Profession coffee taster

Coffee tasters taste coffee samples in order to evaluate the features of the product or to prepare blending formulas. They determine the product's grade, estimate its market value, and explore how these products may appeal to different consumer tastes. They write blending formulas for workers who prepare coffee products for commercial purposes.

Personality Type

• Realistic / Conventional

Knowledge

• Temperature scales

  Celsius and Fahrenheit temperature scales.

• Food and beverage industry

  The respective industry and the processes involved in the food and beverage industry, such as raw material selection, processing, packaging, and storage.

• Types of coffee beans

  Most known coffee types, Arabica and Robusta, and the cultivars under each one of those types.

• Coffee characteristics

  The origins and types of coffee and the processes of coffee preparation, production and trade.

Skills

• Prepare specialised coffee

  Prepare coffee using specialised methods and equipment. Ensure a high quality preparation process.

• Evaluate coffee characteristics

  Analyse and evaluate coffee taste sensations including the coffee’s body, aroma, acidity, bitterness, sweetness, and finish.

• Perform coffee tastings

  Perform coffee tastings and coffee demonstrations whether for improving the product in the production process or for showcasing the final product. Taste coffee to objectively evaluate its quality.

• Apply HACCP

  Apply regulations regarding manufacture of food and food safety compliance. Employ food safety procedures based on Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP).

• Tolerate strong smells

  Tolerate strong smells expelled by the goods being processed during the production of goods.

• Boil water

  Boil water in large quantities in the context of manufacturing or food production (e.g. almond blanching).

• Grade coffee beans

  Grade coffee beans based on their characteristics, defects, size, colour, moisture content, taste, acidity, body, or aroma.

• Perform sensory evaluation

  Evaluate the quality of a given type of food or beverage based on its appearance, smell, taste, aroma, and others. Suggest possible improvements and comparisons with other products.

• Apply GMP

  Apply regulations regarding manufacture of food and food safety compliance. Employ food safety procedures based on Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP).

• Create coffee flavour profiles

  Creates coffee flavour profiles based on the characteristics perceived from the coffee such as coffee’s body, fragrance/aroma, acidity, bitterness, sweetness, and aftertaste/finish.

• Educate customers on coffee varieties

  Instruct customers about origins, characteristics, differences in flavours and blends of coffee products.

• Check processing parameters

  Check processing parameters to keep under control the technological processes.

• Apply requirements concerning manufacturing of food and beverages

  Apply and follow national, international, and internal requirements quoted in standards, regulations and other specifications related with manufacturing of food and beverages.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB