For home baristas with a new espresso machine
Learn to dial in espresso, texture milk and pour your first heart and tulip on your new machine, with 12 short video lessons from a Collingwood espresso bar
Every lesson is filmed on a commercial two-group machine and checked against a scale and a timer, not by eye.
From the bar at Crema Barista School, CollingwoodWho it's for
Start with a new machine and no barista experience
You've set up an espresso machine at home and you want coffee as good as your local café's. If you already pour a rosetta, this course starts earlier than you need.
- New espresso machine owners
- Home baristas starting from scratch
- Flat white drinkers making their own
- Anyone pouring their first heart
- Learners who like exact numbers
- People who learn by watching
- Weekend baristas with busy weeks
- Coffee lovers outside Melbourne
How it compares
Learn every shot by weight and time, not guesswork
| Lifetime accessHome Barista Essentials | Free videos online | The machine's manual | Trial and error | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lessons in order, first shot to first tulip | yes | no | no | no |
| Filmed on a commercial two-group machine | yes | Sometimes | no | no |
| A target weight and time for every shot | yes | Sometimes | Sometimes | By eye |
| Milk texturing you can see and hear | yes | Sometimes | A line or two | no |
| Your first heart and tulip, step by step | yes | Sometimes | no | no |
| Feedback on your own shots | From our trainers | no | no | no |
| Rewatch every lesson for life | yes | If still online | yes | no |
Inside the course
12 video lessons, from your first shot to your first tulip
Watch a lesson, then make the coffee on your own machine and get feedback on your shots from our trainers.
Espresso fundamentals: set up for a good shot
- Video: Your machine, grinder and scale6:20
- Video: Dose, yield and time, explained7:45
- Video: Choosing your grind size6:55
Espresso fundamentals: dial in a balanced shot
- Video: A level tamp, every time5:30
- Video: Dialling in with a scale and a timer8:10
- Video: Tasting sour, bitter and balanced7:20
Milk texturing: silky milk for flat whites and lattes
- Video: Starting with cold milk and the right jug5:10
- Video: Stretching the milk by sound6:40
- Video: Rolling the milk to a glossy finish7:10
Latte art: pour your first heart and tulip
- Video: Pour height and flow6:15
- Video: Your first heart8:30
- Video: Your first tulip9:15
Who teaches you
Hi, we're the Crema trainers
We run an espresso bar on Smith Street in Collingwood, open weekdays from 7am, and we train baristas there between customers. Every morning starts with dialling in the day's coffee, and that is the first thing we teach you.
Home Barista Essentials is that routine, made for your new machine. We filmed all 12 lessons at our bar and checked every shot against a scale and a timer, so you can match our numbers in your own kitchen. Then we give you feedback on your shots, so you know what to change next.
The Crema trainers
From our students
From a new machine to a first tulip
I dialled in my new machine in the first week
I matched the weights and times in the lesson, and it was the best flat white I'd made.
MiaHome barista, Brunswick
Silky milk for my flat whites within ten days
Once I knew what the milk should sound like, it came out silky every time.
TomNew machine owner, Geelong
I poured my first tulip after three weeks
The trainers' feedback told me exactly what to change, and the tulip came next.
AnjaliHome barista, Hobart
Home Barista Essentials, an online course
- 12 short video lessons to watch before you brew
- Dialling in espresso: a shot you weigh and time
- Texturing milk: silky milk for flat whites and lattes
- Latte art: pouring your first heart and tulip
- Feedback on your shots from our trainers
- Lifetime access to every lesson
Before you enrol
What you need, and what you get for $149
Is it for complete beginners?
Yes. You need no barista experience. Lesson one starts with your machine, grinder and scale, and the milk lessons start with cold milk and a jug.
Do I need a commercial machine?
No. The course is made for your machine at home. We film each lesson on a commercial two-group machine and check it against a scale and a timer, so you can match the same numbers in your kitchen.
What else do I need?
Your espresso machine, fresh coffee, milk and a jug. A kitchen scale and a timer let you match our numbers, and your phone's timer will do.
How long are the lessons?
Each of the 12 video lessons runs under ten minutes, just under an hour and a half in all, so you can watch one before you brew.
Can I go at my own pace?
Yes. Start whenever you like and take the lessons at your own pace, with lifetime access to rewatch any of them.
Will I learn latte art?
Yes. The latte art lessons take you through pour height and flow, then your first heart and your first tulip, step by step, with feedback on your shots from our trainers.
How do I enrol?
Send the form on this page. Crema Barista School gets in touch to confirm your enrolment, then you start the lessons whenever you like.
What does it cost?
$149 for Home Barista Essentials: all 12 video lessons, feedback on your shots from our trainers and lifetime access.
Where is Crema Barista School?
Our espresso bar is at 112 Smith St, Collingwood, open Monday to Friday 7am to 3pm. The course itself is online, to watch any time.
Still have a question?
Call us on 03 9419 0100, or drop in to the bar on Smith St, Monday to Friday 7am to 3pm.
Pour your first heart at home
$149 for 12 video lessons, feedback on your shots and lifetime access.
Home Barista Essentials · online course · $149
Learn to make café coffee on your own machine
Send your request and we'll be in touch to confirm your enrolment. Then start the lessons whenever you like.