SCA Roasting course · Downtown Los Angeles Roast with clarity and discipline.
Roasting is a Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) course on the roasting process: the roast cycle and roast levels, the physical changes beans go through in the roaster, spotting defects, and running a clean, lean workspace. Take it at Foundation (7 hours), Intermediate (14 hours) or Professional (21 hours) level at Soro Coffee, 601 Wilshire Blvd in downtown Los Angeles — in English or Korean, taught by Rock Kim, an Authorized SCA Trainer (AST) and licensed Q Instructor.
At a glance
- Levels
- Foundation, Intermediate and Professional
- Length
- 7, 14 or 21 hours, by level
- Exams
- Written and practical, audited by the SCA
- Certificate
- An SCA certificate for each level you pass
- Diplomas
- Foundation counts toward all four SCA Skills Diplomas — Café, Roastery, Coffee Trade and Sustainable Coffee. Intermediate and Professional count toward the Roastery Diploma.
- Taught by
- Rock Kim, an Authorized SCA Trainer (AST) and licensed Q Instructor
- Language
- English or Korean
- Where
- Soro Coffee, 601 Wilshire Blvd, downtown Los Angeles
Three levels
One craft, three depths.
Foundation needs no experience. Intermediate and Professional are for people who already work in coffee.
01
Foundation
A first taste of roasting, and a good way to decide whether to go further. No experience needed.
- Counts toward all four SCA Skills Diplomas
02
Intermediate
For people already working in coffee who have the basic skills down.
- Counts toward the Roastery Diploma
03
Professional
Specialist knowledge at a high level. The SCA’s outcomes for this level:
- Custom roast profiles
- Production roasting
- Quality control
- Counts toward the Roastery Diploma
Questions
Good to know
Do I need roasting experience?
Not for Foundation — no experience needed. Intermediate and Professional are for people who already work in coffee and have the basic skills down.
How long is each level?
Foundation is 7 hours, Intermediate is 14 hours and Professional is 21 hours — the SCA’s set length for each level.
Do I get a certificate?
Yes. Each level ends with written and practical exams, assessed by your Authorized SCA Trainer (AST) and audited by the SCA. Pass them and you receive an SCA certificate for that level.
Which SCA diplomas does Roasting count toward?
Roasting Foundation counts toward all four SCA Skills Diplomas: Café, Roastery, Coffee Trade and Sustainable Coffee. Roasting Intermediate and Professional count toward the Roastery Diploma. The diplomas are cumulative — you earn them by combining certificates across courses and levels.
Can I take the course in Korean?
Yes. Classes are taught in English or Korean. For details in Korean, see our Korean-language page (한국어).
Where is the class held, and who teaches it?
At Soro Coffee, 601 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90017, in downtown Los Angeles. Every class is taught by Rock Kim, an Authorized SCA Trainer (AST) and licensed Q Instructor.
How do I sign up?
Send an inquiry through the academy form, email education@sorocoffee.com or call (213) 973-3060 to ask about dates.
Next step
Ask about the next class
Send an inquiry and we’ll get back to you by email. Class dates are set based on demand. Or email education@sorocoffee.com.
More SCA courses at Soro