Frequently Asked Questions
Home Barista Setup
What kind of setup / equipment do I need to have in order to be eligible for the workshop?
A pump-driven semi-automatic home espresso machine with a grinder, either built-in or standalone
A coffee precision scale
How do I know my setup is NOT compatible with the workshop?
If you have one of the following types of home espresso machines: pods, automatic, super-automatic
If you use pre-ground coffee
Can you give me some examples of models of home espresso machines that the workshop covers?
Breville Bambino, Breville Bambino Plus, Breville the Infuser, Breville Barista Express, Breville Barista Pro, Breville Barista Express Impress, Breville Barista Touch, Breville Barista Touch Impress, Breville the Dual Boiler, Breville the Oracle, Breville the Oracle Touch, Ascaso, Bezzera, ECM, Gaggia, Lelit, Profitec, Rancilio, Rocket, Nuova Simonelli, Victoria Arduino, La Marzocco
When your espresso machine doesn't feature a built-in grinder, you must have a standalone grinder next to it. For your home barista setup to be compatible with this workshop, you need to be able and grind coffee beans at home.
Workshops
What kind of workshops do you host?
We host 3 types of 1-on-1 online workshops:
Espresso only
Espresso and milk (steaming / latte art)
Milk only (steaming / latte art)
What is the duration of the workshops?
The espresso only and milk only workshops have a duration of 2 hours
The espresso and milk workshop is 3 hours long
What do former participants like most about your workshops?
Based on 100+ testimonials from home baristas all around the world, an online workshop with us might be your best option! Top reasons why our customers love it:
1-on-1 on your own setup, in the comfort of your home
Fully customisable to your level of experience, challenges and interests
Quickest way to see progress, you learn more in a couple hours than in years!
How is your online workshop better than an in-person session?
There’s absolutely nothing we’d do differently in-person compared to online. In fact, our online workshop is just as good, if not better than in-person. That’s because you get to practice every single little thing for the entire duration of your session. In this way, by the end of the 2 or 3 hours, you’ll already feel so much more comfortable and confident with your espresso machine and workflow around it.
Moreover, if your in-person session takes place out-of-home, it’s likely going to be on a different / commercial setup, in which case you’ll probably find it quite challenging to apply and integrate your learnings once you return to your home setup. Additionally, it’s quite common that in-person sessions take place in groups, which may not allow you to experience a fully customized session to your particular level of experience, challenges and interests.
Do I need any sort of home barista experience in order to do a workshop?
Absolutely not. You just need to have the mandatory equipment installed and ready to go.
This workshop is suitable for all home baristas with every level of experience: no experience, beginners, advanced, all welcome!
How does the online workshop technically work?
The workshop will take place on Zoom, we’ll take care to schedule it and provide in advance all of the information and preparations needed. During the workshop Dani will observe your workflow and share feedback in real time, offer guidance during the espresso taste evaluation (aroma, texture, flavor notes, aftertaste etc.), milk steaming and latte art pours, and help you improve your coffee making every step of the way.
During the workshop it’s important that we have a clear view of the espresso machine and your workflow, in order to offer guidance and feedback in real time. You could login with one device (your phone) or two devices (your laptop and phone), whichever works best for you. If you have a good tripod, that would be ideal.
I only need help with some quick advice, so can you do a shorter session?
Based on our experience with hundreds of workshops, we’ve found that anything less than 2 hours would mean compromising on the quality of the session we know we can deliver and that’s something we’re not willing to do. There’s no one-size-fits-all type of answer to almost any of the challenges you might encounter when trying to make a good espresso at home. Our goal is not only to help you address any challenges you might be looking to resolve at the time of the workshop, but equip you with the knowledge and skills to manage on your own long term.
Can a friend join the workshop?
The workshop is designed to deliver the most value and best experience 1-on-1, while working with only one single home espresso machine. Yes, you can have one other person join you at no additional fee (for example, a parent, your partner or a friend), as long as they’re in the same room with you.
Note that we’re all different, we catch on learnings differently, we have various levels of experience etc. A fully customized 1-on-1 session allows us to focus on yourself, so that you really feel the positive impact of the session right away. That can become difficult the more additional participants join you in the workshop.
How much time in advance do I need before my workshop can take place?
Kindly take these aspects into account when thinking of planning a workshop with us:
Expect that at least 2 weeks are necessary prior to the workshop, in order to have enough time for any preparations needed (e.g. buying freshly roasted whole coffee beans or a coffee precision scale).
Due to high demand, there’s usually a waiting time of around one month, especially for weekends.
What can I expect after I reach out with a request for a workshop with you?
We’ll get back to you with an email within 48 hours at most, including more details about the workshop itself and pricing. Once you let us know that you’d like to go ahead with it, we’ll send you our availability / calendar, so you can book a time slot, followed by payment information and preparations as needed (a short set of questions that helps us customize your session).
Does the milk steaming part cover just regular milk or also plant based milk?
We can work with either regular or plant based milk, ideally oat milk, but we can also do almond or soy milk. Just make sure you’re getting the barista versions, since those are specifically created for steaming and to be used in combination with espresso.
What are the prices for your workshops and why can’t I find them on the website?
For pricing options, please send us a request here. We’ll get back to you with an email within 48 hours at most.
The reason why prices are not displayed on the website has to do with the highly customised approach we take with our workshops. In order to put forward the best possible and most fitting option to your particular situation, we currently address requests one by one. In this way we’re able to: 1) confirm that your home espresso setup is indeed compatible with our workshop and 2) ask you all the questions needed in order to advise for the best workshop format for you.