At Soro Coffee, 601 Wilshire Blvd
Foundation · Intermediate · Professional
Taught in English or Korean
In partnership with International Coffee Academy, Soro Coffee teaches craft with clarity, discipline, and repeatability.
With over 15 years in the arts of coffee and tea, Soro Coffee trains expert baristas and coffee masters through the Specialty Coffee Association’s Coffee Skills Program and the SCA Q Grader course — from first-timers to coffee professionals — on its own bar at 601 Wilshire Blvd in downtown Los Angeles. Every class is taught by Rock Kim, an Authorized SCA Trainer (AST) and licensed Q Instructor, in English or Korean.
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SCA Coffee Skills Program
Certified courses from the Specialty Coffee Association — from your very first lesson in coffee to the SCA Q Grader License.
01
A first taste of the subject, and a good way to decide whether to go further. No experience needed.
02
For people already working in coffee who have the basic skills down.
03
Specialist knowledge at a high level — the kind that shows employers you’re ready to work in the field.
Each level ends with written and practical exams, audited by the SCA. The certificates you earn at Foundation, Intermediate and Professional count toward one or more of the SCA Skills Diplomas — Café, Roastery, Coffee Trade and Sustainable Coffee — depending on the course and level. Introduction to Coffee, the starting point, isn’t linked to a diploma.
Coffee’s journey from its origins in Ethiopia to the global crop it is today — growing, processing, grading, roasting and brewing — in one overview of the whole value chain. The best place to start.
The practical skills behind the espresso bar: setting your grinder, milk texturing and latte art, health and safety, customer service and the basics of running a bar.
Hands-on with brewing methods and the variables that shape quality — grind profiles, measuring coffee strength and charting a coffee’s extraction.
The roast cycle and roast levels, the physical changes beans go through in the roaster, spotting defects, and running a clean, lean roasting workspace.
How we perceive what we taste, how to evaluate a coffee’s natural characteristics, and how to put sensory evaluation to work in a business — practical and interactive.
The SCA’s professional cupping credential: six consecutive days of sensory evaluation, cupping, green coffee grading and the Coffee Value Assessment. Pass all nine assessments — eight practical, one written — to earn the SCA Q Grader License. Taught by a licensed Q Instructor.
How we teach
Every class and event we host is designed with intention and integrity, from the atmosphere we create to the way each session flows.
Soro excellence
Where others follow trends, we follow origin. Where others chase speed, we lead standards.
15+ years across farms, roasters, and brewers — distilled into a standard you can taste, and a standard we teach.
Events
From classes to special after-hours events, Soro Coffee provides space for the community to create phenomenal and unique experiences.
Questions
No. Start with Introduction to Coffee or the Foundation level of any course — no experience needed. Intermediate and Professional levels are for people who already work in coffee.
Yes. Our courses follow the Specialty Coffee Association’s Coffee Skills Program and are taught by an Authorized SCA Trainer (AST). Pass the written and practical exams at Foundation, Intermediate or Professional level and you receive an SCA certificate, which also counts toward one or more of the SCA Skills Diplomas — Café, Roastery, Coffee Trade and Sustainable Coffee — depending on the course and level.
Every class — from Introduction to Coffee to the SCA Q Grader course — is taught by Rock Kim, an Authorized SCA Trainer (AST) and licensed Q Instructor, in English or Korean.
Introduction to Coffee; Barista Skills, Brewing, Roasting and Sensory Skills at Foundation, Intermediate and Professional levels; and the SCA Q Grader course. We don’t currently teach the Green Coffee module.
Introduction to Coffee takes 4–6 hours. Barista Skills, Brewing, Roasting and Sensory Skills run 7 hours at Foundation, 14 hours at Intermediate and 21 hours at Professional — the SCA’s standard length for each level. The SCA Q Grader course is six consecutive days.
The SCA Q Grader course, taught at Soro by a licensed Q Instructor, is six consecutive days of sensory evaluation, cupping, green coffee grading and the Coffee Value Assessment (CVA), with nine assessments — eight practical and one written. Pass them all to earn the SCA Q Grader License, valid for three years. It’s designed for coffee professionals in quality control, sourcing or roasting; cupping experience helps, and Sensory Skills or Introduction to Coffee is a good first step.
At Soro Coffee, 601 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90017, in downtown Los Angeles.
Yes. Classes can be taught in Korean as well as English — just tell us which you’d prefer when you inquire. There’s also an academy page in Korean (한국어).
Yes. Soro Coffee hosts private events for up to 100 guests, from film production to unique gatherings — during opening hours or after hours, from 3 PM until 10 PM (later by arrangement). See Private events for details and to inquire about a date.
Send us an inquiry with the form below, email education@sorocoffee.com or call (213) 973-3060 to ask about SCA courses, the Q Grader course or special events.
Tell us a little about yourself and what you’d like to learn. We’ll get back to you by email.
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