Yes, I'm sure it's a basic question but I have seen/heard of a mocha being done a few different ways. I'm only interested in the best way to be honest but I'd love to hear what everyone feels is the best way to make a mocha. Thanks as always for your opinions and feedback.

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My favorite mochas are always made with pre-mixed chocolate syrup and milk, rather than steaming the milk separate and then mixing it with the syrup and espresso. I think it keeps the flavor consistent throughout the drink. Where I work we make our own "mocha milk" throughout the day as we need it.
Hey Amber -- sounds interesting and makes sense. do u mind if i ask you how the "mocha milk" is made? i can't imagine steaming the choc syrup and milk together and setting aside..

Amber M. said:
My favorite mochas are always made with pre-mixed chocolate syrup and milk, rather than steaming the milk separate and then mixing it with the syrup and espresso. I think it keeps the flavor consistent throughout the drink. Where I work we make our own "mocha milk" throughout the day as we need it.
Our method is probably pretty basic. Espresso should be put into the cup first to lessen the syrup sticking to the cup. Then add the syrup, then milk, and stir. We run hot water over the spoon for a few seconds to warm it up a little before putting in their drink.
The best way i can tell you to make a Mocha is to let the espresso fall onto the syrup, swirl, milk, stir, whip, and hand off. I work at a high volume store and that works best for me.
Depends on what you're trying to accomplish. Simply high volume OR high quality. If the later start by making your own chocolate sauce. Coat the bottom of the cup with said sauce, kept warm and highly fluid on top of espresso machine. Pull shot into chocolate and steam your milk as you would for a latte. Whisk shot and chocolate sauce. Pour latte art and serve. We do not include whipped cream by default. If whip requested it too is not pre-made junk and only goes around in a circle outer rim. When whip requested (which is very seldom) we always try for a mini-free pour design in the middle to be circled by the whip.
With love... Lots and lots of mocha love!
PS.... never put cocoa/mocha/sauce/syrup/whatever (in cups or not) on top of your machine. If you really need to keep it warm just warm your cup before you put it into said cup. If your customer asks for whip, give them some damn whip. They are paying for it. Making it in a canister is definitely the best way to go, as Mike has wisely detailed. Yet, around the rim framing your art is just going to come off as pretentious. If the latte art is that important, take a picture of it with a Polaroid camera and give it them when you serve them a properly whipped drink.

See... This is what I do when I get together with Scotch. Sorry Mike. I really do think the world of you Mr. McKoffee.

miKe mcKoffee aka Mike McGinness said:
Depends on what you're trying to accomplish. Simply high volume OR high quality. If the later start by making your own chocolate sauce. Coat the bottom of the cup with said sauce, kept warm and highly fluid on top of espresso machine. Pull shot into chocolate and steam your milk as you would for a latte. Whisk shot and chocolate sauce. Pour latte art and serve. We do not include whipped cream by default. If whip requested it too is not pre-made junk and only goes around in a circle outer rim. When whip requested (which is very seldom) we always try for a mini-free pour design in the middle to be circled by the whip.
Well in my opinion, since the main feature of the mocha is the chocolate, you had better do some effing research on your chocolates. We have 4 different cocoas that go into our chocolate blend. We don't make the cocoa into a sauce until the drink is ordered. When the drink is ordered we add whatever amount of our mocha powder mix, whatever amount of our house made vanilla syrup, a splash (about a 1/2oz) of hot water and whisk it. Then we grind for the shot, pull the shot into the *now* syrup, stir, add milk and serve. I think in the past month I have had 2 requests for whipped cream on a mocha. We'll do it if they want it, then we garnish the whipped cream with more of our cocoa powder along with some Guittard chocolate sauce, but we rarely get this request.

This isn't the fastest method at all. Mixing the sauce per drink adds about 10 seconds to a drink time, but our shop never really experiences big rushes, and when we do have them we generally have at least 3 baristas on so the rush is handled with ease (one person on register, brewed coffee, teas and fruit smoothies, the other two on the machine). We find this is the best way to reduce waste and get quality into the cup.

-bry
I'll agree to disagree. And comments on the whipped cream framed art from my shops customers disagree. Not being pretentious, it's called presentation.

We make our chocolate sauce from cocoa powders and melted dark chocolate pistals. Very rich and decadent. It must be kept warm to remain fluid.

BTW have had many comment on the hot chocolate we make with it being the best they've ever had. Oh, hot chocolates get latte art too. Chocolate sauce in cup, steam the milk as for a latte, a bit of the steamed milk goes in the cup and gets whisked with the chocolate sauce, then free pour art. Again, whipped cream optional and as often as not not wanted. The whipped cream is NOT the star.

Joe Marrocco said:
PS.... never put cocoa/mocha/sauce/syrup/whatever (in cups or not) on top of your machine. If you really need to keep it warm just warm your cup before you put it into said cup. If your customer asks for whip, give them some damn whip. They are paying for it. Making it in a canister is definitely the best way to go, as Mike has wisely detailed. Yet, around the rim framing your art is just going to come off as pretentious. If the latte art is that important, take a picture of it with a Polaroid camera and give it them when you serve them a properly whipped drink.

See... This is what I do when I get together with Scotch. Sorry Mike. I really do think the world of you Mr. McKoffee.

miKe mcKoffee aka Mike McGinness said:
Depends on what you're trying to accomplish. Simply high volume OR high quality. If the later start by making your own chocolate sauce. Coat the bottom of the cup with said sauce, kept warm and highly fluid on top of espresso machine. Pull shot into chocolate and steam your milk as you would for a latte. Whisk shot and chocolate sauce. Pour latte art and serve. We do not include whipped cream by default. If whip requested it too is not pre-made junk and only goes around in a circle outer rim. When whip requested (which is very seldom) we always try for a mini-free pour design in the middle to be circled by the whip.
Awesome feedback as always - thanks! I was in a shop that did their mocha (take out) by putting the sauce in the cup, adding the espresso, then the milk and steaming the whole thing together in the cup....seemed wrong, any reason it would be?
Rob said:
Awesome feedback as always - thanks! I was in a shop that did their mocha (take out) by putting the sauce in the cup, adding the espresso, then the milk and steaming the whole thing together in the cup....seemed wrong, any reason it would be?

The major offense here, to me, is steaming the espresso with the rest. Well, and steaming it in the cup... how do you properly texture THAT?!
Brady said:
Rob said:
Awesome feedback as always - thanks! I was in a shop that did their mocha (take out) by putting the sauce in the cup, adding the espresso, then the milk and steaming the whole thing together in the cup....seemed wrong, any reason it would be?

The major offense here, to me, is steaming the espresso with the rest. Well, and steaming it in the cup... how do you properly texture THAT?!

Very carefully. :0)

But yeah, seriously. What's the point in not using pitchers? It seems like a time waster to not be able to steam and brew at the same time. And this whole method just seems less flavorful for some reason, not that I actually have a reason, it just comes across as that way to me.

-bry

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