The Craft of the Cup
Move beyond the morning jolt to understand the science of extraction, the nuances of regional terroir, and the professional techniques used to evaluate world-class coffee.
Like Duolingo, but for The Craft of the Cup. Tomo turns the whole topic into a game you play five minutes a day, until it actually sticks.
21 levels across 4 sections, about 42 minutes end to end, roughly 8 days at five minutes a day. It moves through Mastering the Extraction, The Sensory Experience, Sourcing and Selection, and The Science of the Bean. It assumes you already know the basics.
Free forever · No credit card · iPhone & Android
Key ideas in The Craft of the Cup
- Under-extraction leaves behind the sugars, resulting in a thin, sour cup
- Over-extraction pulls out heavy tannins that cause a dry sensation called astringency
- Sweetness and balance indicate the water dissolved the right amount of coffee solids
- Finer grinds increase surface area, which speeds up the extraction of bitter compounds
- Coarsening the grind allows water to flow faster, reducing the total contact time
- A coarse setting creates less surface area, preventing the over-extraction of bitters
- Identifying extraction levels based on sensory feedback
- Adjusting grind size to fix specific flavor issues
- Acids dissolve almost instantly
- Sweetness requires more contact time
- Bitterness is the final stage
- Immersion brewing efficiency
- Golden Ratio starting point
- 1:15 ratio results in heavier body
- The sequence of flavor extraction
- Applying the Golden Ratio
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 Craft of the Cup 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 causes that weirdly dry, chalky feeling on your tongue after a sip of bitter coffee?
Get it right to open this lesson and 20 more in the app.
How to learn The Craft of the Cup, step by step
Go in order. 21 short levels across 4 sections, about 42 minutes in all, five minutes a day.
- 1
Mastering the Extraction
- Dialing in the Perfect Brew
- Water Chemistry and Temperature
- 2
The Sensory Experience
- Navigating the Flavor Wheel
- Professional Cupping Techniques
- 3
Sourcing and Selection
- Decoding Processing and Varietals
- Freshness and Storage Science
- 4
The Science of the Bean
- Terroir and Altitude
4 sections · 7 units · 21 levels. Built to play, not to enroll.
Questions about The Craft of the Cup
How do I learn The Craft of the Cup?
Go in order: start with Mastering the Extraction, then The Sensory Experience, then Sourcing and Selection, then The Science of the Bean. On Tomo that's 21 short levels, about 42 minutes in all, played five minutes a day. Start free and play the first level in under a minute.
Is there a Duolingo-style app for The Craft of the Cup?
Yes. Tomo works like Duolingo: short daily lessons, streaks and quick quizzes. The Craft of the Cup is one of its free courses, and you can type any other topic to get a course of your own.
Is The Craft of the Cup free?
Yes. The Craft of the Cup is playable on Tomo's free plan, which doesn't expire. No credit card, no waitlist. Download the app and start your first lesson.
How long does it take to learn The Craft of the Cup?
21 levels across 4 sections, about 42 minutes of play in total. It's built for five minutes a day, so you finish it a little at a time instead of all at once.
Do I need any background to start The Craft of the Cup?
No. It's pitched at an intermediate level, so it starts where you are and builds up. If you can tap a phone, you can start.
Tomo is in ChatGPT
Tomo is also a ChatGPT plugin: the same playable courses, built and played inside your chat.
Add Tomo to ChatGPT- What to ask
- “Make me a Tomo course on black holes.” “Turn this chat into a Tomo course.”
- What you get
- Quick questions with instant feedback, hearts and stars, ready to play in about a minute.
- Where it goes
- No sign-up to start. Connect your Tomo account and your streak carries on in the app.
You pick the voice
The Craft of the Cup is taught in 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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The Craft of Better Coffee
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Start The Craft of the Cup today.
Download Tomo, search The Craft of the Cup, and play your first lesson in under a minute.