Here are two of the most prominent coffee training institutes in California which are suited for barista training Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego.
Ivy League Barista Academy
ILBA Coffee School is the place to go if you’re looking for a decent barista course San Diego. Their Advanced Barista Training Class is a four day affair (each day’s training session lasting eight hours), that centers on advanced barista technique fundamentals.
This class will cover milk texturing, espresso extraction, latte art and drink preparation. It is a practical course with a detailed training manual that highlights the key points relevant to correct extraction of espresso and successful beverage preparation.
It will sharpen your barista skills while bringing together the most crucial and advanced aspects of drink prep, efficiency, consistency and quality for the optimal running of your business. Students at ILBA are taught advanced latte art skills and enhance their technique through the combination of several drink making procedures under the instructions of a consultant.
- Advanced drink preparation covers milk pouring and texturing, shot extraction techniques, grinding techniques, combining procedures for optimum efficiency, purchase point role playing, and deciding between syrup and powder based.
- Tea covers the history and key facts, proper brewing, quality control, making a tea latte beverage, drink prep, blinded, iced and hot drinks, and making drinks other than coffee.
- Roasting covers taste profiles based on region, quality vs price, methods of roasting, tasting, cupping, shade grown, fair trade and organic.
- Smoothies cover product options, proper techniques, and whole fruit vs. fruit blend.
- Milk covers the basics of steaming, pouring the ideal latte, flavoring methods, correct temperature control, correct brewing, multi-tasking, tea latte making, history, serving options and quality control.
- Espresso covers pulling shots from several espresso machines, correct tamping methods, judging the perfect shot, efficiency techniques and controlling the quality of espresso.
- Brewing covers the methods like airpots, French press, satellite and so on, various equipment options extraction systems, serving options, quality control and pre-ground vs fresh ground.
- Equipment covers an introduction to various manufacturers, equipment applications, cleaning and sanitation, and repairs and maintenance.
- Menu evaluation covers size options, drink development consistency, coffee jargon and coffee drinks.
- Flavor options covers differences in flavor profiles and ingredients, powder vs. pump based system.
- Cold drink prep covers correct blending, methods of preparing iced drinks, and equipment options and their corresponding results.
Klatch Roasting
This is a school for those living in LA or San Francisco. Klatch Training has recognized the fact that an average learn at work barista gets just 3 hours of training, which are far from sufficient.
This Los Angeles barista training institute is dedicated to the development of specialty coffee and believes that baristas will play a pivotal role in its future. No one can disagree that quality is a crucial ingredient in any business for it to run successfully, but not many perceive that quality loses its effect in the absence of adequate planning and preparation.
By incorporating lots of lab time in every single barista course Los Angeles they teach, the school gives their students ability and knowledge similar to professional baristas. Their students gain a deep understanding of the theory behind making great coffee as well as the skills needed to get the ideal espresso shot.
The techniques students learn at this Los Angeles barista training institute, when combined with an adherence to quality, are responsible for customer loyalty and business success.
Here’s what their comprehensive three day barista training course San Francisco is all about:
Training sessions incorporate demos and lectures that are followed by practice. The small class structure guarantees a personalized training setting, which provides the best learning experience.
The three day training begins with espresso extraction and milk steaming fundamentals, and proceeds to the exploration of more advanced techniques.
Other topics that are taught include developing a palate via single origin espresso, cupping, drink building recipes, advanced latte art techniques, training plans, and most crucially, consistency maintenance.
The three day class covers virtually all there is to know about coffee from a barista’s perspective:
- An introduction to the equipment.
- Step by step espresso.
- Adjusting the grind.
- Tasting.
- Preparing milk.
- Latte art.
- Maintenance of machines.
- Advanced tamping and dosing techniques.
- Advanced Latte Art.
- Single origin espresso.
- Presentation from seed to cup.
- Techniques for brewing.
- Cupping.
- Recipes and drink building.
- Preparing blended drinks.
There’s also a simplified one day course that you can opt for, but it goes nowhere near in terms of depth to the three day course. In fact, the three day course is one of the most well rounded barista courses San Francisco has to offer.
