General Coffee Knowledge

Start your coffee journey from the very beginning

Follow coffee from cherry to cup: the plant, the processing, the roast, and the brew. Pick up the language to taste it with intention. No experience needed, just curiosity. It's the groundwork every other Academy course builds on.

What You'll Learn

• The plant. Coffee is a fruit. Meet the four species, and how Arabica differs from Robusta.
• The farm. How growing, terroir, and elevation shape a cup before it's ever roasted.
• Processing. Washed, natural, and honey, and how each changes the flavor.
• The roast. Green bean grading, what roasting does, roast levels, and keeping coffee fresh.
• Tasting. How to taste with all five senses using the six-word Good Cup vocabulary.
• Brewing. Ratio, grind, and temperature, plus the SCA espresso standard.

Course Format

Duration: 1 day, 4 hours
Prerequisite: None, this is the entry course
Certificate: Certificate of completion, counts toward your Foundation Certificate

The Foundation Certificate is Good Cup Academy's entry-level credential. Complete all five Beginner-tier courses, General Coffee Knowledge, Barista, Brewing, Roasting, and Sensory, and it's yours.

Who Should Attend

Anyone curious about coffee. No experience needed.

What to Bring

Required: Open mind and curiosity, and a notebook if you like taking notes

Provided by Good Cup Academy: Every bean, aroma, and brewer for the day