Barista, Coffee Enthusiasts or Machine? The shift and future of Specialty Coffee Culture.

There has been a shift in the specialty coffee scene where home coffee enthusiasts and the market are now the ones discovering and setting new standards.

This writing is based on my own observations regarding specialty coffee and the changes in direction over recent years. These changes have led to a situation where more and more home coffee enthusiasts—and the broader market—are experimenting, innovating, and leading the way in shaping the future of specialty coffee.

This naturally raises many questions about where specialty coffee is headed. Will we see more industry giants expanding their product portfolios for home users—like La Marzocco with the Linea Mini and Pico, or Simonelli becoming a stakeholder in Swedish filter machine maker 3TEMP? And more importantly: what does all this mean for the profession of being a barista?

The Changes

I was lucky to be introduced to the Finnish coffee enthusiast scene just as it began to boom. At the time, La Marzocco was not yet the industry standard in cafés, and the range of machines and equipment available to home enthusiasts was fairly limited—brands like Gaggia, La Pavoni for lever machines, and Bezzera were among the few options. The variety of available coffees was also quite narrow. There were very few professionals who identified as baristas, and those who did felt like gatekeepers—people you’d seek out for advice on brewing and coffee selection.

The dream back then for most coffee lovers was to own a semi-professional espresso machine at home, along with a grinder that could get the job done. It was the professional manufacturers who were leading machine innovation—introducing features like the PID controller—which later trickled down into home equipment. Interest in filter coffee and alternative brewing methods was mostly limited to basic drip machines.

Later on, and for a longer period, the pinnacle of aspiration became owning the same espresso machines and grinders used in specialty cafés and barista competitions—equipment like the La Marzocco GS3 or the Mahlkönig EK43. COVID marked a real tipping point: suddenly, home enthusiasts were not only catching up, but in many cases, surpassing baristas in knowledge and innovation. The dream of owning a commercial machine evolved into a fascination with the wide variety of high-quality brewers, grinders, and accessories designed for home use—many of which are now commonly found in specialty cafés as well.

This shift—where innovation and experimentation are happening among enthusiasts who have the time, money, and curiosity to dive deep—raises important questions about the role of the barista today.

Is the Role of the Barista Changing?

Is the barista profession nowadays limited to the social aspects of service and pouring Instagram-worthy latte art for customers to post online?

In 2017, I left my job in Finland and moved to Munich, Germany. At the time, I didn’t speak any German, but I was fortunate to quickly find work as a barista. During my first trial shifts at a well-known local coffee brand, I was surprised to find that the focus wasn’t on taste—a value that had been hammered into me for years—but rather on my ability to pour latte art that customers could admire. I didn’t end up working at that café. Instead, I took on a role leading and training staff at another coffee shop, where the owner would bring his clients to taste the coffee he served.

Latte art has come to define, for many, what being a barista is all about—it's the visible part of the craft. It’s also often used as the remaining argument for human involvement in cafés that increasingly rely on automated frothing systems. These machines may produce “barista-quality microfoam,” but they still need a person to pour the "nice latte art." Yet, the presence of pretty designs doesn’t guarantee a great-tasting coffee—even if it is part of the overall experience.

Barista, Enthusiast, or Machine?

So what really separates a barista from a home enthusiast—or from a machine?

When discussing smart brewers and espresso machines, two key differentiators often come up: the social aspect and the ability to taste.

The social side of service—being able to genuinely connect with people and positively affect their day—is, for many (myself included), one of the most rewarding parts of working as a barista. And it’s something machines can’t replicate.

Tasting coffee, on the other hand, remains a core human responsibility. While machines and sensors can measure aspects like TDS or flow rate, they still can’t tell you if the coffee actually tastes good. In the end, tasting is the only certain way to assess quality. As one of my barista trainers in Finland used to say: “It’s all about the taste.”

And what about the difference between a barista and a coffee enthusiast? One key factor is time. Baristas often don’t have the luxury of experimenting freely—limited by shift schedules, volume, and business demands. Home brewers, on the other hand, can spend hours chasing that one perfect cup. But many home enthusiasts also lack the skills and experience to consistently produce large volumes of quality coffee under pressure.

The Respect Factor

One of the biggest challenges facing baristas today is a lack of respect for the profession. Even within the hospitality industry, barista work is often seen as a temporary job—something to do while you’re on your way to a "real" career. As long as coffee making is viewed as something anyone can do, the future role of the professional coffee expert remains uncertain.