Espresso at Home
Like Duolingo, but for Espresso at Home. 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.
A short one: 11 levels across 2 sections, about 22 minutes end to end, roughly 4 days at five minutes a day. It moves through The Perfect Shot and Milk and Workflow. It starts from scratch.
Free forever · No credit card · iPhone & Android
Key ideas in Espresso at Home
- The standard espresso ratio is roughly 1:2 (grounds to liquid)
- Water follows the path of least resistance
- Too little liquid results in a sour, salty shot
- An uneven or tilted coffee bed causes 'channeling' where water misses some coffee
- Too much liquid results in a bitter, watery shot
- A level surface is more important than raw physical strength
- Applying the brew ratio to achieve a balanced flavor
- Understanding the goal of tamping for water flow
- A good shot flows in a thin, steady stream like a 'mouse tail'
- The flow should look syrupy and viscous, not watery
- Gushing or dripping indicates a problem with the grind or pack
- Timing starts the moment the pump is turned on, not when the first drop hits
- A standard shot usually takes between 25 to 30 seconds
- Consistency in timing allows the barista to troubleshoot the grind size
- Identifying a healthy extraction by its visual flow
- Knowing when to start and stop the timer for consistency
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 Espresso at Home 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 you start with 18 grams of dry coffee grounds, how much liquid espresso should you aim to pull?
Get it right to open this lesson and 10 more in the app.
Where Espresso at Home takes you
Go from coffee lover to home barista by mastering the art of the perfect espresso shot and silky steamed milk.
- 1
The Perfect Shot
- Pulling Your First Shot
- Tasting and Tweaking
- 2
Milk and Workflow
- Steaming Silky Milk
- Building the Drink
2 sections · 4 units · 11 levels. Built to play, not to enroll.
You pick the voice
Espresso at Home 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.
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Barista Skills for the Perfect Cup
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Start Espresso at Home today.
Download Tomo, search Espresso at Home, and play your first lesson in under a minute.