Coffee Tasting Course / Sensory Foundation SCA

Basic Coffee Tasting course / Sensory foundation SCA

Discover the fundamentals of coffee tasting with an unforgettable experience. A SCA coffee tasting class in Italy. The best to start your journey into the coffee flavors world!

Whether you're a home barista looking to learn how to analyze and taste the best coffees for you and your friends or you're aiming to become a coffee sommelier or a professional coffee taster, even pursuing a career as a Q-grader.

This SCA-certified coffee tasting course, led by professional tasters, will be the first big step on a wonderful journey!

Courses are held in English

Discover the program

Coffee Tasting Course / Sensory Foundation SCA

Where

Florence Italy
One of the most beautiful cities in the world

Next dates

Jan 8th
Feb 10th
March 10th 2025
From 10am till 6pm, with a lunch break from 1pm to 2pm

Price

180€
including handbooks, slides and CVA protocols sheets

Installment payments

You can pay our courses in three installments with Stripe, making it easier to manage your budget and enjoy flexibility.

One Week Coffee

This course is part of the “Espresso One Week Coffee Route”. Discover more about coffee through the Espresso Academy Coffee Week

Are you interested in this course?

BOOK YOUR SPOT NOW

Through this coffee class in Italy you will learn

Choose your coffees basing on production area, altitude and process
How to taste coffee in terms of body, flavor and taste
How to use the Coffee flavor wheel
How to organize and manage a cupping session
How to manage and fill a tasting sheet for the evaluation of a specialty coffee
How to identify the differences between a washed, a natural, honey and carbonic maceration coffee

This course allows access to two international certifications, both widespread and recognized in the world: IBC and SCA Sensory Foundation.

Why Espresso Academy?

1500+ students from all over the world at our Italian headquarters
All courses taught in English by certified trainers
30+ branches around the world

#1 school in the world on Tripadvisor and Google
The highest number of SCA, LAGS and IBC certified students
And… we are in Florence, a city worth visiting

Read what previous students say about us!

Online Coffee Cupping and Tasting Course

Do you want to become a coffee connoisseur but have no time for class courses? Get your coffee tasting class online with Espresso Academy.

The best coffee education directly in your home!

Begin your online class!

Foundation Coffee Tasting SCA Class Program

The aim of the coffee tasting class: recognize, analyze, record the senses involved in coffee tasting
Tactile: detecting body and astringency. Practical exercises.
Taste: sweet, acidity, bitterness. Practical exercises
Olfaction and flavors, Practical exercises
The Coffee flavor wheel
The aromatic profiles of a coffee starting from production area, altitude and process
The concept of specialty coffee (Scored 80+)
How to organize and manage a coffee cupping session. The cupping protocol
How to manage an SCAA tasting sheet
Tasting Espresso and filter/brewing methods
Several cupping exercises with different coffees, commodity and specialty
How to manage the new Coffee Value Assessment SCA

BOOK YOUR SPOT NOW

Sensory SCA - Foundation Level

At the end of this course it’s possible to part-take inthe SCA Sensory Foundation level certification. Anyone wishing to take part in the certification exams are asked to report it to us when registering for the course. At our school you can also book Sensory Intermediate and Professional certifications.

Costs

The cost of the course is €180, which can also be paid in three installments through Stripe.

Certification

The course allows participants to part-take in the SCA Sensory Foundation exam

Practice

This is a practical course with a number of exercises & cupping sessions

Are you looking for a job?

We have a network of micro-roasters and specialty coffee shops. Contact us if you are looking for a job.

Coffee campus

This course is part of the “Espresso Academy Coffee campus”. The most advanced training program for professionals. Discover more

One week coffee route

This course is part of the “Espresso One Week Coffee Route”. Discover more about coffee through the Espresso Academy Coffee Week

What you will find in the basic coffee tasting course

The coffee tasting class engages all your senses and teaches you to use an SCAA tasting sheet to evaluate espresso and filter coffee. You'll learn to recognize bitterness, acidity, body, aroma, and flavor variations influenced by coffee variety, growing process, and roasting.

Guided by an AST trainer, you'll explore coffee's visual, olfactory, and tactile aspects, and practice cupping, the professional tasting method, to identify Specialty Coffee and Cup of Excellence. Practical exercises will enhance your cupping and espresso tasting skills with various coffees.

Your Coffee Sensory and Cupping Course in Florence, Italy

It’sa wonderful opportunity to combine a Coffee Sensory and Cupping Course with the cultural and artistic riches of Florence, Italy.

Upon completing the course, which is ideal for home baristas and coffee enthusiasts and regularly features a diverse group of students from across the world in a highly international setting, participants have the opportunity to explore sites such as the Uffizi Museum, Ponte Vecchio, The Duomo, and immerse themselves in the enchanting atmosphere of Florence's medieval city center.

If you wish to enjoy the city or participate in several courses, we have numerous accommodations offering discounts to Espresso Academy students.

It will be a great coffee course

It will be a fantastic journey

Combine Multiple Courses in One Trip!

Are you interested in expanding your coffee knowledge beyond tasting and cupping? Our courses are always organized on consecutive days allowing you to participate in multiple courses through a single training trip. Check out our course schedule!

All the professional SCA courses in a row

Do you want to get the best for your coffee education? Join the SCA professional Coffee line. Take all the intermediate coffee SCA classes consecutively, maximizing the value of your time.

[Find out more]

The Espresso Academy Coffee Campus

Are you aiming for professional level education? This course can also be one of the starting points of the “Espresso Academy Coffee Campus”. The most comprehensive coffee training program globally for coffee professionals.

[Find out more]

Student says...

Espresso Academy

4.9

review us on

Stefano Ambrogi

11:04 17 Nov 24

Well done course especially for people new to this industry

V Ivan

03:12 02 Nov 24

I attended it in November this year..just a fantastic experience..Roberto ,the lecturer, is an amazing guy ,delivering lessons in asuch easy manners.He also takes you for a lunch break to experience real Italian cuisine for little money.Overall, I cam only recommend this course to anyone who wants to learn about coffee machines and have fun along the way.Highly,highly, highly recommend.

Francesco Garbati Pegna

07:10 28 Oct 24

Basic barman course meets expectations

Sarah

16:14 19 Oct 24

It was a great experience with very nice teachers who spoke English very well. We received a warm welcome and learned a lot about coffee.

Ryan Levy

19:00 10 Jul 24

Traveled to Florence and thought it was a great area to learn more about espresso. The Espresso Academy class was fun, informative and the instructor was very knowledgeable. Would recommend!

Alberto Nuñez Gomez

14:46 14 Jun 24

Not only is it a great school full of great coffee enthusiasts and professionals, they also make you live a unique experience in a beautiful city. The combination between theory and practice is perfectly balanced for any level. I recommend it 100% to all those who have a passion for coffee and want to delve deeper into this world. Thank you!

Ollie de Savigny

19:56 17 Mar 24

I found Espresso Academy after doing some research into espresso machine maintenance courses; after reading the reviews, and not finding anything suitable based in the UK, I reached out to ask some questions about the course...From the very first email, Cristina was so friendly, knowledgable and welcoming that she put my mind at rest and showed me that Espresso Academy know exactly what they are doing.I booked my flights, my accommodation, and told the team I was coming for the course!I could not recommend these guys enough - they are knowledgable, friendly and absolutely professional. I learned so much in such an engaging, interesting and thorough way that I have come home and been able to apply my knowledge immediately - starting my own small business in the UK.The course leader - Robert - is so kind, welcoming and full of knwoledge - but most importantly he is an excellent teacher, delivering the information in an easy to understand way to a mix of abilities in the class.I met some fantastic people and have made some friendships for life - and for even more joy, you get to stay in Florence when you're visiting for a course and what a beautiful city to stay in!Thank you for such a wonderful experience, and I hope to come back and visit again in the future :)

Stephen

20:19 17 Jan 24

Fantastic course on coffee machine maintenance, learned a lot in the short amount of time the course runs. Robert is a great teacher, easy going, explains things well and answers all questions. All other staff members we met during the course were also incredibly polite and welcoming. Well worth the travel.

Andrew Henley

13:04 14 Jan 24

The course at the academy was very good. very friendly team and professional teaching.

Daniel Aguado

21:00 13 Jan 24

I would like to thank the academy for providing a qualitative formation in a time where such things are difficult to find and sadly underrated.I would also like to particularly commend Robert, our teacher, who has managed to show me in a very short amount of time a wealth of accessible and comprehensible information on a difficult subject. He is awesome, poised, didactic, knowledgeable, approachable and generally very pleasant to be around.

Amit Biswas

16:33 03 Dec 23

It was fantastic 3 days of learning. It was one of the important learning experiences I had. Trainer was very professional, calm, respectful and friendly. If you are in coffee business, you must do one of their course depending on what you need. Highly recommend.

Ferdinando Ferrara

09:47 27 Nov 23

Excellent experience, recommended to all those who want to expand their knowledge of the world of coffee. I was followed by Professor Michele Cantarella at the Castorino roasting company and here I had the opportunity to see the roasting, to taste many types of coffee, to learn the basics ofMilk art.

Tobias Engel

12:53 02 Nov 23

If you want to learn everything about Coffee, the way how to do your own tasty Espresso, Latte Art this is the place to go. Enthusiatic trainers, very good mix of theory and practice. I wish the team of Espresso Academy all the best and a big thank you for the 2 day's of introduction of italian coffee philosophy 🙂

Maha Hamdan

09:42 28 Apr 23

I’ve been planning to follow my passion for coffee with a professional training course and I found what I was looking for at The Espresso Academy. From the start Cristiana was very helpful for planning and booking this course for me, responding promptly and making it easier for my needs. During the course Gabriele was doing his best for me to get the most of this course, he was very kind, helpful and attentive. He went above and beyond to give the best experience. It was obviously about the coffee and the passion of coffee rather than just another commercial training course. , I really enjoyed every moment and learned a lot. I also gained confidence in my knowledge and skills. Thank you Espresso Academy.

Sherly C

11:21 20 Feb 23

High quality classes offered by friendly, serious and very experienced teachers??? i loved it- i can only recommend!

Yuanshi Ni

09:51 17 Feb 23

Super recommended!!! Instructor was super nice, the content was engaging , I made my first espresso & cappuccino, it was an absolutely fun experience ?

Martyna Pakosz

19:20 11 Oct 22

An excellent experience, highly recommend to someone just getting into coffee. Very calm, patient and knowledgeable teachers with whom it was only pleasure to work with. :) 10/10

Pinja Eriksson

16:42 12 Dec 21

Took the two day advanced barista course and it exceeded my expectations. Great teachers, great content, and even though it was a short course we got plenty of time to practice actual coffee making without sparing milk. And a bonus is the opportunity to meet coffee students from all over the world, that most likely share similar goals to yours. Highly recommend for anyone getting into coffee business.

Arianna Bär

21:22 15 Feb 21

I've attended many courses at Espresso Academy Firenze and I loved it! The staff is incredibly friendly and the courses very nice structured. Theory and lots of practice and we could even visit the roastery! The whole place smells of coffee :) During the pandemic I've also attended a couple Online Courses which were great and the teacher answered all the questions. I totally recommend going there to learn about coffee and become friends with the most amazing teachers :) Hope to see you soon guys!!

Our Trainer

Marco Cremonese

One of the most known italian coffee and roasting experts. Marco has a large portfolio of consultancies for famous coffee roasting companies and is an official SCA trainer for coffee roasting, tasting and green coffee. He´s also frequently been chosen by the World Barista Championship to roast the coffees for the competitions.

Robert Brinck

Robert entered the coffee industry at the age of twenty and since then he's collaborated with us as a trainer in our courses and contributed to bring to life many of our projects. Together we've been able to develop a specific course for espresso machine maintenance and created a small international community of expert technicians helping each other by sharing professional advice Outside of our courses Robert has a role in quality control and roasting of specialty coffees for CaffeLab and, in our consultancy projects for roasting companies and coffee shops he is responsible for the selection of the necessary equipment, coffee and development of the final product.