Professional Barista Course

Lesson 1 • Major Coffee Growing Regions

Maps flavor profiles to origin regions across Africa, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Connects terroir concepts to cup characteristics students will later taste.

Lesson 2 • Coffee Plant Biology and Species

Covers Coffea arabica and robusta anatomy, growth cycles, and cherry development. Establishes the biological basis for understanding flavor potential in green beans.

Lesson 3 • Green Bean Processing Methods

Teaches washed, natural, and honey processing and their impact on bean chemistry. Provides vocabulary for describing processing-driven flavors during cupping.

Lesson 1 • Heat Transfer and Roasting Stages

Explains conduction, convection, and radiation inside drum and air roasters. Links each roasting stage to observable physical and chemical changes in the bean.

Lesson 2 • Coffee Freshness and Degassing

Covers CO2 release post-roast, oxidation timelines, and optimal rest periods. Guides students in selecting and storing coffee at peak freshness for espresso and filter.

Lesson 3 • Reading and Interpreting Roast Profiles

Teaches how to read time-temperature curves and rate-of-rise data from roast logs. Enables students to diagnose underdevelopment and scorching from profile data.

Lesson 1 • Extraction Fundamentals

Defines solubles yield, extraction percentage, and the flavor spectrum from under- to over-extraction. Provides the analytical framework used throughout all brewing chapters.

Lesson 2 • Grind Size and Surface Area

Connects particle size distribution to extraction rate and brew method requirements. Students learn to diagnose grind-related extraction faults before adjusting other variables.

Lesson 3 • Water Chemistry for Coffee

Explains total dissolved solids, hardness, alkalinity, and pH and their roles in extraction. Establishes why water quality directly determines the ceiling of cup quality.

Lesson 1 • Flavor Wheel and Descriptor Vocabulary

Introduces the specialty coffee flavor wheel and trains students to map perceived flavors. Builds the descriptive language needed for menu writing and customer communication.

Lesson 2 • Scoring and Quality Assessment

Applies specialty coffee scoring criteria to evaluate fragrance, flavor, acidity, and balance. Prepares students to assess coffee quality using industry-standard evaluation forms.

Lesson 3 • Sensory Science Foundations

Explains taste, aroma, mouthfeel, and retronasal olfaction as sensory evaluation tools. Establishes the physiological basis for objective and repeatable coffee assessment.

Lesson 4 • Cupping Protocol and Setup

Teaches standardized cupping procedure including grind, water temperature, and timing. Ensures students can participate in and lead professional cupping sessions.

Lesson 1 • Machine Cleaning and Daily Maintenance

Details backflushing, group head cleaning, and gasket inspection schedules. Reinforces that equipment hygiene directly affects flavor consistency and machine longevity.

Lesson 2 • Espresso Recipe Development

Guides students through building and documenting a repeatable espresso recipe. Integrates dose, yield, time, and temperature into a single calibrated workflow.

Lesson 3 • Dosing, Distribution, and Tamping

Covers precise dosing by weight, even distribution techniques, and calibrated tamping pressure. Eliminates channeling as the primary cause of inconsistent espresso extraction.

Lesson 4 • Espresso Machine Components

Identifies boiler types, group heads, pumps, and pressure systems in commercial machines. Builds the mechanical literacy needed for consistent operation and basic troubleshooting.

Lesson 1 • Steam Wand Operation and Technique

Covers wand positioning, air incorporation, and rolling vortex creation for microfoam. Builds the hand skills required for consistent latte-quality milk texture.

Lesson 2 • Milk Composition and Behavior

Explains proteins, fats, and lactose and how heat transforms them during steaming. Provides the scientific rationale for temperature limits and texture targets.

Lesson 3 • Non-Dairy Milk Alternatives

Compares oat, almond, soy, and coconut milks for steamability and flavor compatibility. Prepares students to serve alternative-milk drinks at professional quality.

Lesson 1 • Quality Control During Service

Establishes sensory checkpoints and self-correction habits during live service. Ensures drink quality remains consistent from the first to the last order of a shift.

Lesson 2 • Classic Espresso Drink Recipes

Defines ratios and preparation steps for espresso, americano, macchiato, and cortado. Establishes the foundational drink vocabulary used across all café environments.

Lesson 3 • Speed and Workflow Optimization

Teaches simultaneous task sequencing, station organization, and movement economy. Reduces ticket time while maintaining quality during high-volume service periods.

Lesson 1 • Pour-Over Brewing Fundamentals

Covers bloom phase, pour patterns, and flow rate control for V60 and Chemex styles. Builds the manual dexterity and timing skills central to pour-over excellence.

Lesson 2 • Immersion Brewing Methods

Teaches French press, AeroPress, and Clever Dripper techniques with steep time variables. Contrasts immersion extraction dynamics with percolation-based pour-over methods.

Lesson 3 • Cold Brew and Iced Coffee Methods

Explains cold brew concentrate ratios, steep times, and flash-brew iced coffee technique. Expands the student's menu capability to include cold coffee offerings.