Is Anyone Here a Barista? Coffee Shops Are Pretty Loud — Any Impact on Your Tinnitus?

[Foamearplugssuck]

Hey, I have noise induced tinnitus, and I'm looking for a part time job while I attend college. I know it's corny, but I really want to be a barista. I love coffee, and it just seems like a cool gig to me.

Anyways, coffee shops are pretty loud, especially behind the counter where there are espresso beans grinding and what not. So, I was wondering if anyone has experience with that kind of work and how it impacted them/their tinnitus.

Thanks!

 

[Bartoli]

Coffee lover here, used to have a professional electric grinder that I have since replaced by a hand grinder. The grinding and milk frothing are the loudest. The espresso pump less so. In a bar, they mostly grind a bigger batch every hour or so although I'm sure you know it's best to grind just before every coffee. When grinding with a doser you don't need to stand close for the duration of the grinding. There's always earplugs too but that would probably hamper communication. All in all I don't think the noise levels are considered dangerously loud.
I'm not a barista btw. Home user.

Source:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4749437/

 

[MattS]

Hey, I have noise induced tinnitus, and I'm looking for a part time job while I attend college. I know it's corny, but I really want to be a barista. I love coffee, and it just seems like a cool gig to me.

Anyways, coffee shops are pretty loud, especially behind the counter where there are espresso beans grinding and what not. So, I was wondering if anyone has experience with that kind of work and how it impacted them/their tinnitus.

Thanks!

I don't have experience working there, but I can tell you that as a customer I try to sit as far from the coffee grinder as possible because that noise is poison to tinnitus sufferers. I would probably not advise that job, though obviously if you're thinking about you may be more tolerant of noise than I am.

 

[dan]

Check under a rock for a barista... better odds.

 

[Djstarkiss]

You should go for it. I doubt it's loud enough to do harm I chill in coffee shops on the regular.

 

[MattS]

Coffee lover here, used to have a professional electric grinder that I have since replaced by a hand grinder. The grinding and milk frothing are the loudest. The espresso pump less so. In a bar, they mostly grind a bigger batch every hour or so although I'm sure you know it's best to grind just before every coffee. When grinding with a doser you don't need to stand close for the duration of the grinding. There's always earplugs too but that would probably hamper communication. All in all I don't think the noise levels are considered dangerously loud.
I'm not a barista btw. Home user.

Source:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4749437/

I still grind every morning with an electric. But I cover my ears tight during the event.

 

[Bartoli]

I still grind every morning with an electric. But I cover my ears tight during the event.

The switch to hand grinder was more a choice of keeping the wife happy as the grinder was bigger than the coffee machine and not very pretty on the countertop. it's not a choice I regret. There's some good hand burr grinders and they are less of a fuss to clean. Supposedly the lower speeds also mean less heat which would be better for your eventual coffee. Not that I have noticed.
I even learnt to switch arms during the grinding process when one arm gets tired. I guess you could say my tinnitus made me ambidextrous.

 

[MattS]

The switch to hand grinder was more a choice of keeping the wife happy as the grinder was bigger than the coffee machine and not very pretty on the countertop. it's not a choice I regret. There's some good hand burr grinders and they are less of a fuss to clean. Supposedly the lower speeds also mean less heat which would be better for your eventual coffee. Not that I have noticed.
I even learnt to switch arms during the grinding process when one arm gets tired. I guess you could say my tinnitus made me ambidextrous.

Man becomes ambidextrous! Success story!

 

[Bartoli]

On a side note: stopping coffee was another thing that was suggested by my ENT. That was a pretty miserable week!

 

[MattS]

On a side note: stopping coffee was another thing that was suggested by my ENT. That was a pretty miserable week!

Ha, yes, I got the same advice, though at least my audiologist admitted that it was probably not going to do anything, but might as well try/experiment. Sadly, that week taught me that I am indeed caffeine addicted.

 

[Mister Muso]

I still grind every morning with an electric. But I cover my ears tight during the event.

5 seconds on, 10 seconds off.

Just like at the dentist.

 

[Bobby B]

For the grinder, just use ear muffs, keep them handy.

Also, there is one study paper on the effect of caffeine and how it affects recovery from noise trauma:

Say what? Caffeine could impair recovery of hearing loss

So after a coffee grinder caused some hearing loss, the following cups of coffee will further inhibit hearing recovery... pretty depressing story for coffee lovers.