Basic Barista Course /Barista skills SCA
An Espresso Academy barista course is such an unforgettable experience that starts at your own home!
The theoretical part of the course is sent directly to your home as a video course. In this way we have plenty of time in class for more practice and a lot of great coffee experiences!


- Coffee cocktails and preparation of coffee with syrups, toppings and… from frappuccino to Lecce coffee, from caramel latte to espresso martini!
- Use historical espresso machines: from the lever one to the modern machines (where you can set all the parameters!)
- A technical section: setting the volumetric system, setting the temperature, changing the gaskets and..
- The Home barista corner: machines and advice for those who have a passion for coffee!
The course is valid for the SCA Barista Skills Foundation and Barista basic Italian Barista Certificate exams.
The course is accredited and follows the Italian Barista Certificate international standards
Passing the SCA foundation exam (optional) leads to the achievement of 5 points for the SCA Coffee Skills Program diploma.
Courses are held in English
Installment payments > you can pay in three installments with stripe
Are you interested in the course?
One Journey, One Vacation In Italy
The dates of the Espresso Academy courses are always set in such a way as to allow you to take part in several courses, one day after another, to give the maximum value to your trip, and your Italian vacation.
Find out below the dates coordinated on our calendar
PROGRAM - BASIC BARISTA COURSE
Coffee Theory
A video course is sent on the following topics
- The world of coffee: arabica, robusta, varietals from bourbon to catimor.
- Coffee in the plantation: washed, natural and the new fermentation methods..
- A brief history of coffee: from Yemen to the plantations in Sicily.
- Introduction to roasting and how coffee blends are made.
- The invention and evolution of espresso machines from 1900 to today
Course in class
- Work begins with the extraction of the espresso and coffee tamping
- Coffee grinding: how to manage it and how to modify it with the various types of coffee grinders
- Espresso with historical espresso machines: from the lever one to the modern machines (where you can set all the parameters…)
- Which is the best machine for your project!
- The best coffee for my project? Evaluate the quality of the beans watching them
- A technical section: setting the volumetric system, setting the temperature, changing the gaskets and..
- A little break for a visit to the roastery.
- The perfect milk frothing managing different temperatures and frothiness.
- Vegetable (Plant Based) milks: try soya, oats and milks specifically designed for the barista
- Cappuccino in practice: lots of exercises on milk frothing and classic cappuccino
- Italian preparations: latte macchiato, latte coffee, espresso macchiato etc.
- How to improve speed and efficiency at the bar counter
- Coffee cocktails and preparation of coffee with syrups, toppings and… from frappuccino to Lecce coffee, from caramel latte to espresso martini!
- Cleaning and maintenance of espresso machines. The softeners, the blind filter and the cleaning of the showers.
Eventual practical exam for the Italian Barista Certificate
Eventual support in SCA exam (SCA foundation level is only theoretical)
To this basic course it's possible to add a second day focused on advanced coffee. Even more practice, even more topics, an even more unforgettable experience!
This second day, which always takes place the day after the basic course, runs from 10am to 5.30pm.
PROGRAM - ADVACED BARISTA COURSE - DAY 2
Coffee Theory
- Introduction to professional coffee tasting: body, acidity, bitterness, sweetness and flavours.
- The use of the refractometer in extraction measurement. The concept of TDS and extraction.
Course in class
- How to set a coffee cupping. How the coffee is technically evaluated.
- Espresso tasting exercises : commodity arabica e robusta, coffee blends, caffè specialty.
- How to use the refractometer in practice. exercises.
- Grinding setting exercises with dose and extraction weighing, preparatory to the IBM and SCA exams
- Not just espresso: brewing, filter coffee and pour over, practical tests
- Worldwide trends: babyccino, flat white, cortado and other preparations.
- Latte art basics: height of pouring, flow control and movement of the wrist
- Practice latte art base: the heart
- Basic latte art practice: the figure of the leaf or rosetta
- Basic latte art practice: the tulip
- Basic setting and fixing of the espresso coffee machine: showers, volumetric, temperature
Eventual exam for the Italian Barista Method advanced certification (this exam involves a quite demanding speed test, any participation in this course will therefore be evaluated during the course according with the trainer)
Possible additional procedure for SCA intermediate exam.
More infos
The course starts at 10 a.m. and finishes at 5.30 p.m. with a short lunch break. The Espresso Academy is in Florence, a few minutes with the tram away from the central railway station of Santa Maria Novella and a few minutes from the exit of the highway, Firenze Scandicci.
Our trainers
Sign up for this course
Basic Barista Course
An one day long, very intense course cutted for who is entering into the barista profession and wants to do it with the right knowledge, as well as for how is discovering the magic of coffee as home barista.
Are you fascinated by the Espresso and barista world? Want you to start from the basic skills? Are you thinking to dedicate yourself to the profession of barista?
This course starts from the knowledge of the different sorts of coffee: Arabica, robusta, Liberica, washed, natural, Monsooned and so on. Then we visit the roasting company, seeing how the coffee is professionally roasted and blended.
After, is the moment to start working. How to do a perfect espresso, with a perfect grinding degree and a perfect tamping. How to froth the milk for a perfect Italian cappuccino. How to do latte macchiato, espresso macchiato and espresso shakerato.
At the end of this course you can take part to the Barista Skills SCA foundation exam and at the Coffee Introduction SCA Exam.
Check the video of the course here below!