Frequently Asked Questions

The training center is located just north of Charlotte, North Carolina, about 30 minutes from Charlotte Douglas Airport (CLT).

Our address is:
18515-F Old Statesville Rd
Cornelius, NC 28031

We recommend staying near I-77 exit 25 in Huntersville. There are several reasonably priced hotels and restaurants within about a 10 minute drive to the academy. Visit our local area guide for more detailed recommendations on where to stay and eat.

Most of our classes are designed to be taken in person, and that is by design. Hands-on practice is at the core of what we teach, and there is no substitute for working directly on equipment with an experienced instructor in the room.

The SCA also requires completion of several hands-on activities and practical tests for all Coffee Skills Program Intermediate and Professional classes, and all Coffee Technicians Program classes, so in-person attendance is required to receive those certificates.

We do offer a small selection of customized non-SCA classes online, so just let us know if you'd like to discuss planning one for your group.

We provide all tools and equipment needed for classroom activities, including multimeters, steaming pitchers, and tampers. We also provide safety glasses and work gloves for students to use during CTechP classes.

We love putting together private sessions for groups. Reach out and we can talk through the details.

We have built up a large catalog of classes, workshops, and lectures over the years, and we genuinely enjoy putting together something tailored to a specific goal. Reach out and let us know what you have in mind.

Many students join our classes to help them plan, open, or run coffee businesses. Our comprehensive weeklong Cafe Fundamentals Camp was built specifically to meet their needs, and includes three classes: Coffee Fundamentals, SCA Barista Skills Foundation, and SCA Barista Skills Intermediate. We think future cafe operators get the most out of taking all three together, but each class can also be taken on its own.

The SCA requires that students complete either Barista Skills Foundation or an approved equivalent before enrolling in Barista Skills Intermediate, and honestly, we think that is the right call.

What does "an approved equivalent" mean? Many organizations introduce fundamental barista skills through their own non-SCA classes. If you have completed a class that covered espresso preparation, grinder adjustment, milk steaming, and drink building, contact us to discuss whether enrolling directly in the Barista Skills Intermediate class makes sense for you.

There is no waiting period between Barista Skills Foundation and Barista Skills Intermediate, and students are welcome to take them back to back.

We do not, however, recommend taking Barista Skills Professional right away. It is best for students to practice their skills and gain some real-world experience before enrolling in the Professional class.

Our Technician Training Foundations camp introduces four essential subject areas: hydraulic systems, electrical systems, preventive maintenance, and water treatment. It includes three Specialty Coffee Association Coffee Technicians Program Foundation-level course certificates.

This camp provides a solid foundation in the components, systems, and operating principles of coffee equipment. During the week, learners practice the skills necessary to complete equipment installations and perform a basic preventive maintenance visit.

Intermediate Diagnostics and Repair builds on the knowledge of coffee equipment parts and proper system function introduced in Technician Training Foundations, developing basic troubleshooting and parts replacement skills. During the week, students go deeper into part and system function and failure, spend several hours diagnosing common espresso machine malfunctions and replacing common parts, and practice using hydraulic, electrical, and parts schematics and troubleshooting with a multimeter.

No prior mechanical experience is needed to join Technician Training Foundations. These classes were designed to introduce fundamental equipment knowledge and skills to learners with and without previous technical experience.

Prospective students who are new to coffee should consider taking an introductory barista class, such as Espresso Fundamentals for Technicians, beforehand to get a better understanding of what is involved in preparing espresso beverages.

The SCA requires Hydraulic Foundation and Electrical Foundation as prerequisites to Intermediate Diagnostics and Repair, and we think that is the right call.

The path to becoming a coffee technician has always been less structured than it should be, and good supporting resources have been hard to come by. As a result, even working technicians with a couple of years of experience often have knowledge gaps in some foundational areas, and many are not aware those gaps exist until something goes wrong in the field. That is the main reason we require students to complete the Foundation classes before moving on to Intermediate.

Over the years we have welcomed several working technicians into our Foundation classes. Without exception, they have all had moments where things they had seen in the field suddenly clicked into place.

Becoming an espresso machine technician is a journey with many steps, and our Coffee Technicians Program Foundation-level classes are designed to give students a strong head start on that journey.

While we cover how parts and systems can fail, diagnostics, troubleshooting, and repair are not part of the Foundation classes. Those are the focus of our Intermediate Diagnostics and Repair class. Students who are already familiar with mechanic tools and have worked as a technician with other types of equipment may find that Foundation is sufficient to begin working safely as an espresso machine technician, but most students would benefit from additional training and hands-on experience before taking on service work independently.

Becoming a fully capable espresso machine technician also requires a significant replacement parts inventory, the necessary tools, an appropriate liability insurance policy, and some real-world working experience.

Learners who complete all class activities and pass both the written and hands-on practical assessments will receive SCA digital certificates of completion for each class. The SCA is a independent global non-profit trade organization, and its Coffee Technicians Program courses are respected globally within the industry. So we do encourage students who have earned these certificates to include them on their resumes and LinkedIn profiles.

However the Coffee Technicians Program is not a professional certification program in the way that ASE certification works for automotive mechanics. So learners who complete CTechP classes should not advertise themselves as "SCA Certified Technicians."

Experienced espresso machine technicians often describe the path to becoming a tech as a lifelong journey. Completing the Coffee Technicians Program Foundation classes is an excellent first step, but it usually marks the beginning of that journey, not the end. Here are a few things a new technician can do after completing Foundation to practice new skills and build experience:

Find level-appropriate opportunities to work on coffee equipment

• Find and rebuild an old espresso machine
• Connect with a mentor, ideally a more senior technician
• Attend a manufacturer-specific training class
• Join our Intermediate Diagnostics and Repair class, ideally about three months after completing the Foundation classes

Technician Training Foundations covers a large amount of material in a relatively short period of time. For that reason, we recommend students allow at least several weeks to put their new knowledge and skills into practice before enrolling in Intermediate Diagnostics and Repair.