Caffeine Brothers Coffee Academy

Learn coffee. Master the craft. Run a better café.

Free coffee lessons for baristas, home brewers and café owners in the Philippines. Every lesson is practical, written in plain language and checked against published sources, which are listed at the end.

36 free lessons
7 topics
Sources cited
New lessons added regularly

Where do you want to start?

Pick what fits you and follow the lessons in order.

Build the core bar skills first, then fix problems as they come up.

Step 1Dial in espressoDose, yield, time and taste, with a shot log Step 2Steam milkMicrofoam for lattes, cappuccinos and flat whites Step 3Troubleshoot shotsFix sour, bitter, fast and slow espresso

Choose a brewer, then avoid the mistakes that make coffee taste off.

Step 1Brewing methods comparedFind the right brewer for how you drink Step 2Weigh your coffeeRatios for every brewer Step 313 common brewing mistakesAnd how to fix each one

Get daily routines right, then plan stock and the business side.

Step 1Opening and closing checklistFree printable for your team Step 2Beans per month calculatorKnow how much to order and when Step 3Café Business Resource CenterCosts, pricing, permits, tax and payroll

Learn what each bean tastes like, then find your match.

Step 1Types of coffee in the PhilippinesRobusta, Arabica, Liberica and Excelsa Step 2Medium vs dark roastHow roast changes the cup Step 3Coffee Type Finder QuizA short quiz that suggests a bean

All lessons

Browse by topic or search above.

Barista skills

Espresso, milk and working the bar

How to dial in espressoDose, yield, time and taste, with a shot logRead lesson → Espresso troubleshootingFix sour, bitter, fast, slow and uneven shotsRead lesson → NewHow to steam milkMicrofoam for lattes, cappuccinos and flat whitesRead lesson → How to clean a commercial espresso machineDaily, weekly and periodic cleaningRead lesson → How baristas work fasterBar setup, order flow and teamworkRead lesson → Channeling in espressoWhy water takes shortcuts through the puckRead lesson → Espresso tampingThe dos and don’tsRead lesson →

Recipes and the café menu

Drinks to make at home or add to your menu

NewTypes of coffee drinksWhat’s in 23 café favouritesRead lesson → Spanish latteThe condensed-milk latteRead lesson → Iced coffee recipesCold drinks for hot daysRead lesson → AffogatoIce cream and espressoRead lesson → Dalgona coffeeWhipped coffee over milkRead lesson → Vietnamese egg coffeeCà phê trứng at homeRead lesson →

Brewing methods

Pour-over, French press, moka pot and more

Coffee fundamentals

Beans, roast, flavour and Philippine origins

Types of coffee in the PhilippinesRobusta, Arabica, Liberica and ExcelsaRead lesson → What gives coffee its flavourFrom farm to cupRead lesson → Blends vs single originWhat the labels meanRead lesson → Espresso beans vs coffee beansAnd which to buyRead lesson → Medium vs dark roastHow roast changes the cupRead lesson → How long coffee beans stay freshStorage in Philippine conditionsRead lesson → Philippine coffee-growing regionsMap and production by regionRead lesson → Updated5 things you didn’t know about Philippine coffeeFacts with 2026 dataRead lesson →

Café operations

Routines, cleaning, waste and stock

NewOpening and closing checklistFree printableRead lesson → Espresso machine cleaning routineWith a printable scheduleRead lesson → Staff training on portion controlAnd reducing wasteRead lesson → Coffee beans per month calculatorAnd reorder plannerOpen tool →

Barista careers

Training, certificates and pay

NewBarista training in the PhilippinesTESDA NC II and SCA courses comparedRead lesson → Barista salary in the PhilippinesWhat baristas earnRead lesson →

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Tools to use with the lessons

Calculators and quizzes from our Coffee Lab.

Coffee ratio calculatorCoffee and water amounts for any brewer and cup sizeOpen calculator →

Coffee Type Finder QuizAnswer a few questions and get a bean suggestionTake the quiz →

Beans per month calculatorHow many kilos your café uses and when to reorderPlan your stock →

Running a café as a business?

Startup costs, menu pricing, profit margins, permits, tax and payroll are all in one place.

Go to the Café Business Resource Center

Startup costs
Menu pricing
Profit margins
Permits
Tax
Payroll

About the Academy

The Academy is written by the team at Caffeine Brothers, a coffee roaster and supplier in the Philippines. We supply cafés, offices and home brewers with Philippine Arabica, Robusta and Kapeng Barako. Have a question, or a lesson you’d like us to write? Get in touch.

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