Accademy

Accademy

AICAF - Accademia Italiana Maestri del Caffè – is a school represented and managed by CEFOS (Centro Formazione Ospitalità) with registered offices and headquarters in Via XX Settembre, Calcinato (Brescia). The operating sites and locations where the courses are given, are the coffee roasting plants and the coffee shops, this is where the Maestri del Caffe’ operate. The AICAF mission and the ultimate aim is to qualify and promote the Maestro del Caffe’ as a specialized role in the coffee shop segment and in order to increase its image and prestige AICAF enacts the following:

• Organization of Professional courses
• Supervision of the adherence to the professional deontological rules
• Implementation of actions that are aimed to highlight the operator’s profession and image in the coffee shop
• Execution of practical demonstration in Trade Fairs and Exhibitions related to the coffee sector.
• Preparation and execution of a list of certified coffee-based beverages and drinks, which are acknowledged and recognized nationwide and internationally.

 

Mr. Luca Ramoni is the Director in charge and presides and supervises the Academy’s organization and coordination.

 

BASIC COURSE – ASSISTANT MAESTRO DEL CAFFE’

COURSE PROGRAMME

References are made to coffee botany and geography. The 5 core elements (blend, machine, manual process, grinder-doser, maintenance). The perfect espresso and cappuccino. Milk frothing techniques with different milk types. Decoration with milk (latteart). Decoration with chocolate (ciokoart). The main products of Italian Caffetteria: from bicerin to mokaccino.

At the end of the course, participants will take a theoretical-practical exam to obtain the qualification of Assistant Maestro del Caffe’.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

Learning the basic techniques of Coffee based beverages from the theory to practice using professional tools. Learning the decoration techniques and the preparation of special coffee based drinks.

TEACHER: Aicaf trainer

Course cost, VAT excluded € 390,00

Max participants 8

 

ADVANCED COURSE – MAESTRO DEL CAFFE’

COURSE PROGRAMME

Preparation for Maestro del Caffe’exam. The course is open also to participants with basic skills in Latte Art who want to improve this technique. Specialization of basic Latte Art, new decorations, combination of Latte Art, Milk Painting and Coffee Painting. Use and display of the new decoration techniques “Milk Painting by AICAF”. Preparation for the exam to pass from Assistant Maestro del Caffe’ to Maestro del Caffe’. References are made to coffee grinder setting and simulation of practical exam.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

Improving the basic Latte Art techniques, learning new decorations, specialising the technique of pitcher holding and milk pouring. Preparation to pass the exam for Maestro del Caffe’.

TEACHER: Aicaf trainer

Course price, VAT excluded € 240,00

Max participants 8

 

SOMMELIER DELL'ESPRESSO

Who are the Sommelier dell’Espresso?

• An expert in the knowledge of the raw material: coffee.
• An expert in the methods and in the language of the sensorial analysis concerning the specifics of espresso products.
• A new professional role which has become essential in response to a market in an ever-increasing evolution and by roasting plants engaged in a continuous research aimed to guarantee quality on a constant basis.

 

What do they do?

Periodic meetings of coffee tasting, training to improve and enhance their capabilities to detect even the slightest nuance that the senses feed back to their perception.

 

The panel

A tasting Panel is a group of expert coffee tasters who meet to perform a sensorial analysis, namely a visual, olfactory and gustatory evaluation of the characteristics of a food product (in this case coffee) and, for each of these, identify descriptive details.

 

The coffee tasting form: Form ASE (Aicaf Senso Espresso)

“Aicaf Lab” has developed a specific coffee tasting form to identify all the peculiarities of the coffee which is taken in exam.

 

How do you become a Sommelier dell’Espresso?

Through a path of 3 dedicated courses to the sensorial analysis – step sensory – where the students go from the knowledge of the raw material to the improvement of their own senses to determine in the best way possible the identity of the coffees served in a cup. From blends to single-origin coffee to understand not only the olfactory or gustatory peculiarities but also those tied to their origin and bio-diversity…a fundamental excursus that the sommelier dell’espresso needs to know profoundly thus enabling him to describe the product that he is offering to the client not only describing the brand or the usual percentage of arabica or robusta but also to illustrate the parameters that could encourage the client to buy the coffee they are proposing.

 

Exam Sommelier dell’Espresso and distinctive traits

The title of Sommelier dell’Espresso will be obtained only by those who have enrolled in the 3 levels – basic sommelier course, intermediate and advanced – and have passed the final exam (written - oral and practical). 

Whoever has not passed the exam can request a new exam in the subsequent sessions without the obligation of enrolling in the complete course, with the advance payment of a 90 Euro fee.

Each Sommelier dell’Espresso who has passed the exam will be given the following documentation:

 

• Certification of the results of the exam conferring the ID “Sommelier dell’Espresso”.
• The Academy card attesting the professional role of Sommelier dell’Espresso.
• The Aicaf shield.
• Registration on the online record of Sommelier dell’Espresso.

 

Click here to see all Aicaf courses schedules