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Advanced Barista Mastery

Like Duolingo, but for Advanced Barista Mastery. Tomo turns the whole topic into a game you play five minutes a day, until it actually sticks.

For the part of you with thirty open tabs that never became anything.

195 bite-size levelsAbout 5 minutes each

Free forever · No credit card · iPhone & Android

Barnaby the Bean
Advanced Barista Mastery
with Barnaby the Bean
195
Levels
9
Sections
5
Min/day
What you'll learn

Key ideas in Advanced Barista Mastery

  • Acids extract early in the brewing process
  • Darker roasts are more soluble and prone to bitterness at high yields
  • Bitter compounds extract later and provide a counterweight to acidity
  • Lighter roasts are less soluble and require more water to extract sweetness
  • Why increasing yield reduces perceived acidity
  • Matching bean characteristics to target yield ratios
  • Lower yields result in higher concentration of oils and solids
  • Yield is the primary tool for fixing flavor balance when flow rate is correct
  • Higher yields dilute the espresso, increasing clarity but decreasing body
  • Grind size changes the contact time, while yield changes the total extraction amount
  • The relationship between yield and tactile body
  • When to prioritize yield over grind size
  • Increasing yield extracts more sugars and buffers to reduce sourness
  • TDS measures the concentration of the coffee
  • Thinness in a sour shot often indicates under-extraction
  • Higher TDS correlates with a thicker, more viscous texture
Why not just Google it

You've tried the other tabs

Wikipedia

Thirty open tabs. Four facts you actually kept.

YouTube

You watched. You nodded. By Sunday it was gone.

ChatGPT

One answer, then back to scrolling.

Online courses

Eight weeks. You meant to finish. You didn't.

Tomo gives Advanced Barista Mastery the Duolingo treatment: levels, streaks, and quick quizzes that test what you just learned. That game loop is what the tabs above never had, so it's the one you actually finish.

Try a question

Here's what playing it feels like

A real question from this course. Take your best guess.

Finding the Sweet Spot

Why do baristas often use a shorter yield for dark roasted beans?

Get it right to open this lesson and 194 more in the app.

Course map

Where Advanced Barista Mastery takes you

Master the art of high-volume specialty coffee service. From precision extraction chemistry to advanced sensory analysis and equipment maintenance, this course transforms skilled brewers into elite coffee professionals.

  1. 1

    Dialing In for Perfection

    • The 1:2 Ratio and Beyond: Manipulating Yield
    • Grind Distribution and Channeling Mitigation
    • Temperature Profiling for Different Roast Levels
    • The 'Salami Shot' Technique for Flavor Mapping
  2. 2

    Advanced Milk Dynamics

    • Micro-foam Micro-structure: Protein vs. Fat Content
    • Temperature-Dependent Sweetness in Steaming
    • Free-Pouring Complex Patterns: Swans and Rosettas
    • Etching and Multi-Layered Latte Art
    • Plant-Based Milk: Chemical Stability and Stretching
  3. 3

    Sensory Analysis and Palate Development

    • The SCA Cupping Protocol
    • Identifying Organic Acids: Citric, Malic, and Tartaric
    • TDS and Extraction Percentage Correlation
  4. 4

    High-Volume Workflow Efficiency

    • Ergonomic Station Setup and Movement Economy
    • Managing the 'Rush': Order Sequencing
    • The Art of the 'Ghost' Barista: Seamless Support
    • Waste Reduction and Inventory Management
    • Customer Interaction Under Pressure
    • Quality Control in Fast-Paced Environments
  5. 5

    The Science of Water Chemistry

    • Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) and Flavor Extraction
    • The Role of Magnesium and Calcium Ions
    • Buffer Capacity: Alkalinity and pH Balance
    • Filtration Systems: Reverse Osmosis vs. Ion Exchange
  6. 6

    Equipment Maintenance and Troubleshooting

    • Daily vs. Weekly Preventative Maintenance
    • Burr Alignment and Replacement Cycles
    • Group Head Gasket and Screen Replacement
    • Diagnosing Pressure and Temperature Fluctuations
    • Boiler Descaling and Steam Wand Care
  7. 7

    Alternative Brewing Methods

    • V60 and Kalita: Precision Pour-Over Geometry
    • Immersion Mastery: AeroPress and French Press
    • Syphon Brewing: Vapor Pressure and Aesthetics
    • Cold Brew vs. Flash Chilled: Oxidation Control
  8. 8

    The Botany and Processing of Coffee

    • Varietal Impact: Bourbon, Typica, and Gesha
    • Processing Methods: Washed, Natural, and Honey
    • Anaerobic Fermentation and Experimental Processing
    • The Impact of Terroir and Altitude
    • Supply Chain Ethics and Direct Trade Models
  9. 9

    Roast Profiles and Chemical Transformations

    • The Maillard Reaction and Caramelization
    • First Crack and Development Time Ratio
    • Degassing and Peak Freshness Windows

9 sections · 39 units · 195 levels. Built to play, not to enroll.

How it's taught

You pick the voice

This course
The Bestie

Advanced Barista Mastery is taught in the The Bestie style: your friend who just gets it. Want a different feel? In the app you can spin up the same topic in any of Tomo's teaching styles. Same facts, totally different vibe.

Start free

Start Advanced Barista Mastery today.

Download Tomo, search Advanced Barista Mastery, and play your first lesson in under a minute.