Brew Like a Barista
Stop settling for bitter coffee and start crafting cafe-quality drinks at home. Master the art of the perfect pour and silky milk foam through the eyes of a professional maker.
Like Duolingo, but for Brew Like a Barista. Tomo turns the whole topic into a game you play five minutes a day, until it actually sticks.
A short one: 30 levels across 3 sections, about 60 minutes end to end, roughly 12 days at five minutes a day. It moves through Make Your First Great Cup, Master the Espresso Machine, and Think Like a Coffee Expert. It starts from scratch.
Free forever · No credit card · iPhone & Android
Key ideas in Brew Like a Barista
- Acids and oils dissolve first during brewing
- Under-extraction results in a sour, salty, or acidic taste
- Sugars and sweetness extract in the middle phase
- Under-extraction happens when water hasn't dissolved enough sugars to balance the acids
- Bitter plant fibers and tannins dissolve last
- The chronological sequence of flavor extraction from coffee grounds
- Over-extraction pulls out harsh, dry, and bitter compounds
- A balanced cup is the 'sweet spot' between sour and bitter
- Identifying the sensory profile of an under-extracted brew
- Mapping specific tastes to the state of the extraction
- Fine powder extracts flavor very quickly due to high surface area
- Over-extraction from too much surface area creates bitterness
- Long immersion times with fine grounds lead to over-extraction and bitterness
- Under-extraction from too little surface area creates sourness
- The relationship between grind size and the resulting flavor profile
- How grind size relates to contact time for different brewing methods
You've tried the other tabs
Thirty open tabs. Four facts you actually kept.
You watched. You nodded. By Sunday it was gone.
One answer, then back to scrolling.
Eight weeks. You meant to finish. You didn't.
Tomo gives Brew Like a Barista 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.
Here's what playing it feels like
A real question from this course. Take your best guess.
If your morning coffee tastes unpleasantly sour and sharp, what has likely happened?
Get it right to open this lesson and 29 more in the app.
How to learn Brew Like a Barista, step by step
Go in order. 30 short levels across 3 sections, about 1 hour in all, five minutes a day.
- 1
Make Your First Great Cup
- The Secret to a Perfect Extraction
- Finding the Right Grind Size
- How to Use a French Press Properly
- The Art of the Pour-Over
- Fixing a Sour or Bitter Brew
- 2
Master the Espresso Machine
- Pulling Your First Espresso Shot
- How to Steam Silky Milk
- Pouring a Simple Heart Pattern
- Making Lattes and Cappuccinos
- 3
Think Like a Coffee Expert
- Tasting the Difference in Roasts
- How to Read a Coffee Bag
- Why Water Temperature Matters
- Keeping Your Gear Clean
- Where Flavor Begins at the Farm
- The Science of Freshness
3 sections · 15 units · 30 levels. Built to play, not to enroll.
Questions about Brew Like a Barista
How do I learn Brew Like a Barista?
Go in order: start with Make Your First Great Cup, then Master the Espresso Machine, then Think Like a Coffee Expert. On Tomo that's 30 short levels, about 1 hour in all, played five minutes a day. Start free and play the first level in under a minute.
Is there a Duolingo-style app for Brew Like a Barista?
Yes. Tomo works like Duolingo: short daily lessons, streaks and quick quizzes. Brew Like a Barista is one of its free courses, and you can type any other topic to get a course of your own.
Is the Brew Like a Barista course free?
Yes. Brew Like a Barista is playable on Tomo's free plan, which doesn't expire. No credit card, no waitlist. Download the app and start your first lesson.
How long does it take to learn Brew Like a Barista?
30 levels across 3 sections, about 1 hour of play in total. It's built for five minutes a day, so you finish it a little at a time instead of all at once.
Do I need any background to start Brew Like a Barista?
No. It's pitched at a beginner level, so it starts where you are and builds up. If you can tap a phone, you can start.
Tomo is in ChatGPT
Tomo is also a ChatGPT plugin: the same playable courses, built and played inside your chat.
Add Tomo to ChatGPT- What to ask
- “Make me a Tomo course on black holes.” “Turn this chat into a Tomo course.”
- What you get
- Quick questions with instant feedback, hearts and stars, ready to play in about a minute.
- Where it goes
- No sign-up to start. Connect your Tomo account and your streak carries on in the app.
You pick the voice
Brew Like a Barista is taught in the Professor style: clear, structured, thorough. 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.
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Start Brew Like a Barista today.
Download Tomo, search Brew Like a Barista, and play your first lesson in under a minute.