Coffee Skills Program
The learning ladder
Five specialist modules, each with three progressive levels. Start anywhere — every certificate stacks toward an SCA Skills Diploma. Tap any level to jump to it.
Barista Skills
Brewing
Green Coffee
Roasting
Sensory SkillsNew to coffee? Begin with Introduction to Coffee → | Aiming higher? See the Q Grader course →
Certificate coursesModules & levels
Introduction to Coffee is available online or in person in Nairobi. Every other course is taught hands-on at our Nairobi campus or by distance, and assessed for a globally recognised SCA certificate.
Introduction to Coffee
Your first proper look at specialty coffee — seed to cup — now aligned with the SCA Coffee Value Assessment. No experience needed. Available online or in person in Nairobi.
Single module · 4–6 hours ＋
- How coffee travels from farm to cup
- The fundamentals of brewing a good cup
- Tasting for flavour & freshness, and how to describe it
Barista Skills
From pulling your first shot to ru ing the quality and workflow of a busy café.
Foundation ＋
- Pull correct espresso shots & build basic milk drinks
- Clean & maintain machine and grinder
- Basic bar service & hygiene
Intermediate ＋
- Understand & adjust extraction variables
- Texture milk consistently for latte art
- Run an efficient workflow under pressure
Professional ＋
- Lead a bar's quality programme
- Design & document custom recipes
- Advanced milk steaming & latte art
Brewing
Filter and immersion brewing, from following a recipe to controlling water chemistry and extraction.
Foundation ＋
- Use brewing equipment correctly
- Follow standard brew recipes
- Grasp the basics of extraction
Intermediate ＋
- Adjust recipes to shift flavour
- Measure brew strength (TDS / extraction)
- Brew well across multiple methods
Professional ＋
- Apply advanced brewing technique
- Control water chemistry precisely
- Build custom brew recipes for any coffee
Green Coffee
Evaluation and trade of unroasted coffee — grading, defects, processing and purchasing. A natural fit with Utake's licensed dealer & export work.
Foundation ＋
- Understand the supply chain
- Learn basic grading methods
- Practise simple quality assessment
Intermediate ＋
- Grade green coffee accurately
- Identify defects professionally
- Understand processing methods in depth
Professional ＋
- Analyse samples to a professional standard
- Work with coffee contracts
- Build purchasing & portfolio strategies
Roasting
The craft and science of roasting, from basic machine operation to production profile design and QC.
Foundation ＋
- Understand what changes during the roast
- Follow a basic roast profile
- Operate a roaster safely
Intermediate ＋
- Control roast profiles accurately
- Match roast colour precisely
- Understand heat transfer
Professional ＋
- Design custom roast profiles
- Refine production technique
- Run roast quality control
Sensory Skills
Sensory science and structured evaluation — the tasting backbone behind QC, cupping and the Q Grader pathway.
Foundation ＋
- Identify basic tastes & flavours
- Learn the cupping protocol
- Understand sensory fundamentals
Intermediate ＋
- Sharpen flavour identification
- Run structured sensory tests
- Lead a tasting session
Professional ＋
- Lead professional cuppings
- Design sensory testing programmes
- Train other tasters
Q Processing Programme
CQI's dedicated pathway for post-harvest processing — for producers, agronomists, quality managers and anyone whose work starts at the farm gate. A scientific, practical approach from entry-level foundations to Expert certification.
Level 100 — Intro to Processing ＋
- How post-harvest choices affect quality, flavour and food safety
- Overview of key methods: washed, natural, honey and fermented
- Foundations of quality control at the processing stage
Ideal for producers, traders and agronomists new to processing science. Next intake: Sep 2–4, Nairobi.
See CQI course dates ↗Level 200 — Processing Generalist ＋
- Deep theory of all major processing methodologies
- Coffee fermentation: microbiology, flavour creation and risk management
- Implementing processing good practices and QC systems
Level 300 — Processing Professional ＋
- Advanced processing techniques for targeted flavour profiles
- Hands-on QC system during harvest; lectures, team activities and cuppings
- Prerequisite: Level 200 Generalist (or equivalent a ual farm experience)
Q Grader & CVA
Premier licence
Q Grader Course
A six-day intensive built on the SCA Coffee Value Assessment — 9 exams (8 practical + 1 written). Pass all and earn the Q licence, valid 3 years. For experienced cuppers; it assesses, it doesn't teach from scratch.
- Full working command of the CVA
- Physical, descriptive, affective & extrinsic evaluation
- Separate objective measurement from preference
- A shared global vocabulary for coffee value
CVA for Cuppers
A 2-day professional update to the SCA Coffee Value Assessment. Hosted monthly in Nairobi, with special editions in Kampala, Addis Ababa & Johannesburg, led by Mbula Musau.
- Use the new CVA sensory references
- 15-point intensity scales, CATA lists, hedonic scales
- Complete the CVA Descriptive & Affective forms
Utake coffee freebies
Branded guides made by our trainers — yours to download and print. The gated ones unlock with your email (one email unlocks all).
Official SCA references (free, external)
We link to these on SCA's own site rather than re-hosting them — always the latest official version.
Upcoming intakes
All courses at Blue Bells Gardens, Nairobi unless noted. Seats are limited — early booking recommended.
Full 2026 schedule
| Course & description | Duration | Dates | Enrol | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🌾 September 2026 | ||||
🌿 |
QP Level 100 — Intro to ProcessingCQI entry-level Processing course. Covers how post-harvest choices affect quality and food safety, plus key methods: washed, natural, honey and fermented. For producers, traders and quality managers new to processing science.🌐 CQI · Nairobi | 2 days | Sep 2–4 | Enroll now |
🔥 |
CSP RoastingSCA CSP — roast profiles, heat transfer, equipment operation and production quality control. Foundation to Professional levels.🌐 Online or Nairobi | 3 days | Sept 9–11 | Enroll now |
🏅 |
Q Grader CourseSecond 2026 Q Grader intake. 6-day intensive, 9 CVA-based exams. Experienced cuppers only. Led by Mbula Musau, Africa's first Q Instructor.🌐 Online or Nairobi | 6 days | Sept 21–26 | Enroll now |
| ✅ Completed 2026 intakes | ||||
| ☀️ June 2026 | ||||
🔺  |
CVA for Cuppers2-day professional update to the SCA Coffee Value Assessment. Covers descriptive, affective & extrinsic evaluation tools. Retiring 30 Nov 2026.🌐 Online or Nairobi UCL | 2 days | June 10–11 | Enroll now |
💧 |
SCA Brewing & RoastingSCA CSP Foundation modules in both Brewing and Roasting. Extraction basics, equipment operation and roast fundamentals — hands-on.📍 IPSIA Embu | 2 days | June 15–16 | Enroll now |
💧 |
SCA Brewing & RoastingSame SCA CSP Foundation modules as the Embu session. Extraction, brewing methods, roast profiles and equipment — hands-on.📍 IPSIA Kiambu | 2 days | June 17–18 | Enroll now |
| 🌿 July 2026 | ||||
👅 |
Sensory SkillsSCA CSP — taste identification, cupping protocol and structured sensory evaluation. Foundation to Professional levels available.🌐 Online or Nairobi | 3 days | July 1–3 | Enroll now |
🌱 |
Green CoffeeSCA CSP — supply chain from farm to roastery, grading methods, defect identification and quality assessment. Foundation to Professional.🌐 Online or Nairobi | 3 days | July 6–8 | Enroll now |
🌍 |
CSP Introduction to CoffeeSCA entry overview — coffee's full journey from origin to cup, brewing basics and quality tasting. Available online or in person in Nairobi. Great first step.🌐 Online or Nairobi | 1 day | July 9 | Enroll now |
☕ |
Barista SkillsSCA CSP — espresso technique, milk steaming, workflow and consistency. Foundation through Professional levels covered.🌐 Online or Nairobi | 3 days | July 15–17 | Enroll now |
🏅 |
Q Grader CoursePremier 6-day intensive — 9 exams built on the CVA system. For experienced cuppers only. Earns the Q Grader licence, valid 3 years. Led by Mbula Musau.🌐 Online or Nairobi | 6 days | July 27 – Aug 1 | Enroll now |
SCA courses enrol via the SCA booking system. CVA & group bookings: info@utakecoffee.com. CQI Processing enrols via the CQI database.
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FAQ
Where is Introduction to Coffee held? ＋
Do I need experience to start? ＋
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