an opener / morning person too but our store stays pretty on top of clean plays.. I don’t know what days they happen or anything but I know that they do them! I’m usually the one washing pumps in the morning anyway so 🙋🏼♀️
dazedandconfusedhere 3 points 2y ago
Pumps are 2-3-4, tall grande venti. As far as cold bar vs hot, personally i do full pumps if it’s not a cold bar syrup (like peppermint) but I could be wrong on that
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