Barista Training Berlin — Practice Before Theory
There are two kinds of barista training. The first is 80 percent theory about coffee growing, roast theory, and SCA cupping scores. The second is hands-on at the machine, with real grounds, real milk, real mistakes, and concrete feedback. We do the second kind. Not because the first is bad — but because our world is the workshop, and theory is better taught by people who exclusively roast and train.
Training takes place at the workshop in Oranienburg, in small groups (max 4 people), on real machines, with real beans from the Maisto Caffè range. Or in-house at your cafe, on your machine, with your team. What we don't do: 20-person workshops in hotel seminar rooms with slide decks.
Training Formats
- Home Basics Course (1 day, 6 hours) — espresso basics, grinding, milk, operation, basic maintenance
- Latte Art Deep Dive (half day, 3 hours) — milk only, pouring only, from free-pour heart to rosetta
- Cafe Team Training (1 day, closed group) — complete team training, tailored to your machine
- Maintenance Workshop (half day) — backflushing, replacing the group head gasket, cleaning, basic fault diagnosis
- In-House Training (1 day at your cafe) — on-site, on your own equipment, travel included
- Follow-Up Session (2 – 3 hours) — deep dive after 4 to 8 weeks, once you're stuck on routine questions
Home Basics Course Content (Typical Day)
| Time | Block | Content |
|---|---|---|
| 9:00 – 10:30 | Espresso Basics | Grind size, dose, tamping, brew time, tasting |
| 10:30 – 11:00 | Break | |
| 11:00 – 12:30 | Machine | Operation, heat-up behavior, temperature stability, steam wand |
| 12:30 – 13:30 | Lunch break | Comparative espresso tasting with 3 beans |
| 13:30 – 15:00 | Milk | Steaming, texture, pouring, basic latte art shapes |
| 15:00 – 15:30 | Maintenance | Backflushing, cleaning the group head, replacing the gasket |
| 15:30 – 16:00 | Q&A & tasting | Open round, bringing your own beans welcome |
By the end of the day you can pull a clean espresso, steam milk that's actually drinkable, identify basic faults, and clean your machine weekly so it doesn't need to come into the workshop after three months.
Cafe Team Training
For cafe openings and staff turnover. We come to the cafe (or you come to us), look at the machine, the grinder, and the workflow, then run a full day with the team:
- Machine Briefing — what your specific machine can do, where its quirks are, which faults are likely to show up
- Setting the Standard — which recipe, which brew parameters, which tolerance
- Hands-On Training — every staff member pulls 20 to 40 shots under guidance
- Milk Standard — consistent cappuccino texture across the team
- Hygiene Standard — daily/weekly/monthly checklists
- First-Aid Diagnosis — what to do when the machine acts up, without calling emergency service right away
Result: after the day, the team pours the same cup no matter who's behind the machine. That's worth more than any single latte art trick.
Maintenance Workshop — Learn Self-Maintenance
Specifically for home owners of premium machines (ECM, Rocket, Profitec, Lelit, La Marzocco Linea Mini): we show you what you can do yourself on a regular basis, without a workshop appointment. Weekly backflushing, annual group head gasket replacement, replacing the shower screen, maintaining water treatment, reading the pressure gauge. Result: fewer workshop visits, longer machine lifespan, better understanding of your own hardware.
What we don't teach in a workshop: group head overhauls, pump replacement, electrical work. That's workshop work with specialized tools and pressure testing — that's what we're here for full-time.
How to Book
- Inquiry with your preferred date, format, and number of people
- Confirmation with a 30 percent deposit
- Preparation — for in-house training, a workshop check of your own machine beforehand is recommended
- The Session with refreshments (water, coffee, small snacks)
- Follow-Up Materials — checklists, maintenance schedules, recipe suggestions by email
Remaining spots in open home basics courses go to workshop customers first. If you've had a machine serviced with us, you get priority over booking requests that are training-only.
What We DON'T Do in Training
- No online-only training — you learn espresso at the portafilter, not on a screen
- No mass events over 4 people — learning needs one machine per pair of hands, not a lecture
- No SCA certifications — we're a workshop, not an SCA training center
- No theory marathons — if someone wants 8 hours on growing methods, they belong at a roastery workshop, not with us
- No super-automatic machine training — different equipment class, different logic
Location & Dates
Workshop Oranienburg, Am Dorfanger 6. S-Bahn S1 to the last stop, then 5 minutes on foot. Parking right outside. Sessions are usually on Saturdays or on weekdays by arrangement. In-house training in Berlin/Brandenburg possible Monday to Saturday, travel fee depending on distance.
Training Inquiry → werkstatt@9bar-studio.de | 030 75 43 73 44