Drip Coffee, Espresso, and Milk technique are the three pillars on which excellent coffee service is built. These key skills can be learned using the equipment and expertise of our staff of seasoned barista trainers at The Crown, or on site at your facility and your equipment. You’ll get a primer on extraction theory and lots of practical experience learning to “dial in” your drip offerings, espresso machines, and learning to steam and pour milk for lattes, cappuccinos, and other classic bar drinks.

Hours: 4hrs

Price: $600

If you’re in need of a roast evaluation or have quality questions about your roasted or green coffee, we have an experienced team of Q-graders and QC Specialists ready to assist. You can send us roasted or green coffee for quality evaluation, or show up with your coffee(s) in hand to taste alongside us. Price varies depending on the service you need, so be sure to provide details like how many coffees you need evaluated, whether they are roasted or need to be roasted, and if you want a physical evaluation as well as a sensory one. You’ll receive specific feedback on the coffees in written form and have the opportunity to respond with any followup questions that might arise. 

Base Rate = $150

+$20 for each sample over 5

+$20 per sample if submitted unroasted

+$150 to attend and cup & discuss with instructor (2 hrs max)

The Crown’s one-on-one sensory training workshop includes a number of important sensory-skill-building exercises to improve your ability to taste and evaluate coffee, under the guidance of one of our veteran cup quality specialists and Q-graders. You’ll learn to triangulate (discriminate for differences in cups), detect coffee-specific defects like phenol, mold, and ferment, align to the industry’s standard SCA cupping form and calibrate with your instructor, and participate in a sensory skills training to evaluate the intensity of sweet, salty, and sour concentrations. The 4-hour session includes opportunities for questions and feedback with your instructor.

Includes the following skill-building exercises under the guidance of veteran coffee sensory professional:

• Triangulation (6 sets, batch brewed)
• Defect identification (phenol, mold, ferment)
• Standards & Calibration (SCA form, cup taster alignment, 3 coffees)
• Sweet / Salty / Sour intensity training

Hours: 4 hrs

Price: $750 

All too frequently coffee is a forgotten or neglected element of restaurant service. We can sympathize: all of us come from service backgrounds and know keeping track of the little things can be a chore that takes up valuable time and energy. We want to help. Coffee doesn’t have to be an afterthought, and it doesn’t have to be complicated. Our short coffee-skills class for service industry professionals will focus on a couple of easy-to-learn essentials that will make your coffee match the quality of the rest of your service. We’ll focus on machine choice and maintenance, some game-changing barista skill basics, and do some sensory training as well so you can get an insider’s perspective on how we talk about coffee quality at our roasting and QC labs.

Comparative tasting, equipment maintenance, light bar skills 

• Short cupping – 3 coffees (This is on hold indefinitely due to COVID-19)
• Cafiza, machine calibration, grinder etiquette, programming espresso & auto-drip functions (as necessary)
• Pour-over technique. Tasting for extraction. Ratio/dosing protocols. 
• Choosing the right roaster/coffee – (a chance to highlight the skills of local roasters, encourage the chef/service manager to listen to the talented coffee professionals in the same way the would a high quality wine or beer or cheese supplier, etc.

 Hours: 3 hours

Price: $500 

The Crown is pleased to offer private group coffee experiences. Bring a group of friends or coworkers to learn about coffee with our professional staff in an incredible one-of-a-kind environment. We’ll provide a basic introduction to our one-of-a-kind facility, coffee as an agricultural and specialty product, and engage together in a fun and enlightening taste experience. Be sure to reach out and communicate any specific needs your group might have in advance.