Five things to never say to a barista

It's a hard life being a barista. No really, it is. Here are just a few things that real people (yes, you, people) said to real baristas*.

1. 'Don't ask for a "normal coffee". We do batch brew or espresso-based drinks. How do I know what's "normal" to you?' 

2. 'One guy asked me for a flat American and then got angry when it didn't exist. He stole the spoon out of spite.' 

3. 'Anyone asking for "extra hot" makes what I do as a barista pointless because I’m burning everything in that cup. Someone even ordered "atomic hot" once.' 

4. 'An Americano is a black coffee. When you order one, don’t make me go and get a side of milk.'

5. 'Asking for any sort of syrup. No. If your order contains more than five words, Starbucks is down the street.' 

*We've protected the identities of the baristas in question, because otherwise they wouldn't 'spill the beans' (arf arf – see what we did there?)…. but you'll find the places they work on our piping hot list of London's best coffee shops. 

And check out these 19 cute east London coffee shops