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.
24 levels across 4 sections, about 48 minutes end to end, roughly 10 days at five minutes a day. It moves through The First Shot, Dialing In for Flavor, The Art of Milk, and Beans and Maintenance. It starts from scratch.
Free forever · No credit card · iPhone & Android
Key ideas in Espresso at Home
- Espresso requires high pressure to force water through the grounds
- Moisture in the basket causes new grounds to clump and stick
- The pressure creates a unique concentration and texture (crema) not found in standard brewing
- Old grounds will over-extract and add bitter flavors to the new shot
- Strength alone does not make a coffee an espresso
- Water follows the path of least resistance, so any obstruction causes uneven flow
- Distinguishing espresso from other brewing methods by its defining characteristic
- The necessity of a clean, dry portafilter for even extraction
- Dose, yield, and time are the primary variables used to track a recipe
- Measuring by weight is more accurate than measuring by volume
- An uneven coffee bed creates weak spots called channels
- Identifying the three variables that define an espresso recipe
- Understanding the purpose of leveling the coffee bed
- A 'rat tail' is a thin, steady, syrupy stream that doesn't flicker
- The flow should look viscous and slightly dark, like warm honey
- Rapid dripping or watery flow indicates a problem with the grind or pressure
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.
What is the name of the special bubbly foam that pressure creates on top of an espresso?
Get it right to open this lesson and 23 more in the app.
Where Espresso at Home takes you
Stop settling for bitter coffee and start pulling cafe-quality shots in your own kitchen. Learn to balance flavor, texture milk like a pro, and master the variables of the perfect extraction.
- 1
The First Shot
- Your Espresso Workflow
- The Anatomy of a Shot
- 2
Dialing In for Flavor
- The Grind Size Lever
- Diagnosing the Taste
- 3
The Art of Milk
- Steaming Silky Microfoam
- The Basics of the Pour
- 4
Beans and Maintenance
- Choosing the Right Bean
- Machine Care and Longevity
4 sections · 8 units · 24 levels. Built to play, not to enroll.
You pick the voice
Espresso at Home is taught in the Explain Like I'm 5 style: no big words. promise.. 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.
More Food & Drink on Tomo
Espresso at Home
Go from coffee lover to home barista. Learn to pull the perfect shot, steam silky milk, and master the variables that make espresso delicious.
The Home Barista's First Pour
Stop guessing and start pulling cafe-quality shots. Master the fundamentals of espresso extraction and milk texturing to build your favorite coffee shop drinks at home.
The Home Barista
Learn to pull professional-grade espresso shots and steam silky milk from your own kitchen. This course covers the essential mechanics of the 'perfect pull' and the secrets to café-quality latte art.
The Home Barista's Essentials
Transform your kitchen into a café by mastering the art of the perfect espresso shot and silky milk textures. Learn to build the world's most iconic coffee drinks with confidence and precision.
The Art of the Espresso Bar
Go from coffee lover to confident barista by mastering the mechanics of the perfect espresso shot and the silky texture of professional microfoam.
The Art of the Espresso Shot
Move beyond the button-press and master the variables that define a perfect extraction. Learn to diagnose flavors, manipulate brew ratios, and maintain professional-grade equipment.
Start Espresso at Home today.
Download Tomo, search Espresso at Home, and play your first lesson in under a minute.