Playbooks
How to memorize Dutch Bros drinks and rules fast
New at Dutch Bros with a huge menu to learn? Here is how to memorize the drinks and rules fast using the by-size pattern and active recall.
Lawrence Arya··3 min
Playbooks
How to practice barista drinks at home (with an app)
You can practice barista drinks at home without a machine. Here is how to drill recipes with an app and what to leave for hands-on bar time.
Lawrence Arya··4 min
Playbooks
Is it hard to learn barista recipes at 40? Honestly, no
Worried it is too late to learn barista recipes at 40? It is very doable. Here is why age is not the barrier and how to learn the menu efficiently.
Lawrence Arya··4 min
Playbooks
Best barista training tool app for new baristas (PH)
Looking for a barista training tool or app in the Philippines? Here is what actually helps a new barista learn drinks fast, and how to practice for free.
Lawrence Arya··4 min
Playbooks
Best app to make coffee flashcards (or skip making them)
Want the best app to make coffee flashcards? Here is how to build cards that stick, and why preloaded barista decks save you the work entirely.
Lawrence Arya··4 min
Playbooks
Coffee shop drink builder practice for new baristas
Drink builder practice means rehearsing the build of each drink from memory, in order, before your shift. Here is how to do it without a machine.
Lawrence Arya··4 min
Playbooks
Dyslexic barista? How to learn recipes without manuals
If printed barista manuals are hard to read, you can still learn the recipes fast. Here are dyslexia-friendly ways to practice with recall, audio, and visuals.
Lawrence Arya··4 min
Playbooks
How do baristas read cup codes so fast? Explained
Baristas read cup codes fast because the marks follow a fixed grid and they know the recipes. Here is how the shorthand works and how to learn yours.
Lawrence Arya··4 min
Playbooks
How can you possibly know 50 drink rules? You don't
Overwhelmed that shift leads expect 50 drink rules? You do not memorize 50 rules. Here is the pattern that turns them into a handful you can actually learn.
Lawrence Arya··4 min
Playbooks
Anki add-ons and a modifiers template for barista decks
Anki is free spaced-repetition software, but plain cards do not fit drinks. The add-ons worth installing and the modifiers note type that makes a barista deck work.
Lawrence Arya··5 min
Playbooks
Sorting Anki barista decks by milk type the smart way
Splitting an Anki barista deck into one subdeck per milk feels tidy but weakens recall. Use one deck with milk-type tags so Anki interleaves drinks like a real rush.
Lawrence Arya··5 min
Playbooks
Build an Anki note type for barista modifier logic
A plain front-and-back card cannot hold a drink that changes by size, temperature, and modifiers. Here is the Anki note type, fields, and cloze logic that can.
Lawrence Arya··5 min
Playbooks
Barista Anki deck: how to build one that actually works
A barista Anki deck can be excellent or a mess depending on how you build it. Here is what a good one contains, and the faster alternative if you skip it.
Lawrence Arya··4 min
Playbooks
Barista drink recipe practice: a simple weekly plan
Barista drink recipe practice works best as short daily recall in a set order. Here is a simple weekly plan to learn the menu before your first shift.
Lawrence Arya··4 min
Playbooks
Barista flashcards: why digital study cards work best
Paper barista flashcards work, but digital study cards do more: they shuffle, hide the answer, and repeat what you miss. Here is how to use them to learn the menu.
Lawrence Arya··4 min
Playbooks
Barista test prep flashcards: what to drill to pass
The right barista test prep flashcards drill exactly what the test asks. Here is what to put on them and how to use them so the answers stick for exam day.
Lawrence Arya··4 min
Playbooks
Best app for coffee drink recipes new baristas can drill
A recipe list you can look up is not the same as one you can practice. Here is why new baristas need both, and what to look for in a coffee drink recipes app.
Lawrence Arya··4 min
Playbooks
Best app that updates with new seasonal coffee recipes
Cafe menus change every season, so a static study sheet goes stale fast. Here is why an app you can update beats a printout, and how to keep your practice current.
Lawrence Arya··4 min
Playbooks
Best offline barista drink maker app to practice anywhere
An offline barista drink maker app lets you practice recipes with no wifi: on the commute, on break, anywhere. Here is why offline matters and what to look for.
Lawrence Arya··4 min
Playbooks
Barista practice app: what to look for and how to use one
A barista practice app should drill the menu with active recall, not just show recipes. Here is what separates a good one and how to use it before your first shift.
Lawrence Arya··4 min