Brew Like a Barista
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.
For the part of you with thirty open tabs that never became anything.
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.
Where Brew Like a Barista takes you
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.
- 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.
You pick the voice
Brew Like a Barista is taught in the 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.
More Food & Drink on Tomo
Mastering Your Home Espresso
Stop settling for bitter coffee and start pulling cafe-quality shots at home. Learn the simple tricks to balance flavor and texture using the gear you already have.
Brewing Your Best Cup
Stop settling for bitter or sour coffee. Learn how to fix your morning brew and unlock the hidden flavors in your favorite beans using the tools you already have.
Brewing the Perfect Cup
Stop settling for bitter office coffee and start making cafe-quality drinks at home. Learn the simple tricks to balance flavor and master the most popular recipes from around the world.
Better Coffee at Home
Stop settling for mediocre mornings. Learn to brew cafe-quality coffee by mastering the variables that actually matter, from bean selection to extraction science.
Mastering the Perfect Cup of Coffee
Stop settling for bitter, burnt coffee and start brewing like a pro. Learn how to fix your morning cup, taste the hidden flavors in different beans, and finally understand the science behind the perfect brew.
Brewing Your Best Cup
Stop settling for bitter or sour coffee and start making cafe-quality drinks at home. Learn the simple tweaks that turn a morning routine into a daily highlight.
Start Brew Like a Barista today.
Download Tomo, search Brew Like a Barista, and play your first lesson in under a minute.