taoofcoffee Senior Member Joined: 7 Nov 2003 Posts: 15 Location: New Mexico Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: (Work) CMA Rio Grinder: (Work) Mazzer Super Jolly Vac Pot: On X-Mas List Drip: (Work) Bunn Roaster: On X-mas List
Posted Fri Nov 7, 2003, 10:48pm Subject: The Dreaded Espresso Finger
First post here. Good to find this site. :-)
I've been working as a Barista at a small drive-up for about 6 months. I have what I call "Espresso Finger" or "Coffee Mechanic" hands.
Because my hands are under water so much, they are very dry. Due to the fast pace, lotion usage is almost non-existant. Consequently, the dryness leads to cracking and that leads to .....ta da...drum roll, please! Espresso finger!
It's really gross (looks like I haven't washed my hands for days) but what it is is the fine espresso grinds and oils in the cracks of my fingers and fingertips.
My question for you fine people is how can I combat this condition? Could a more experienced Barista give me some advice on how I can alleviate the problem (w/o quitting my job). I went on vacation for a week and it went away. A week on the job and it was back. Any suggestions would be taken to heart.
Posted Sat Nov 8, 2003, 1:25am Subject: Re: The Dreaded Espresso Finger
my roomate is a drummer and gets issues with his fingers. coat them down with some healing gel, maybe even do that then put on a rubber glove before bed... havent tried it, but it could work, and not make a mess.
ant Senior Member Joined: 7 May 2003 Posts: 1,044 Location: Brisbane Expertise: I like coffee
Espresso: sunbeam em6910 Grinder: sunbeam em0480 Vac Pot: hario syphon Roaster: 1kg sample roaster at work
Posted Sat Nov 8, 2003, 2:06am Subject: Re: The Dreaded Espresso Finger
Just wondering how u get this espresso finger?
A little while back I had the same problem and it was because the grinder at my old work wasn't dialled in properly (no1 ever bothered to fix it) so we always overfilled the pf and then levelled the excess back into the doser with the finger and then tamped etc.
If you are having the same problem that i used to have..
you can either
1) wear a latex glove during work to protect ur hands 2) fix the dosage of ur grinder.
Instead of levelling the grounds with your fingers, you can try giving the pf a bang on the table surface, and then tamping after that. It seems to be the accepted way at the place i am working atm- and it really helps that we have our grinder very well set so everything is nice and quick.
koffeekev Senior Member Joined: 21 Jul 2002 Posts: 693 Location: Connecticut Expertise: Professional
Posted Sat Nov 8, 2003, 6:27am Subject: Re: The Dreaded Espresso Finger
Being a espresso equipment tech I have the same type of problem with my hands. I change anywhere from 2 to 10 group gaskets a day along with steam valve rebuilds and assorted other repairs. Most machines I work on are in the field so they are still hot as I'm trying to remove a boiler fitting or gasket as I melt my fingers on the group head. Both thumbs and index fingers are like sandpaper with black rubber residue imbedded as badly as any auto mechanic's hands.
The winter is the worst with cracked skin. I use a product sold at Granger called "Scrubs". They are sheets that dispense from a bucket with lanolin and emolients to melt grime and have a rough side to scrub with. They are waterless so I always have a bucket in the car. I use Goldbond lotion before bed. I like the green bottle best. Good luck. Kevin
Posted Sat Nov 8, 2003, 7:23am Subject: Re: The Dreaded Espresso Finger
I'm not a barista - but I play one at home. You might try using Greased Lightening full strength to remove the coffee. (It's non-toxic.) It's the best de-greaser I've used & I've used several including Simple Green, Red Juice and something from Orange Glo). As far as the cracking goes, when I go to bed, I use Mary Kay's Extra Emollient Night Cream. It comes in a tube or a jar but I use the tube. It's very greasy, so you wouldn't want to use it unless you were either going to bed or going to wear gloves. It smells nice, too. I get it from some Mary Kay reps on Ebay & buy multiple tubes from a single seller. With combined shipping,it's usually about $10/tube. Sometimes, I've even used plain old petroleum jelly before hopping into bed. Doesn't smell as nice but it's alot cheaper & you can get it at any grocery or drug store.
Posted Sat Nov 8, 2003, 7:57am Subject: Re: The Dreaded Espresso Finger
Hey Man, I know what you mean. I have calouses running on the side of both index fingers from handling the porta-filter so much. Mostly I think the black stuff comes from the worn down black rubber grip on the Marzzoco. For me thats harder to get off than coffee stain. Moisterize after shifts. And try alternating hands...once I started paying attention to my various grips in the course of a rush I could see where I might need to..say...gently nudge the portafilter out and into place instead of gripping it with my whole hand...after 20 or so drinks it could get pretty tiresome. So I guess I'm saying...conserve and observe your movements. (easy to forget when your in the "zone") Your body will thank you.(by not giving you brown hands with debilitating arthritis! ;-) Keep on tampin, -Deferio
malachi Senior Member Joined: 5 May 2002 Posts: 1,758 Location: SFCA Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Monster Mia (for now)_ Grinder: Monster Cimballi Junior Vac Pot: Not any more Drip: never Roaster: Ecco, Stumptown, Intelli,...
Posted Sat Nov 8, 2003, 8:18am Subject: Re: The Dreaded Espresso Finger
i live (and work) in the desert at 4,500 feet. the coffee bar doesn't have a dishwasher. i had terrible "espresso finger" (and, in fact, espresso hands) for a while.
for what it's worth here is what i did...
i keep a bar of this stuff called "climb on" under the counter. it's a super heavy duty moisurizer bar for rock climbers and it also waterproofs the skin. i use it nearly constantly, and always before washing dishes. this has helped a huge amount by itself. i've also started using the "de lazzer" leveling technique (using the tamper rather than my finger to level). finally, i dry my hands constantly with paper towels.
Posted Sat Nov 8, 2003, 8:58am Subject: Re: The Dreaded Espresso Finger
When not at work try a lotion or cream containing lactic acid, glycerol and/or lanolin. They all basically rehydrate you skin. Basic white petrolatum or good old bag balm(not really sure what is in the stuff) during your sleep time rehydrates your skin by acting more or less as an occlusive barrier. My index fingers & thumb after tuning too many pairs of skis combined with the dry winter air will start to crack & bleed without preventive & therapeutic intervention. The above substances reduce the problem. Still looking for the magic cure.
Noel Mano dell 'operatore> Macinadosatore> Miscela> Macchina espresso
taoofcoffee Senior Member Joined: 7 Nov 2003 Posts: 15 Location: New Mexico Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: (Work) CMA Rio Grinder: (Work) Mazzer Super Jolly Vac Pot: On X-Mas List Drip: (Work) Bunn Roaster: On X-mas List
Posted Sat Nov 8, 2003, 9:06am Subject: Re: The Dreaded Espresso Finger
Wow! Thank you all for your wonderful sugesstions! It looks like there are a variety of moisturizers I can try. I think Scrubs, Greased Lightening and Climb On sound like my best alternatives. I also work in a desert climate and it's very dry and windy here. At night, I have tried covering my hands with Vaseline and Olive Oil and wearing gloves while I sleep. It's helped a little.
Thanks again, hopefully I can at least win a battle with Espresso Finger! LOL
malachi Senior Member Joined: 5 May 2002 Posts: 1,758 Location: SFCA Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Monster Mia (for now)_ Grinder: Monster Cimballi Junior Vac Pot: Not any more Drip: never Roaster: Ecco, Stumptown, Intelli,...
Posted Sat Nov 8, 2003, 11:07am Subject: Re: The Dreaded Espresso Finger
Now if I could just figure out a way to avoid the "doser callus" issue. The whole outside of my right index finger is heavily callused from the doser. I've tried various products, I've tried sanding off the callus.
Also... anyone else have tendonitis problems from tamping? Any solutions? (my doctor says "stop tamping")
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