Meet Christina Krieger, a passionate and compassionate coffee professional from picturesque Bad Tölz in Germany. She develops her career and know-how in Supremo Coffee, which is one of the pioneers of specialty coffee in the country. Christina recently got a well-deserved promotion to the Head Barista of Supremo’s café.
Whenever Christina is behind the bar, she radiates positive energy that empowers her colleagues and creates great connections with the guests. That definitely creates an impression that the whole town of Unterhaching drinks Supremo Coffee (which probably is the truth!).
Christina, what is your first memory with coffee?
My dad always made coffee & cappuccinos for all the guests we had – hospitality was very important to my parents.
What inspired you to pursue a career in the coffee industry, and how did you get started?
I was an accountant before, and it burned me out. I started as a barista to have some time to think about what I really wanted to do, but I fell in love with coffee instead, so I stayed.
Tell us a bit about the place you work at. What is your role there?
Supremo Coffee is a roastery and café with family values and a lot of passionate people. It was the first job where I truly felt appreciated. Now I am the Head Barista, I take care of everything around the bar – ordering supplies/produce, preplanning the coffee selection, dialing in/creating the recipes, quality control, etc.
What kind of experience do you want your customers to have when they visit you at the café?
First and foremost, I want them to feel at home, so a warm and welcoming atmosphere is the most important. But I would also like to expand people’s horizons- make them try new things and redefine what coffee means for them, if they are willing. We get a lot of customers who still think that coffee has only one taste – „coffee“ (probably burnt, dark roastiness they know from industrial coffee), and it makes me happy when people realize how versatile it actually is.
What is your favourite part of the day in your cafe, and why?
I like a morning shift that when is is very peaceful. The first hour of the day, where it is just me and the coffee, dialing in the espresso, seeing how much more I can get out of it.
How do you stay motivated and inspired to keep improving your coffee-making skills?
The most important thing is not to compare myself to others – I want to improve myself, just for me, and I want to celebrate others when they win. Also, when I love something, I stay motivated. So I try to learn something new every day, keep an open mind and keep experimenting.
Can you tell me about a time when you had to train a new barista? How did you approach the training process?
In my approach, the important thing for me is helping the trainees to gain confidence. I know they want to get better results and it can be frustrating, especially with late art or pulling a great, channel free espresso. I always remember my first attempts, so I just let them try, maybe give them a tip afterwards but always seek some way to praise them and celebrate them when they’ve succeeded.
What do you think is the most important quality for a barista to have, and why?
Patience. We have incredible and friendly guests and yet talking to people all day while working is hard, especially if the espresso starts to channel in the middle of a rush hour. So, keeping calm and being patient with others and oneself is crucial to have fun, stay motivated and provide the best experience for the guests.
What are some common misconceptions about our industry that you’ve encountered, and how do you address them?
I still hear from new customers that they are intimidated by the „high-quality coffee crowd“. I feel that some people are afraid that there are a lot of snobs and some even apologize, while saying that they prefer a coffee with a more „classic“ flavor profile, or a lot of milk. What I do is, I will always give them the opportunity to try something new, but also say that it is completely okay to stay in your comfort zone and just enjoy what you enjoy.
If there were one piece of knowledge about coffee you’d like everyone to know, what would that be?
Arabica isn’t inherently better than canephora. There are some great farmers who put so much love into their robusta, and they deserve recognition for their work.
What are your passions and hobbies apart from coffee?
I love to read great literature, and I also paint. Living close to the Alps made me enjoy hiking as well.
What coffee challenges are you looking forward to? Any new projects or collaborations?
My focus at the moment is training my sensory skills further. Maybe I will compete in the Cup Tasting Championship again. Also, I am very excited to go to Costa Rica this year to visit some coffee farms and learn more about the work that goes into growing coffee, so I can appreciate it even more in the future.
Quick Fire Questions for Christina Krieger:
Filter coffee or espresso-based?
Filter coffee.
Milk coffee or black coffee?
Black.
The most underrated coffee drink?
Filter coffee.
The most underrated coffee brewer?
The Chemex.
What brewing method do you use at home?
A V60.
Favourite barista tool?
My favorite cupping spoon!
The number one place in Europe that every coffee geek should visit?
Manhattan Coffee Roasters – Rotterdam, the Netherlands
Favourite city outside your own for a coffee tour and why?
Hamburg – a lot of different coffee roasters with different styles.
