El Camino College in Torrance, California, offers a Beverage Equipment Service Technician (B.E.S.T) Training Program in Specialty Coffee. The program includes a 40-hour course devoted entirely to espresso machine repair, which may be taken either online or in person at El Camino College. The course is designed for technicians who are currently working in the field of beverage equipment service. Topics covered include product knowledge, water, principles of grinding, principles of the espresso machine and troubleshooting. Michealo Espresso, a Seattle-based importer of espresso machines, has contributed to a portion of the training program on superautomatic machines. A prerequisite course in digital multimeter principles must be taken prior to taking the espresso machine repair course. Students who complete the espresso machine repair course will receive a service technician certificate from the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA).
Instituto Nazionale Espresso Italiano offers an espresso Italiano specialist course on how espresso machinery influences the sensory profile of Italian espresso. The course is designed for espresso bar owners and experienced baristas. Students learn how to select, operate and maintain espresso machines and how to choose a coffee blend. Opportunities are provided to practice evaluating espressos that have been prepared with different machines and techniques. There is a required prerequisite course in espresso Italiano tasting.
Attibassi Espresso School is located in Castel Maggiore, Italy. It has been affiliated with Attibassi espresso, a quality coffee from Bologne, Italy since 1918. The school arranges courses for their customers, baristas and importers upon request. They can cover the topics of espresso machine maintenance and repair, but they also offer courses in coffee cultivation and in espresso preparation techniques. Contact the school directly to see if they can meet your specific needs and interests.
The American Barista and Coffee School (ABC's) is locate in Portland, Oregon. Training is offered in the maintenance and basic repair of espresso machines as part of their five-day Business and Barista Training Workshop. The program is designed for those who own or desire to own their own specialty coffee shops and are seeking basic but not advanced knowledge of espresso machine repair. Classes are also offered for baristas and for corporate coffee companies. The school has been operating since 2004 and was founded by Bruce Milletto, president of Bellissimo Coffee InfoGroup.