One of the exciting but also terrifying parts about getting into coffee is that there’s so much to learn. One moment you’re having your mind blown by a cup of coffee that tastes like strawberries and the next your neck deep in facts about origin and fermentation and processing and variety, roast curves and drop temps, extraction and turbulence and grinders and burrs and about a million other things. And all you wanted to know was why this coffee tasted so different.
But that’s how the journey starts; where it goes from there is up to you. And that journey, wherever it may take you, is now a little bit easier thanks to Cafe Imports all-new ED+U. The open-access coffee academy covers a wide range of topics and was constructed for use by everyone from enthusiasts to coffee professionals and businesses. And it’s completely free for anyone to use.
Created by Cafe Imports Head of Education Dylan Siemens, himself a former US Brewers Cup Champion and US Barista Championship Finalist, ED+U is a six-part educational series covering multiple aspects of coffee supply chain, from production to consumption. Courses can be taken a la carte to suit the needs of the user and each one contains between 15 and 30 lessons.
Course topics include: Coffee Is A Plant (biology, speciation, and propagation of coffee), Coffee Is Agriculture (environmental factors and cultivation), Coffee Is A Process (processing, fermentation, drying, and milling), Coffee Is An Industry (specialty, C Market, and buying and selling), Coffee Is A Science (green grading, sample roasting, and sensory analysis), and Coffee Is An Art (roasting, brewing, and the science of flavor).
There are over 10 hours of video content across the six courses as well as suggested readings, videos, and other resources for moving beyond the curriculum. There are multiple assessments given throughout the coursework as well as a certification given upon completion.
“Quality coffee education is ‘out there,’ but often behind a paywall or left to an employer to provide. For small businesses, like those in specialty coffee, building a training program from scratch is time-consuming and expensive,” the press release states. “Owners and trainers are often forced to prioritize skills training, leaving a gap in knowledge training that they would like to provide. New coffee professionals who want to build a career and deepen their understanding of the industry have few places to turn and can feel they’ve hit a knowledge plateau. ED+U exists to close those gaps and heighten those ceilings.”
ED+U is completely free to access and is currently pre-enrolling ahead of the April 10th release of the entire curriculum. Enrollment, which can be done here, also grants users access to future live webinars, Q&As, interviews, and any additional classes that will be added to the series. Users can also sign up for The ExtraCirricular, ED+U’s newsletter featuring program updates and additional coffee education.
Wherever it is you are looking to go on your coffee journey, ED+U by Cafe Imports is the centralized educational hub to help you get there. For more information or to enroll, visit Cafe Imports’s official website.
