This Introduction to Coffee course is ideal for anyone who is new to specialty coffee.

This private 6-hour course charts coffee’s journey from its origins in Ethiopia to the major commodity that it is today. This course gives a general overview of the specialty coffee supply chain and explores topics such as history and cultivation, variables that affect coffee quality, basics of sensory analysis, fundamentals of roasting, factors of coffee freshness, and principles of brewing.

In addition, learners will discuss the importance of water quality, cleanliness and maintenance. This interactive course also includes a cupping, an industry-specific process for evaluating coffee through a sensory experience. There is an online written exam administered upon the completion of the course.

Course Outline:

• Origins and SUpply Chain
  
  • Origins of Coffee
  • Coffee’s Growing Regions
  • Coffee's Journey from Farm To Cup
  • The Current Coffee Industry - Producers & Consumers
  • Coffee as a Plant, Fruit and Seed
  • Most Common Coffee Species
  • General Differences in Coffee Species
  • Common Varieties of Coffee Species
  • Quality - What is Specialty Coffee?
  • Harvesting and Processing Coffee
• Roasting and Storage
  
  • Basics of Roasting Process
  • Importance and Strategies for Prolonging Freshness
• Sensory Experience
  
  • The Humans Senses
  • Taste Recognition and Flavor Perception
  • Sensory Experience Influenced by Origin and Terroir, Species, Processing, and Roasting
• Brewing
  
  • Common Brewing Methods
  • Brewing and Extraction Principles
  • Sensory Impact of Extraction
  • Introduction to Cupping
• Impact of Water Quality and Temperature
• Cleaning and Maintenance