In this course, you’ll experiment with a range of tools and techniques available to the home barista, to find out what impact they have on the quality of your espresso. We’ll start by exploring brew ratios, using a refractometer to measure strength and calculate extraction, alongside tasting, to understand how we can adapt our recipes to achieve specific flavour profiles. 

We’ll then focus on improving our shots, looking at key variables from grinding and puck prep to brewing, working on both professional and one-group espresso machines. We’ll experiment with precision baskets, distribution methods such as the WDT and blind shakers, and water recipes, pulling shots, tasting and discussing the impact of each variable to determine our preferences. 

We’ll conclude the course with our ideal recipes, tools and techniques to improve our home set-up, alongside 350g of the same Square Mile coffee used in the course.

Is the Foundation or advanced course the right one for me?

This course is designed for students who are already making espresso at home to an intermediate level. If you answer ‘yes’ to all three statements below, this course is perfect for you.

• I make espresso to a set recipe, such as 18g - 36g, using scales to control dose and yield
• I change grind size regularly to achieve my target shot time
• I'm confident in the above, and want to explore tools and techniques to improve quality beyond brew ratio, recipe, and grind size adjustments.

If you didn't answer 'yes' to all three, we recommend starting with the Foundation course. If you’re not sure which course to pick, please get in touch with us, and we’re happy to help.

Note: The Home Barista Advanced course doesn’t include milk drinks. To improve your steaming and latte art skills, we recommend the Introduction to Latte Art course as a complement.