The Art of the Espresso Bar
Like Duolingo, but for The Art of the Espresso Bar. 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.
Free forever · No credit card · iPhone & Android
Key ideas in The Art of the Espresso Bar
- Espresso uses high pressure to create a concentrated liquid
- Intensity in espresso comes from the ratio of coffee to water, not just the total caffeine
- Espresso is defined by its syrupy texture and concentrated flavor profile
- Defining characteristics of espresso
- The 1:2 ratio means the liquid output should be double the weight of the dry grounds
- Using a scale is necessary for repeatability because volume (crema) can be deceiving
- A balanced shot requires stopping the water flow at the specific target weight
- Applying the 1:2 ratio to determine the correct yield
- The shot starts dark and thick and gradually thins out
- Distinguishing espresso from other coffee methods
- The color lightens as the coffee solids are depleted
- Stopping the shot during the 'blonding' phase
- Crema is created by the release of CO2 gases
- Applying the 1:2 ratio
- Stale beans produce a thin, watery surface
- The presence of crema indicates the coffee was roasted recently
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 The Art of the Espresso Bar 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.
Why does a tiny shot of espresso taste so much more intense than a large mug of filter coffee?
Get it right to open this lesson and 11 more in the app.
Where The Art of the Espresso Bar takes you
Go from coffee lover to confident barista by mastering the mechanics of the perfect espresso shot and the silky texture of professional microfoam.
- 1
The Perfect Extraction
- Pulling Your First Espresso
- Dialing In the Flavor
- 2
Milk and Menu
- Silky Milk and Microfoam
- Building the Classic Menu
2 sections · 4 units · 12 levels. Built to play, not to enroll.
You pick the voice
The Art of the Espresso Bar 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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Start The Art of the Espresso Bar today.
Download Tomo, search The Art of the Espresso Bar, and play your first lesson in under a minute.