The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) is globally recognized for its dedication to elevating the art and science of coffee. Whether you’re a barista, coffee roaster, café owner, or simply a coffee enthusiast looking to refine your skills, SCA courses offer an opportunity to deepen your knowledge and expertise in the coffee industry.
Blacksmith Coffee Company proudly offers a variety of SCA-certified courses, hosted by our expert trainer who has successfully trained over 500 baristas across the UAE. With a focus on practical skills, in-depth knowledge, and real-world applications, our courses are designed to empower coffee professionals at every level. Whether you're starting your journey in specialty coffee or aiming to take your expertise to the next level, Blacksmith Coffee Company is your trusted partner in coffee education.
Here are the modules we offer:
INTRODUCTION TO COFFEE
The Introduction to Coffee course is perfect for anyone new to the world of specialty coffee. It traces coffee’s origins from Ethiopia to its development into a global commodity. This course provides a broad overview of the specialty coffee supply chain, covering essential topics like coffee history and cultivation, quality-influencing factors, basics of sensory evaluation, roasting fundamentals, coffee freshness, and brewing principles. Learners will also discuss the significance of water quality, equipment cleanliness, and maintenance.
An interactive cupping session—a sensory process for assessing coffee quality—is included, giving participants hands-on experience. At the end of the course, there is an online written exam to complete.
BARISTA SKILLS
Barista Skills provides essential hands-on experience for working behind the espresso bar. It includes training on grinder calibration, espresso extraction, milk texturing for cappuccinos, and latte art. Additionally, it covers key aspects of health and safety, customer service protocols, and basic business practices.
Foundation Course:
The Barista Skills Foundation course introduces learners to coffee fundamentals and basic barista techniques. It covers grinder calibration, espresso making, milk foaming and texturing, and introductory latte art per SCA standards, with a focus on health, safety, and customer service practices. Learners engage in practical exercises to build core barista skills. A written test evaluates their understanding of the course material.
Intermediate Course:
The Barista Skills Intermediate course expands upon the Foundation level, ideal for those with basic barista experience seeking to enhance their expertise and take on advanced responsibilities. This course delves deeper into coffee varieties, origin, and processing and how these influence flavor. It also covers key aspects of brew recipe adjustments, such as coffee quantity, grind texture, water quality, and extraction time. Learners develop advanced skills in drink construction, workflow efficiency, sensory analysis, and latte art. The course includes both a written exam on theoretical knowledge and a practical test that assesses skills in grinder calibration, espresso extraction, latte art, and drink preparation.
BREWING SKILLS
The Brewing courses cover various coffee brewing methods and examine key variables that influence quality. Emphasizing hands-on learning, these courses focus on grind profiles, brewing techniques, measuring coffee strength, and charting extraction levels.
Foundation Course:
The Brewing Foundation course introduces learners to diverse coffee brewing methods. Participants receive both theoretical and hands-on training using a range of brewing devices, including automatic and manual gravity brewers, as well as other popular brewers in local settings. Through practical activities, learners gain the skills needed to produce flavorful coffee, guided by an understanding of essential brewing elements and the ability to analyze brewing outcomes. A written exam assesses theoretical knowledge based on the Foundation course objectives.
Intermediate Course:
Building on the Foundation course, the Brewing Intermediate course is suited for those with some brewing experience who seek to enhance coffee quality. This course delves into the brewing process, covering device usage, extraction sequencing, and wetting, along with examining key brewing elements and their impact on flavor. Students learn to measure extracted coffee strength scientifically, chart coffee extraction, analyze brewed coffee and espresso, and make adjustments to achieve a balanced, well-extracted cup. The importance of equipment cleaning and maintenance is also covered. Assessment includes a written exam on course concepts and a practical exam, testing students' ability to identify strength and extraction differences, prepare brews using different devices, and adjust recipes for correcting issues in automatic filter brews.
Contact us to schedule your spot:
- EMAIL US: roastery@blacksmith.ae
- CALL US: +971 56 503 9834