Coffee Technicians Program
Dependable, fully functioning equipment is critical at every step of the specialty coffee supply chain. The Coffee Technicians Program (CTechP) is designed for those who want to be better prepared to maintain or repair coffee equipment.
Program Structure
There are six courses in the Coffee Technicians Program. Learners advance through the progressive levels of the program, beginning with the Foundation courses. Foundation courses include Electrical, Hydraulics, and Water & Preventive Maintenance, which speak to the electromechanical nature of coffee machines and the considerations that keep them running efficiently.
Each course promotes a culture of safety and learners are assessed for competency through both a written and practical exam. Upon passing these exams, a learner will receive a certificate confirming their successful completion of the course. Certificate holders will have the ability to demonstrate their ongoing professional development, designed by the world’s specialty coffee authority and leading industry experts.
Because this is a skills-based program with a practical exam, all courses will require some form of in-person instruction and assessment. Many instructors will choose to deliver theoretical knowledge and lectures online, followed by in-person activities and the practical exam. You can expect Foundation courses to be the equivalent of a two-day session, with Intermediate courses and Advanced course ranging from the equivalent of 3-4 days each.
Courses:
Foundation Hydraulics
Learn the practical skills you need to safely locate, troubleshoot, and replace hydraulic components in coffee equipment, as well as how to route and water supply lines for connection to coffee machines.
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Hydraulics Foundation is an introductory course that covers key concepts of coffee machine hydraulics and certain practical skills required to apply this knowledge. At the end of the course, the learner will be able to state the orders of various hydraulic circuits and the components in both brewing and steam systems. These systems include pathways in espresso machines and batch brewers. Students will be able to state and describe fundamental aspects of hydrodynamics. Participants will get hands-on experience with various hand tools and plumbing fittings; and will demonstrate successful connection of a coffee machine to a water supply.
Foundation Electrical
Learn how to safely navigate coffee equipment electronics, including how to identify, remove, and replace electrical components in coffee machines; accurately communicate the power supply needs for a coffee machine to an electrician; and connect machines to a power supply.
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Electrical Foundation is an introductory course which covers key concepts of coffee machine electrical systems and certain practical skills required to safely apply this knowledge. At the end of the course learners will be able to identify and state the purpose of electrical components found in coffee equipment; describe the fundamental operating principles of various coffee machine electrical circuits; describe the fundamental operating characteristics of electricity in its various configurations; describe the dangers associated with interacting with electrical equipment and demonstrate appropriate safety procedures; demonstrate safe and appropriate use of electrical testing tools to measure voltage, continuity, and resistance; demonstrate the proper connection of a plug to an electrical cord and the successful connection of powering to a coffee machine.
Intermediate Diagnostics & Repair
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Intermediate Diagnostics & Repair builds on the knowledge of coffee equipment parts and proper system function introduced in the Hydraulics Foundation and Electrical Foundation courses. It introduces the knowledge and skills necessary to: identify symptoms of common coffee equipment malfunctions, perform simple troubleshooting to diagnose their causes, complete common repairs safely and effectively, and adjust key coffee equipment operating parameters.
Foundation Water & Preventive Maintenance
Also learn to analyze and resolve water quality issues. Learn the essentials of how to conduct a thorough cleaning and preventive maintenance procedure on common coffee machines.
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Water and Preventive Maintenance Foundation is an introductory course which covers key concepts of water treatment systems and preventive maintenance of coffee machines. The course also introduces certain practical skills required to safely apply this knowledge. At the end of the course, the learner will be able to identify the typical components, function, impact and maintenance of common water treatment systems; define key water parameters and quality recommendations; demonstrate measurement of water composition; describe the goals of a preventive maintenance program; identify components in a traditional espresso machine, batch brewer, and coffee grinder that require preventive maintenance and demonstrate the simple steps in conducting these tasks with the appropriate tools and supplies.
Intermediate Water Treatment
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Intermediate Water Treatment builds on the knowledge of water chemistry, risks to coffee equipment, and simple treatment methods introduced in the Water and Preventive Maintenance Foundation course. In IWT, learners will deepen their understanding of water treatment system components and processing capacities, principles of limescale buildup and corrosion risk, and system requirements for various coffee equipment types. Hands-on activities include the assembly, installation, adjustment, and maintenance of water treatment systems and the use of various measurement devices and techniques.
Pricing
Authorized SCA Trainers (ASTs) set their own schedules and tuition fees. When a learner passes a course, there is a SCA administrative fee collected from the AST. As you identify the right AST for you, please consult with them regarding the pricing of their courses.
Course Catalog
The SCA Coffee Technicians Program Course Catalog consists of information on the SCA Certificate Programs and key information about each module and course of the Coffee Technicians Program.
Click the button below to download the SCA Coffee Technicians Program Course Catalog.
Find a Course
Our courses are taught by Authorized SCA Trainers (ASTs) all around the globe, with some courses including distance learning. View the course calendar to find course details and contact information for ASTs near you.